Supplier Performance Management Cartoon
- Ravi
- 7 days ago
- 1 min read
Some workplace dashboards are comforting — even when they shouldn’t be.
This supplier performance management cartoon comes from a familiar supply chain moment: when metrics are collapsing, but the narrative somehow remains optimistic.
The data looks bad. The charts are clear. And yet, the conclusion sounds reassuring.
Punchline
“The good news… the same SPM tool says our supplier relationships have never been stronger.”
What This Cartoon Is Really About
Supplier Performance Management tools track a wide range of indicators — on-time delivery, quality, responsiveness, and cost stability.
When those indicators decline together, the conclusion should be straightforward.
But relationships aren’t always assessed the same way performance is.
History, familiarity, dependency, and comfort often influence how “strong” a relationship feels — even when outcomes suggest otherwise.
Why This Feels Familiar
In many organisations, supplier discussions split into two tracks:
Performance, driven by metrics
Relationships, driven by habit
When performance deteriorates, relationships often remain “strong” — not because suppliers are doing well, but because changing them feels risky.
This cartoon isn’t about bad tools or bad intent. It’s about how easily reassurance can survive evidence.
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