In the Outsourced Electronics Manufacturing Supply Chain, the strength of the relationships between the OEMs and their suppliers is critical to success. TFI Analysts have been conducting Customer and Supplier Relationship Management programs for OEMs and EMS companies for over 15 years. As objective, neutral third-parties, TFI’s experienced consultants are in the best position to learn the ‘real story’ about our clients’ customer and supplier relationships. Our experience helps us offer concrete, actionable recommendations on how to continuously improve communications and align business processes to dramatically improve the performance and profitability of the entire extended network.

Customer Retention for Business Growth

This program is designed to offer client-specific, actionable insights and recommendations for improving customer retention. Although it is specifically designed for companies selling electronics manufacturing services, components, software and equipment, it is easily customizable to any industry. This program includes:

• TFI consultants meet with your executive/leadership team to discover company goals and objectives, key wins and barriers to success.
• We create a customized interview guide and conduct in-depth interviews (phone and in-person) with both key customers and lost and missed customers.
• After analysis of the data, you are provided with a final report which includes data on trends, benchmarks, step-by-step courses of action and comprehensive data.
• TFI consultants meet with your executive/leadership team to guide them through implementing the recommendations and developing a specific implementation timetable.
• The interview process is repeated on a regular basis (usually quarterly) to monitor progress and results.

Supplier Relationship Excellence

Similar to the Customer Retention for Business Excellence program described above, the Supplier Relationship Excellence program uses extensive data gathering through interviews to determine the strength of a company’s suppliers. TFI clients receive the following benefits from TFI’s Supplier Relationship Excellence program:

• Stronger relationships with suppliers.
• A greater sense of partnership.
• Standardized policies and procedures that are more manageable across diverse business units.
• Suppliers better understand their role and how to add value to the OEM.
• Weaknesses are revealed and eliminated, reducing waste and decreasing cost.
• Supplier scorecards become more useful and meaningful.
• Suppliers better anticipate the OEM’s future needs.

Optimizing Supplier-Customer Relationships Trainings/Workshops

As an introduction to TFI’s services or to supplement your existing efforts, TFI recommends the following trainings/workshops:

• Finding and Keeping OEM Customers for the next 10 years of electronics manufacturing and design services
  A 3-hour workshop that escorts marketing and sales executives at EMS, ODM, component, and software suppliers into the real-world thinking and perspectives of today’s OEM customers: when and why do they buy, what regions they prefer, selection criteria, and what deters them from entering into a new supplier relationship.
• Logistics and Fulfillment: Leading Practices for Efficiency and Resource Savings
  TFI supply-chain, logistics, and fulfillment consultants will convey to your operating executives and teams proven paths to profitable new choices for matching demand with production and moving product.