When working with suppliers, it’s common to have a cost-based way of thinking: the buyer needs a product, the supplier makes the product, and the buyer buys it. While straightforward and simple, it omits the benefits of collaboration. By using a value-based mindset, companies can unlock the hidden potential of their supplier relationships.
The Barriers
An in-depth survey of over 100 companies performed by Mckinsey & Company revealed that companies who regularly collaborated with suppliers demonstrated higher growth, lower operating costs, and greater profitability than their industry peers. Despite these rich benefits, many businesses struggle to integrate collaboration into their established processes. This is largely due to the increase in time and effort needed. It is much more instantly gratifying to focus on simpler and quicker initiatives, despite them yielding less value in the end. This is a common barrier, which means businesses can get a serious leg up on their competition by overcoming it.
Tap In
Collaborating with a supplier allows a business to tap deeper into the supplier’s expertise. The supplier is an expert at providing their specific product or service, and can provide specialized insight to meet specific needs. By developing a product together, the supplier is allowed to offer helpful feedback and suggestions to make production run smoothly. This can greatly reduce headaches in the development process, keep morale up, and increase efficiency. Suppliers have seen countless examples of successful (and not so successful) clients. Tapping into that knowledge and experience can reveal a goldmine of insight.
At Dion, every product we make is a collaboration. Our custom jewelry awards are designed to fit our client’s vision and budget, with endless possibilities to choose from. Our Account Managers help guide the process, making it easy to understand how jewelry is made, and what its functionalities can be. This is how we ensure a perfect, high quality fit for every customer.
Explore All Services
If a company is used to ordering the same thing from a supplier, they may not be aware of other available services. This lack of knowledge can cause redundant work, unnecessary strain on certain departments, and extra spending. These pitfalls can be avoided by fully and openly communicating the needs of the project. The collaborating business/supplier team can also go over a menu of services available when starting the project. This helps everyone stay on the same page and know what resources are available.
Menus of our administrative and product services can be found under the “Services” tab of our website. The purpose of our services is to help distributors, both large and small, feel confident when handling the organizational needs of their clients. Whether its product design, drop shipping, program administration, or even marketing support, we want our clients to be fully supported whenever they interact with us.
A Win Win
Businesses should never hesitate to form a collaborative relationship with their suppliers. Suppliers are usually willing and eager to help - after all, they do well when their clients do well! For more tips on how to nurture vendor relationships, check out our blog "5 Ways to Strengthen Your Vendor Relationships." By working together, companies and their suppliers can better design and execute their vision.
Getting started on a custom branded jewelry item is easy! Our custom awards help to elevate and celebrate organizations with designs tailored to their needs. Start by browsing our gallery of past products, or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. give us a call, or message us to get started!
