The days of playing suppliers off against each other are coming to an end. That's the view of Paul Alexander, head of procurement at British Airways. His biggest problem, he says, is fighting off other purchasers to get the products he needs.
"There aren't too many places we can get spare parts for Rolls-Royce engines. We're operating in a world where suppliers are very powerful."
And one where striking a successful bond with a vendor goes much further than the money involved.
According to the a poll by Supply Management, 72 percent of respondents believe becoming a "customer of choice" will be important in the future.
Source: Supply Management, http://www.supplymanagement.com