The final submission in The 100 Greatest Supply Management Tips of All Time! contest revisits an old-school technique to uncovering your supplier’s hidden secrets — both good and bad:

• Make house calls: Have your sourcing team visit key suppliers’ headquarters, factories, plants, or showrooms on a regularly scheduled basis. Suppliers will give you insight into the latest trends and reveal insights into their costs and/or operations that they may not do otherwise.

The tip, while simplistic, stands as a reminder that, even in this age of Web-based purchasing techniques and global sourcing, managing key supplier relationships requires just that — a relationship. And, while visiting all your suppliers may be impractical (that’s where technology can help), regular meetings with your most strategic suppliers can turn up hidden gems of innovation or unexpected ways to remove non-value-added tasks or costs from the supply chain.

Rate this final tip here.