What does it mean to be a world-class supply chain partner?
June 5, 2023
By Blue Print Editorial Team
By Blue Print Editorial Team
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We always find it interesting to simply ask questions and listen to the responses. Over the past 24 months, we've asked the above question to a lot of people. It’s provided some nice insights into what’s important to our customers and how excellence is defined in the market.
Many of those we've spoken with focus on a specific activity or offering. When we prompt them with “A world-class supply chain partner …,” we're met with phrases like: “... won’t run me out of parts,” “… knows what I need,” “… has a global footprint,” “… uses technology,” “… provides great reporting and data,” etc. We can all agree that each of these capabilities is important, but the focus on specifics distracts from a larger point. Being a world-class supply chain partner doesn’t mean filling in a checklist of capabilities. Instead, it’s much simpler. It’s about the outcome. 
A supply chain can be made up of different mixes and measures of solutions that solve specific challenges. There’s no single solution that will magically create a world-class supply chain for every organization.
And this brings us to the heart of the matter: The defining characteristic of a world-class supply chain partner is the ability (and willingness) to listen, customize, and produce an optimized outcome. “Optimized outcome” is a challenge to think big. The ultimate goal isn’t a traditional KPI – it’s to provide you with a competitive edge. Here at Fastenal, we understand this truth: It's not about what we do, but rather what we help you do. When your supply chain becomes world-class because of partnering with us, then we've both succeeded.
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