Geoff Hayward’s Post

I don't like suppliers. Wait! hear me out! Here on LinkedIn many people interchange "Supplier", "Vendor" and "Partner". I think there is a BIG difference. Suppliers are for commodities. Vendors? A bit more specific. But Partners? That's where the real strategy kicks in. 📦𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐫𝐬 handle the basics. In IT, think about hardware pieces or software resellers. 🔧𝐕𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐫𝐬 meet specific needs but don't add extra value. 🤝𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬 work closely with us to innovate and plan strategically. I've worked with many vendors that called themselves Partners, but true partnership is an achievement, not just a label. It's a win-win or nothing. ➡️ How often do you use the word supplier, vendor or partner? 👇Everyone here is a client or a service provider, I'd love to hear your perspective! ♻ If you've found this breakdown helpful, please repost and share it with your network! Let people know about the real impact of true Partnerships in Business! With love, Celia #VendorManagement #Businessstrategy #partnership Vendor Manager Hub

I'm pretty new to dealing with vendors, but it has been a baptism by fire for me. I probably spend close to half of my work time communicating with existing and prospective vendors, evaluating their products, and talking to my team about what is working, what isn't working, and what they would like to see. I'm not an expert yet by any measure. But I have learned one really valuable lesson: There are two kinds of vendors. The first type of vendor really wants to make a sale. Once they've made the sale, they focus on keeping your business—mostly by reacting to your dissatisfaction. The second type of vendor really wants to help you solve your problems, improve your operations, and make you a successful customer. Look for the second type of vendor. Avoid the first kind. #LegalOps #VendorManagement #BusinessSolutions #StrategicPartnerships #OperationalExcellence

This unseeable cost is weighing on your business. Everybody talks about employee fluctuation - but what about your vendors? Your partners - just like your employees, your suppliers can fluctuate. What does this mean? -> You need to find new partners. This is both cumbersome and brings additional uncertainty (will my new partner deliver up to my standards?) -> You need to screen the new partner. Is the company reliable? Am I going to worry about supply chain disruptions because of it? -> You need to contract with and onboard your new partners. This can be surprisingly costly (I've seen some stats estimating up to few hundred hours if the processes are complex & manual). Do you measure supplier fluctuation? What do you do against it? #suppliers #supplier #vendor #vendors #supplychain #onboarding #partnermanagement #supplychainmanagement

Importance of Vendor partnerships In any industry sector…. While I would maintain all vendor partnerships are important, I would argue that their value is subjective to your approach in how you manage your vendors and your vendor operating model in conjunction with your companies strategic objectives. However having worked with multiple vendors across a wide spectrum of industry sectors whether global or local, strategic or tactical, large, medium sized or small the vendor partnerships that are fostered with a level of transparency, trust, respect and a genuine commitment to providing a platform for two way communication and evaluative feedback I have found does open opportunities to drive optimum levels of performance, increased support and innovation alongside solidifying the vendor as a true partner. Do you agree? Let me know your thoughts and experiences in the comments below

Question: Is it OK for a company that hires you as a vendor to work for them servicing their customer base to NOT pay you on time? I have one company and I won’t name it as of yet that NEVER pays on time and they fee it would be bad of me to impose a 10% later fee on them. Or let’s say they have said in an email that they do not pay late fees. Am I missing something? Is it OK for them to take advantage of the vendors that they use to service their customers!?

Its known and accepted by everyone that employees who are paid well do a better job than those who are not. Vendors are no different. If you save 10% by going strictly with low bid but your product is delivered late and you have lost revenue then what did you gain? Working with people who care pays in the long run. People who care will make the extra call or drive through the night to make sure your project stays on the course. People who care will admit their mistakes and provide solutions. A lot of times you don't have a way to measure how hard your vendor is working to ensure your success. So the indicator becomes whether they care. If they sincerely care then we trust them. Trust builds relationships. Relationships build success. #manufacturing #madeinamerica #pressurevessels #americanfighters

Being an administrator is not an easy task. It requires making crucial decisions that impact the organization's financial and personnel aspects. From my experience, I have learned that choosing the right vendors is critical. The vendors we choose should not just be providers of goods or services but also our partners. Partnership with vendors who can make our staff's job easier and more efficient is invaluable. It creates a long-lasting value that cannot be measured by money. If vendors are only interested in making a quick sale, their level of investment in our success is questionable. Therefore, I prefer working with partners who are invested in our success as much as we are. Do you agree that partnerships are more valuable than just being a vendor? Share your thoughts in the comments below. #partnerships #vendorselection #efficiency #success

Top 5 Warning Signs Your I.T. Vendor Is Failing You... They dodge your calls Timelines keep slipping Costs keep rising Results keep shrinking Your team has lost faith Sound familiar? That knot in your stomach isn't going away until you make a change. Your business deserves better. Your team deserves better. YOU deserve better. Ready for a frank discussion about what good I.T. actually looks like?

Being an A-1 vendor is no easy task. Securing orders at the best price, forming effective teams, executing plans successfully, maintaining close coordination, and ensuring timely delivery—each aspect is like a building block that helps us maintain our reputation. If any block malfunctions, the vendor's reputation is at stake. The greatest part of this work is that the bigger the challenge, the greater the satisfaction after successful implementation. Competitiveness gives us an edge when we continuously deliver successful projects. While excessive expectations can seem like misplaced opportunities, true expectations rest on those who can shoulder responsibilities. The message is clear to all vendors: single, extraordinary efforts aren't enough to sustain in a developing market. One must achieve excellence every time, in every execution, to remain A-1 in the industry. Follow Dipendra Shringi for more exciting, engaging and encouraging posts. #VendorExcellence #IndustryStandards #SuccessInExecution

Tired of missing out on potential client-vendor relationships while your email sits in “Spam Mountain”? Our awesome FM team at Aldi has created this 1-minute questionnaire to connect with vendors more efficiently; meaning your business reaches the right people, at the right time.   If you are interested in becoming a vendor for Aldi, please fill out this short questionnaire. Your information will be shared with all Aldi Facilities Managers automatically, and should your services match our needs, you will be contacted directly by the area FM. Prospective Vendor Questionnaire