Supplier Relationship Management - Best Practices for Rotating Key Contacts (Internal and 3rd Party)
Mary Zampino
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We have a strategic vendor - one of our top five vendors. The relationship has been managed by only one sales executive since we moved to this vendor almost 13 years ago. Needless to say, this individual is extremely talented in relationship management and has integrated himself into the thought processes of many key individuals in our organization. This has gotten to the point where some of our own directors have argued on behalf of this vendor, to not negotiate some key contract areas, as this is where the vendor makes their margin.
My question is whether there are rules of thumb or accepted standards for rotating key individuals into and out of, key relationship positions between two organizations. This issue has gotten so one-sided over the years that this vendor is treated as if they are a client.
We need help to see where other organizations regularly rotate relationships to keep them fresh, introduce “new eyes, ears and brains” on a relationship and get new ideas and better service levels in place.
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We have a strategic vendor - one of our top five vendors. The relationship has been managed by only one sales executive since we moved to this vendor almost 13 years ago. Needless to say, this individual is extremely talented in relationship management and has integrated himself into the thought processes of many key individuals in our organization. This has gotten to the point where some of our own directors have argued on behalf of this vendor, to not negotiate some key contract areas, as this is where the vendor makes their margin.
My question is whether there are rules of thumb or accepted standards for rotating key individuals into and out of, key relationship positions between two organizations. This issue has gotten so one-sided over the years that this vendor is treated as if they are a client.
We need help to see where other organizations regularly rotate relationships to keep them fresh, introduce “new eyes, ears and brains” on a relationship and get new ideas and better service levels in place.
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