Wondering whether the supplier size guidelines mentioned in “Supplier Size: It Matters” are absolute rules for selecting (or rejecting) a supplier? Keep in mind that these are ONLY guidelines. There will absolutely, positively be exceptions.

For example, NLPA has a supplier awards program in place. In our most recent mid-year supplier evaluation, the leading candidate for our 2005 Supplier of the Year Award was a huge company. NLPA’s business comprises less than 1% of its annual sales. Performance – irrespective of relative size – is what counts.

Supplier size is just one of many criteria that you should consider when selecting a supplier. In many cases, you will find that supplier stability and attentiveness to your needs are highly correlated with the guidelines in the above-mentioned purchasing article.

What percentages are you finding to be the thresholds?

Become a member of one of the world’s largest procurement associations today.

Recommended Reading

• Supplier Size Guidelines: Set In Stone?
• Advanced Supply Management Tactics Applied: Customer-Driven Design, Master Data & Category Planning
• Managing Supplier Performance

Visit NLPA Learning, the new home to all of our certifications and online courses. The Learning site also includes learning resources, including live and on-demand webinars, publications and reports, articles, templates, white papers, and much more!