Reflect and Learn from the ProcessPartnering
Characteristic Hansei Supplier Partnering Reflection
Mutual ◆ Do you deeply understand your suppliers and
understanding their capabilities?
◆ Do your people go and see the supplier’s
processes for themselves (genchi genbutsu)?
◆ Are you and your core suppliers committed to
co-prosperity?
◆ Is there mutual trust in the relationship?
Interlocking ◆ Have you developed a seamless connection
structures between your processes and your supplier’s
processes?
◆ Have you used appropriate alliance structures
to control critical parts and processes?
Control systems ◆ Do you have effective real-time systems for
measuring supplier performance that gives
immediate feedback?
◆ Do you use that system for helping suppliers
set challenging but realistic targets for
improvement?
◆ Is competition between a small set of dedicated
suppliers intense and motivating?
◆ Do you use target pricing effectively to motivate
improvement so both parties win?
Compatible ◆ Are your supplier’s manufacturing and logistics
capabilities systems seamless extensions of your just-in-
time systems?
◆ Are supplier engineers tightly integrated into
your development process and speaking the
same language as your engineers?
◆ Are you and your suppliers working jointly to
develop innovative products and services?
Information ◆ Is there accurate data collection and
sharing dissemination?
◆ Do you always set specific times, places, and
agendas for supplier meetings?
Chapter 12. Develop Suppliers and Partners 303