Supply Chain Cost Management: The AIM & DRIVE® Process for Achieving Extraordinary Results

Do We Really Need Strategies?

Many managers are of the view that strategies are not required in managing costs. These are the majority, unfortunately, who grew up in the days of negotiation. You still cannot help but read advertisements in various in-flight magazines urging the unsuspecting reader to effectively negotiate. “You don’t get what you deserve, you get what you negotiate,” the ads cry out. And many a manager would say, “Amen.” Well that’s fine if you’re negotiating to buy a used car or bargaining with a little kid trying to sell you a “genuine imitation” Rolex in the back alleys of Hong Kong. Most world-class suppliers will walk away from a bargain-hunting customer. And why not? Surely a supplier who is considered world-class has ...