第1页共17页编号：时间：2021年x月x日书山有路勤为径，学海无涯苦作舟页码：第1页共17页Anewkindofprofessionalpurchaserbentongettingrock-bottomcoststhreatenssuppliersofbasicmaterials.Butthesecompaniescansavethemselvesbytakingupthepurchasers?weaponsThereisakillerontheloosenearthestartofthevaluechain.Suppliersofbasicmaterials1haveseentoughtimesastheirownsuppliersconsolidatedandcustomerssqueezedtheirmargins.Nowsomeofthosecustomersareusingakindofsophisticatedprofessionalpurchaser,knownasa"sourcer,"whothreatenstoruboutthemeagermarginsthatremain.Armedwithadetailedknowledgeofthesuppliers?economics,thesourcerspurnsthetraditionalapproachofbuildingcloserelationshipsinfavorofextractingthemostvalueatthelowestpossiblecost.Somesuppliersmaynotsurvivetheassault.Indeed,thismismatchcandestroyvaluequickly.Oneglobalproducerofspecialtylubricantsrecentlyacquiredseveralservicebusinessesinanefforttodistinguishitselffromcompetitors.Theinitialstrategywassound.Butthensourcersdemandedthatthesupplierbundleitsnewserviceswiththelubricantsatnoextracharge.Topreservesalesvolumes,thesupplieracquiesced.Intheend,whathadstartedasasensibleefforttocombineachemicalbusinessthathada5percentreturnonsaleswithservice第2页共17页第1页共17页编号：时间：2021年x月x日书山有路勤为径，学海无涯苦作舟页码：第2页共17页businessesthathada一五percentROSgavethecompanyanoverallROSoflessthan5percent.Somesuppliershavesufferedsomuchfromthesourcers?attacksthatcounteringthem,ratherthanpassivelywatchingmarginserodefurther,mustnowbeastrategicpriority.Afirststepisforsupplierstounderstandhowsourcershaveshiftedtheoddsagainstthem.Thesecondistousethatunderstandingbyfightingbackthroughinternalimprovementsandbytakingadvantageofthementalityofthesourcerstocreatevalueforboththemandthesuppliers.Andsuppliersmusttakeamuchtoughernegotiatingstand梚fnecessary,reducingtheirservicestocustomersorevenabandoningcustomers,howeverlong-standing,thathavebecometooexpensivetoserve.SMARTSTUFFProfessionalsourcersfirstappearedabouttenyearsago.Initially,theytargetedretailersanddistributors;latertheymovedupthevaluechaintoincludesuppliersofbasicmaterials.Insteadoflookingforsuppliersthatofferthelowestunitpriceforproducts,sourcersconcentrateonreducingtheircompanies?totalcostofowningtheproductsinquestion.Thetotalcostofownership(TCO)includesallexpensesincurredingettingandusingproducts梟otonlyinvoiceprices,butalsocostssuchasdelivery,storage,andthedisposalofpackagingmaterialsandby-products.Sourcersstartbyusingtheirvolumetosqueezeasmuchvalueoutofasupplieraspossible.Thisapproachisn抰new,buttheywinadditionalvaluebyshiftingcostsandriskstosuppliers.Sourcers第3页共17页第2页共17页编号：时间：2021年x月x日书山有路勤为径，学海无涯苦作舟页码：第3页共17页don抰careabouttheeffectthislineofattackmighthaveonrelationships:thegoalistograbvalue.Knowledgeisthesecondimportantweaponofthesourcers,whounderstandtheirowneconomicsandthetotalcostofusingproductsorservicesand,nolessimportant,theeconomicsandofferingsoftheirkeysuppliers梠ftenbetterthanthesuppliersdo.Why?Becausesourcerssystematicallyaggregatealloftheavailableinformationfromtheirownorganizations,othersuppliers,trademagazines,othercustomers(legally,throughconsortiums),industryexperts,andthelike.Meanwhile,theinformationthatsuppliershaveaboutthemselvesliesinvariousfunctionsandITsystemsandusuallyhasn抰beenpulledtogether.Sourcersthereforehaveintimatekno...
