Supplier relationship subcategory

Manuela D’Eusanio

Chapter 167 in Elgar Encyclopedia of Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment, 2026, pp 626-629 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: Supplier Relationship refers to a subcategory proposed by the Guidelines for Social Life Cycle Assessment of Products and Organizations (S-LCA). This subcategory is related to the stakeholder category Value Chain Actors, and it includes the actors involved within the value chain of the product and/or organization analyzed. In particular, Supplier Relationship refers to the interaction and collaboration between an organization and its suppliers within the supply chain, specifically, those actors that are located upstream (in the value chain). This relationship is established to create a partnership that offers mutual benefits, such as improved efficiency, cost savings, innovation and enhanced product quality. The organization and its suppliers can achieve long-term success and competitive advantage by fostering open communication, trust, and shared objectives. This relationship is essential since the individual companies no longer compete as independent entities but are considered within the entire supply chain. Therefore, the organizations, within the same supply chain, depend on each other: it follows that the value created is not for the organization itself but for all the actors involved in the supply chain. The behavior of the suppliers creates a decisional system to integrate the processes of procurement, production, delivery, and customer services. Indeed, supplier relationship is the core of Supply Chain Management (SCM) that manages a network of relations of actors considered unitary, connected, and integrated. The Supplier Relationship subcategory can be evaluated by analyzing the cooperatively developed system that operates within a unified strategy, highlighting the independence of each entity comprising the network from a managerial and strategic standpoint.

Keywords: Supplier Relationship; Supply Chain Management; Trust; Commitment; Transparency; Social Life Cycle Assessment (S-LCA) (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
ISBN: 9781035309887
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