Product Development with Suppliers - The Role of Database Commonality

Capturing the cost and schedule savings available by the best use of first tier suppliers is a key goal of any assembler (prime contractor) of manufactured products. Ensuring database commonality is a key enabling practice in reaching this goal. In this paper, a simple supplier cost model is presented, and its implications as to supplier strategy are discussed. A number of different supplier strategies are reported on, based on case studies. The types and amounts of information which will be easily available to the assembler are qualified. The impact of supplier strategy on database commonality is described.