دستیابی به سطح جهانی تحقیق و توسعه توسط ترازیابی بنگاه روابط خریدار - تامین کننده

The research and development (R&D) function has become fundamental particularly for companies acting in the high-tech industry sector. It is largely agreed that because of the severe competition, world-class R&D performance can no longer be achieved by a company on its own. Nowadays, meeting customer requirements increasingly needs R&D collaboration in buyer–supplier relationships. The aim of this study is to provide managers a well-defined method by which they will be more capable to improve R&D collaboration with their suppliers. Benchmarking for best practices was first implemented by Xerox in 1979. Since then benchmarking has been applied in several areas by numerous researchers. However, in developing R&D in buyer–supplier relationships, benchmarking applications have been scarce. A case study in Finnish high-tech industry has been conducted in order to apply the benchmarking process in buyer–supplier relationships with the emphasis on R&D development. A case study research expands understanding on the success factors, barriers and potential that the benchmarking method in developing R&D performance in buyer–supplier relationships may reveal.

Improving the research and development (R&D) of firms depends on various elements, one of which is using the innovation capacity of supplier relationships. Utilizing the interaction between the buyer and the supplier, a company may not only achieve higher supplier performance but it also creates new business opportunities in the field of R&D. In particular, the buyer–supplier relationships should be benchmarked to recognize the requirements of world-class performance and the potential new R&D areas. An innovative environment in supplier relations, such as joint projects, collaboration or alliances for specific R&D activities is crucial for new product development. This innovativeness of partners may also accelerate the innovation cycle in the R&D process. Allocation, intellectual property rights (IPRs) and confidentiality are being considered as the most critical matters in cooperation. Suppliers’ involvement in R&D requires much joint effort, good processes, smooth communication methods, technological competency and trustful relationships. Understanding the high focus of agreements is very important, especially concerning managing different means of juridical knowledge protection in R&D cooperation. The aim of this study is to clarify the potential of the benchmarking buyer–supplier relationships in enhancing the R&D performance towards a world-class level. By identifying the drivers that make some relationships more capable to produce R&D than others, a company may facilitate its R&D development towards superior performance.

Collaborative relationships always require organized management. Because allocation of results, IPRs and confidentiality play a major role in R&D cooperation, there is a need for understanding the high focus of contracts and managing different means of juridical knowledge protection. Managing these judicial aspects is essential to prevent difficulties. Juridical aspects, however, should not be the ones determining whether or not it is worthwhile to engage into collaboration. These considerations should be made from other grounds. The advantages of the benchmarking method in enhancing the performance of R&D collaboration between a buyer and its supplier is in the client's ability to compare the performance of critical R&D areas between the buyer's R&D partners and the BOB. The benchmarking gives an insight where the company should focus its development actions in order to reach better conditions for surviving in its business. Increasingly, it supports the company in finding under-performing R&D areas and enhancing the R&D performance continuously by constantly seeking better practices. It provides managers a well-defined process that leads step by step to the desired conclusion. Still, there are many restrictions in benchmarking R&D in buyer–supplier relationships. Because each collaboration is unique and the success is based on combining various areas of R&D as a profitable entity, it is not axiomatic that by improving one area, the entity works better than ever before. That is why benchmarking and benchgrafting are recommended to consider processes instead of individual activities. One should remember, however, that benchmarking partners usually require either a huge sum of financial compensation or a win–win situation. If a company is able to measure its R&D in buyer–supplier relationships, the potential is enormous. The achieved improvements in the current R&D performance are only the top of the iceberg, since the real potential may occur in gaining superior R&D capabilities that have not been involved earlier, making right moves before the competitors have even dreamed about it, expanding of the current R&D co-operation or engineering projects into R&D collaboration. Benchmarking of R&D in buyer–supplier relationships is taking a risk of loosing time and money, but the potential is huge. If the benchmarking process is implemented properly, the company definitely gets closer to the world-class status.