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Unprecedented changes sweeping the world during the last few years have given rise to the need for the development and adoption of contingency strategies. This requires firms to have strategic flexibility in every aspect of their operation. Vendor development strategies constitute an important component in achieving this flexibility. Attempts to draw up an explicit conceptual link between generic business unit strategies and generic vendor development strategies. Proposes a vendor structure framework with three dimensions representing vendor structure scope, vendor structure relationship and vendor structure focus. Uses the framework to develop certain generic vendor development strategies. Considers the four generic strategies suggested by Porter, namely industry‐wide cost leadership strategy, industry‐wide differentiation strategy, segment cost leadership strategy and segment differentiation strategy and, for each one of these, proposes appropriate vendor development strategies.

Reviews the various scenarios which exist for library‐vendor relations. Considers the questions which should be asked when evaluating the individual products, services and options of vendors; and the pros and cons of using one or many vendors. Describes a new model ‐ the project approach. Presents examples of various library‐vendor communications ‐ both positive and negative.

Presents an approach for evaluating the number of vendors to employ in a procurement situation using multi‐objective programming (MOP) and data envelopment analysis (DEA). The approach advocates developing vendor‐order quantity solutions (referred to as supervendors) using MOP and then evaluating the efficiency of these supervendors on multiple criteria using DEA. Formulations are presented for both the MOP and DEA models. A case study is presented for a Fortune 500 company in a just‐in‐time (JIT) manufacturing environment.

The purpose of this paper is to provide a “trait based approach” for vendor selection and evaluation for expensive procurements in large businesses through a simple and easy‐to‐use mathematical model using safety, quality, delivery and cost criteria. Design/methodology/approach – We use 16 traits addressing safety (S), quality (Q), delivery (D) and cost (C) areas for evaluating performance of a vendor on a linear 10 point scale. We start with evaluating each “supplier‐supply item” combination and compute gross averages for each of the SQDC areas and finally arrive at an “Overall Performance Index” for each supplier‐supply item combination. These indices form a “Vendor Performance Dashboard” for decision making. Findings – The case study shows that the proposed method is quick and easy to adopt, and provides a logical framework for vendor selection and management, based on performance in the four critical (SQDC) areas. Research limitations/implications – A lot of monotonous computations are required for the proposed vendor evaluation process. Hence, the scope for software development warrants further investigation. There is also a need to develop a process for weighting the different SQDC elements for application in different industry/market contexts. Originality/value – This paper presents a unique and simple approach for generating dashboard data for decisions regarding evaluation of vendors and distribution of sub‐contracts in a dynamic technology intensive market with practical examples. The proposed model for vendor selection and determination of order sizes is less dependent on complex algorithms and more practical and logically framed than existing models.

We use experiential learning theory to develop new conceptual insights into offshore outsourcing of innovation. In particular, we show how offshore vendor firms are able to overcome liability of outsidership and eventually learn how to innovate on behalf of their onshore clients as a result of their embedment with clients across multiple teams. We theorize that the cross-border relocation of innovative activities from a client firm to an offshore vendor is only possible when teams within the vendor team have assumed a double-loop learning capability from the client allowing them to determine governing variables relating to the client’s organizational environment. Through direct on-the-job experience working with each other, international teams comprised in part from the vendor and in part from the client can undergo different learning transitions, which we classify as either relationship-oriented or task-oriented. These transitions determine the extent to which double-loop learning can be developed in offshore locations and are influenced by intra-team dynamics and the way the joint teams organize and manage themselves. Our perspective has implications for our understanding of organizational designs associated with both client and vendor multinational enterprises seeking to benefit from innovation in offshore outsourcing.

This paper aims to explain how small- and medium-sized firms (SMEs) create information technology (IT) business value through blended IT outsourcing (ITO). The explanatory framework it proposes enables SMEs to replicate IT capability outcomes (i.e. enhance their economic, strategic and technological competences, namely, ITO success) by endorsing an ITO strategy catalyzed by IT vendor integration.

This study uses covariance-based structural equation modeling to test the proposed research model. Data are collected from 251 knowledge-intensive business SMEs located in Science and Technology Parks in Spain.

The results demonstrate empirically that SMEs can replicate IT capability benefits (i.e. enhance their non-IT competences) through blended ITO in which IT, conceptualized as a transversal supporting activity, is outsourced to an IT vendor while the value creation process remains with the buyer. The integration (i.e. process integration and information sharing) of an IT-proficient vendor catalyzes ITO success. More specifically, the results show that, although process integration is not directly related to competence enhancement, fosters information sharing, which directly facilitates ITO success. The results also show that IT vendor proficiency accounts for ex ante trust.

Managers should think of transformational ITO as a strategy to enhance firm competences. For blended ITO strategies to succeed, managers must have a comprehensive understanding of the business they run, as it is important to create conditions that foster inter-firm information sharing. To achieve these conditions, managers should take special care in selecting boundary spanners, who are the pivotal links in competence enhancement.

While most research focuses on ongoing trust (i.e. trust develops as ITO evolves), this study focuses on initial (i.e. ex ante) trust and analyzes IT vendor proficiency (expert, experienced and reputed) to examine trust as an antecedent of ITO. This study also draws on previous conceptualizations of vendor integration to develop and analyze a two-step integration model to explain how IT vendor integration (i.e. process integration and information sharing) catalyzes enhancement of the buyer’s non-IT competences. This study focuses on SMEs, which are often neglected in ITO studies.

Most companies with incoming raw materials in bulk form receive test results from the vendor. The receiving department either does not test the material for acceptance at all, or duplicates the testing done by the vendor. A joint quality programme is presented between the vendor and the buyer that will reduce inspection costs and improve the quality and consistency. The vendor in this plan will practise process control and forward the results to the receiving department of the buyer. The buyer will exercise a multi‐level skip‐lot sampling plan to accept or reject incoming lots, based on the comparison of the vendor′s test data with its own test results. Detailed information for full implementation of this plan is provided.

The aim of this paper is to identify the criteria that are used for vendor or supplier rating, prioritize these criteria based on the industry inputs and develop a vendor rating model. The data were collected from an Indian start-up working in product development using three-dimensional printing (3DP).

Factors of importance for vendor rating were identified through industry visits, and interacting with the industry experts from the start-up under consideration, substantiated by extensive review of relevant literature. A questionnaire-based survey was carried out to further narrow down the factors important to the industry, prioritizing them with a pairwise comparison analysis as envisaged in the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) technique along with the calculation of consistency ratios. Technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) methodology was further used for data aggregation.

This research brought forward the criteria that are useful for rating vendors or suppliers with reference to 3DP sector.

This paper integrates AHP and TOPSIS to solve a multi-criteria vendor rating problem. The attempt was made to make vendor rating process universal so that it can encompass all the vendors of the firm.

Contracting with a vendor to provide retrospective conversion services is an often considered alternative to an inhouse project. George Washington University's Gelman Library has used several vendors to augment its retrospective conversion project, depending upon the requirements of the project at a particular time. It is from this experience that this paper will seek to answer such questions as: when should a library consider using a conversion vendor; what methodologies are available from them; and what factors should be considered before selecting the vendor?