A recent Deloitte study offers a concise overview of the challenges companies face within their supply chains and how they, in turn, can partner with their suppliers to solve current problems and prevent new ones.

UHC announced that its member academic medical centers achieved record supply chain savings and value of $400m in 2012. The saving amount represents five percent of UHC members' record aggregated spend of $8.1bn and includes cash returns as well as operational savings.

More than half of chief procurement officers have agreed that their company pursues short-term savings from suppliers that undermine long-term value, according to a survey by the Consero Group.

A study that polled procurement managers and directors from a range of firms across the UK found that while mid-market firms are often less likely to have robust processes and systems in place to counter bribery risk, companies at both ends of the spectrum appeared complacent when it came to vetting their suppliers for compliance with the Bribery Act.

SciQuest Inc. has signed an agreement to acquire the assets of Upside Software Inc., a vendor of contract lifecycle management (CLM) software.

POOL4TOOL Corp., a consultancy and applications vendor specializing in electronic sourcing, has formed a partnership with D+B Germany, a provider of business-information services with an emphasis on supplier risk.

Intertek, a provider of quality-control and safety products for multiple industries, has launched its Find My Factory app for both iPhone and Android mobile devices.

One of the often overlooked and undervalued components of supplier selection is trying to determine the supplier's long-term potential. Simply stated, it is not very difficult to identify the lowest price option during an RFP process. The key for long-term success is based on analyzing each supplier's potential for the long haul, encompassing areas such as strategic alignment, cultural fit, common delivery centers, industry outlook and social responsibility efforts. The best overall strategic value is not necessarily the lowest cost.