The collapse of Health NZ’s IT systems showed how fragile supplier relationships can be when governance and accountability are weak. This article examines what went wrong, the risks of treating suppliers as vendors rather than partners, and how structured SRM practices could prevent similar failures in critical public services.

Shifting trade policies and rising tariffs are adding new pressure to global supply chains. Companies that rely only on contracts and cost control are feeling the strain, while those with strong supplier relationships gain agility, access to scarce resources, and early innovation. This article explores how SRM helps businesses stay competitive in turbulent markets.

Sustainability goals can’t be achieved in isolation. Most of a company’s environmental and social impact sits in its supply base, making supplier collaboration essential. This article looks at how SRM creates the structures and behaviours needed for progress, from joint action plans to innovation partnerships that move beyond compliance to real results.

Procurement often underestimates trust, treating it as a soft factor rather than a driver of real advantage. When suppliers believe they can rely on you, they bring their best ideas forward, share problems early, and prioritise your needs in a crisis. This piece explores how trust shapes resilience and why it underpins customer-of-choice status.

Procurement teams talk about partnership and customer-of-choice status, yet many still rely on Net Promoter Score to measure supplier sentiment. This article explains why NPS, built for consumer markets, fails in supplier relationships, and explores better alternatives such as Voice of the Supplier, 360-degree reviews, and supplier-led KPIs that reveal real opportunities for improvement and partnership.

Trust is often seen as a soft value in supplier relationships, but when it breaks, the consequences hit hard. From late deliveries to silent failures, the impact of low trust is both operational and reputational. This article explores how to detect trust breakdowns early and rebuild stronger, more resilient partnerships.

Many CPOs delay SRM, believing they need to fix internal data and systems first. But sidelining supplier relationships can stall real progress and miss early wins. This article explains why SRM should be a core part of any transformation journey, not something to save for later.

US procurement has traditionally focused on performance and control, treating suppliers as replaceable. But today, with capacity tight and suppliers becoming more selective, that mindset is starting to backfire. This article explores why strategic partnership, not pressure, is now the key to long-term results.

Many organisations manage contracts, costs and performance but overlook the people running supplier relationships. This article explores why supplier managers are the “forgotten workforce,” the risks of neglecting them, and how equipping them with skills and recognition strengthens resilience, trust and long-term results.

With the NZ Grocery Code of Conduct now in force, compliance is no longer optional. But smart retailers aren’t stopping there. This blog explores how SRM can turn regulatory pressure into competitive advantage, reducing risk, improving supplier performance, and creating real commercial edge.