Dear Readers, as uncertainty rises in the world market, flexibility is the order of the day. To achieve this, companies are now more than ever dependent on cooperation with suppliers – one of the most important tasks for procurement now and in the future.

In our focus topic, we show how you can create financial flexibility by implementing supply chain finance programs and at the same time take the relationship with your suppliers to a new level: Towards close cooperation which is beneficial for both parties.

Another way to optimize working capital is to reduce lead times and thus avoid tying up capital in transit. The new Silk Road offers this possibility – we have investigated the acceptance and potential of the route.

We interviewed Tony Yu, our General Manager in China, about this and other current events affecting the supply relationship between European companies and their suppliers.

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