The procurement team for a construction firm is tasked with identifying a new supplier of...

The procurement team needs to find a supplier for small construction tools that will be heavily used and require quick service for repair or replacement. The tools do not provide a strategic advantage and do not warrant specialized services.

Vertical partnerships are deep, strategic relationships often involving high integration and shared processes.

Operational partnerships focus on efficiency and effectiveness in daily operations.

Strategic partnerships involve long-term, mutually beneficial relationships with a high level of collaboration.

Basic partnerships are transactional, focusing on cost and basic service requirements without deep integration.

Given that the firm does not view the tools as strategically important and seeks to avoid specialized services, a basic partnership is the best fit. This type of partnership focuses on ensuring the supplier can meet the service and cost requirements without the need for deep collaboration or strategic alignment.

References:

CIPS (Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply) guidelines on supplier relationship management.

Institute for Supply Management (ISM) standards on procurement strategies.