Strategic account management in the new procurement environment

Describes the changes which are taking place in the procurement environment and the steps which suppliers need to take in order to adapt. Inventory is increasingly being pushed back up the supply chain and suppliers face higher service expectations, against which they are frequently measured by their customers. The authors predict that rationalisation of the supply base will continue, increasing the importance of large accounts for suppliers. Managing these accounts will require a change in the way sales teams realign their selling approaches to better match customer procurement strategies.