Working in Partnership

Working in partnership with customers and suppliers is a pivotal part of the cultural change from being shareholder focused to stakeholder focused, which many organizations now see as essential in securing their future success. This book draws on the experience of practicing managers working in this development area and provides advice on all relevant issues, for the benefit of any organization wanting to develop a closer working relationship with their customers or suppliers. The book presents research and examples of best practice from a variety of business environments, including the public sector, automotive and leisure industries. Investing time in partnerships is shown to lead to wide-ranging improvements in quality, time-saving, decision-making and cost, often resulting in demonstrably sharp turnarounds in overall performance. Information is also provided on the different types of partnership which can be established, changes in attitude and behaviour required, the typical barriers which need breaking down and specific case studies written by managers who were personally involved.