Successful buyer–supplier relationships

Abstract

This article focuses on the negotiation of buyer–supplier relationships and the associated activities that are required to maintain them. After analysing and distilling contributions from the literature, we developed a 10-item questionnaire that was subsequently used as a guide for interviewing 36 practitioners in the field. These responses provided new insights into the attitudes and actions that contribute to relationship management success from a negotiations perspective. This led to the development of a framework that encapsulates key considerations for negotiation and relationship management specifically from a procurement process perspective.