Making a win-win partnership

With increased global competition, it has become necessary for customers and suppliers to partner for common benefits. Xerox and Avery Dennison have developed new concepts to effectively deliver products to the end customer, taking the cost out of the entire supply chain. The mutual benefits of this partnership are shorter lead times, lower overall inventory, and increased profitability. In order to attain these benefits, certain business paradigms had to be changed, that is, walls had to be broken down. This article gives a hands-on explanation of how to establish a working partnership between two companies.