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V. Purchaser And Buyer Relationships Essay

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V. Purchaser and Buyer Relationships in Just In Time Systems A just-in-time system can only exist in an atmosphere where suppliers are reliable and will work to minimize the risk of not having the needed input of production (Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, 1995). A just-in-time system puts increased stress on both the supplier and purchaser in the course of its implementation and places the purchaser at the mercy of its key suppliers, meaning the supplier must never be wrong in terms of quantity or quality (Karlsson & Norr, 1994). Optimally a supplier themselves will be on or working towards a just-in-time system themselves, but this is not always possible (Fallon & Browne, 1988). To allow the supplier to accomplish the massive feat mentioned above there are three required elements that must be present: clear communications, close proximity, and close relationships. For a successful just-in-time system to occur the communications between the supplier and purchaser should be clear and unambiguous (Epps, 1995). Traditional just-in-time philosophy also implies that a supplier should be located geographically close to the purchaser though some studies show this is not required if the parties can find other ways to compensate for the geographic distance (Manna, 2008; Karlsson & Norr, 1994; Keller & Kazazi, 1993). The relationship between purchaser and supplier in a just-in-time program must be one of respect and trust where the supplier is involved in the process and a

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