The concept of creating and managing supplier relationships resonates with me because I would like to
steer my career in this direction (i.e. Supplier Quality Engineer). Before studying this concept, I had
some experience working with suppliers and customers. I typically observe how our experienced
customers interact with me, and I mirror their approach with our suppliers.
I attend occasional meetings with our customers on Microsoft Teams. Some meetings consist of many
cross-functional attendees across several tiers of the supply chain—from top level OEM managers to
Junior Quality Engineers, like myself. A meeting may be regarding one small part that is critical to the
development and launch of a new jet engine. I am the face of our company when it comes to Quality,
an important supplier quality metric.
GE Aerospace, our main customer, emails me a Voice of Customer (VOC) scorecard each month,
which rates us on Readiness, Safety, Compliance, Quality, Delivery, and Commercial. Recently, I
discovered a detailed description of each category within the GE’s Aviation Global Sourcing SEPM
Manual. Delivery and Quality are determined by quantitative calculations. The remaining categories
are more subjective. For example, the Safety score is determined by “safety and environmental
concerns identified by any GE personnel through a site visit, conversation with the supplier, or any
media communication.” Insight into GE’s Supplier Rating System (SRS) allows us to set goals that
align with our customer, which will benefit both parties.
Developing interpersonal supplier relationships, such as trust and transparent information sharing,
resonates with me the most. An alliance ultimately comes down to a relationship between individuals.
Even if some information is hard to swallow at first, working together to overcome challenges will
strengthen relationships in the long run.
Long-lasting suppler-customer relationships can become lax, eventually leading to supply-chain
disruptions. After-all, companies are ever-changing: new employees may have different attitudes and
visions, and old employees may become uninvolved. Therefore, supplier-customer relationships should
be continuously evaluated for ongoing success.