Mind The Gap

Nothing to do with David Letterman's smile, how far Madonna can spit, or the very fine retail clothing stores.  Anyone daring enough to essay riding the Underground in the UK has seen the warnings intended to dissuade tripping, falling, or worse.  As has anyone who has stormed a souvenir shop at Gatwick in a panic to bring home a memorable T-shirt.

All this was triggered by last week's report in London's venerable and venerated Times that the govenment is considering legislation to counter the bullying of suppliers by big-box retailers.  Yes, it actually siad, "bullying."  At least one of the targeted offenders is a regular on Gartner/AMR's annual list of the top global supply chains.  The suspected miscreants, of course, maintain that they love their suppliers, and would be fools to fail in building strong long-term relationships with them.

Think about big box operators in the US.  Are, for them, suppliers valued strategic partners?  Or something they inadvertantly stepped in on the sidewalk? 

Is there evidence, beyond the anecdotal, one way or the other?  The mere supposition of a possibility does raise a question, though, of whether Gartner/AMR might ought to include an assessment of supplier relationships in its ranking equations.

In the business world at large, it is abundantly clear that there is a gap between those who talk the talk and those who walk the walk in building, maintaining, and continuously improving business relationships - with suppliers, customers, service providers, and others.

What's it like in your organization?  Should you post a warning to mind the gap?