DELISH DESIGNS & EQUIPMENT COMPANY(DDEC) Delish Designs & Equipment Company (DDEC) is a medium-sized enterprise in the private sector. DDEC manufactures and sells a range of protective wear and equipment which is designed to withstand the most hazardous working conditions. DDEC engaged a consultant to conduct a study into the causes of their very high operational and production costs and its associated reduction in profitability. The report revealed that DDEC’s relationship with key partners are transactional and often adversarial and confrontational, characterized by tasks or functions that are not critical to the organization. The consultants amongst other recommendations concluded that “organizations that seek to build a more collaborative long-term partnership with suppliers can reap substantial benefits”. The management of DDEC has therefore decided to build a collaborative relationship with its partners. You have recently be appointed as the new Supply Chain Director, tasked to lead a cross functional working team for this partnership program. QUESTION You are required to: 

a. Develop a partnership program from transactional to collaboration with its major suppliers, showing the phases of the transformation. 

b. Discuss major factors in the implementation of collaboration and outline the benefits DDEC will achieve for effective collaboration with its major partners.