Focus. That's what savvy buyers are telling suppliers about supply chain expectations for 2009--even if the amount purchased is going to be less than in years past. Surveys and interviews find buyers insisting that "cost of quality" has to be lowered this year--but that won't happen unless their best suppliers focus on meeting supply contract specifications, on exceeding quality measurement goals and on meeting continuous improvement of deliveries goals.
In other words, buyers want their suppliers to focus on reduced costs--not just lowered prices--as they provide North American manufacturing firms in 2009 with commodities, components and systems.
Source: Purchasing