Supply chain executives are increasingly focusing on their suppliers’ quality management processes, according to a new benchmarking report from Best Practices LLC. Now more than ever, leading organizations see tactics such as supplier certification as ways to achieve key performance results and key strategic objectives. The study cites Edy’s Ice Cream’s supplier certification program, which emphasizes product safety and consistency as a good example of the new trend. In this program, the plant quality manager works with employees to examine and improve the supplier’s processes and, as a result, the plant reported an additional 4-percent reduction in annual customer complaint rates.

“Best Practices in Supply Base Management” highlights the best practices of more than 150 world-class companies. Some results include:

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