Building stronger buyer and seller networks

Every desk has a short list of counterparties it calls first. That list is rarely about price. It is about how little work the relationship costs when something goes wrong.

What earns a place on the list

• Availability that is accurate, including when the answer is no.
• A confirmation that arrives before the next conversation starts.
• Freight dates that hold, or a warning early enough to act on.
• One person who can settle a question without escalating it.

Make the record do the relationship work

Trust between two desks is built on a shared record more than on goodwill. When both sides read the same order, the same dates and the same documents, there is much less left to fall out about.

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