FREE GUIDE

5 Steps to repair strained supplier relationships.

Many supplier relationships were strained by one-way asks (data, disclosures, “please fill in this template”), shifting targets, and limited follow-through.

Meanwhile, the operating context has changed. Regulations (EPR, eco-design, due diligence), rising costs, and customer expectations are pushing redesign and process change.

Most teams respond with more surveys. That erodes trust and slows everything down. Instead, this guide will walk you through a practical approach that’s backed by science.

What you will learn:

• How to reopen stalled relationships using a relay supplier.

• How to start with potential, put ideas and quick wins first, governance later.

• How to deliver an explicit reset, own past mistakes, show what changes now and invite co-ownership.

• How to set up a lightweight innovation hub for practical innovation.

• How to use early movement to invite others back in.

This guide is for you if you’re:

• A sustainability or ESG lead who needs suppliers to act without another survey or top-down mandate.

• A compliance/EHS partner who needs redesigns (weights, mono-material, labels, disassembly) to cut costs and risk, fast.

• An operations lead who’s tired of pilot purgatory and wants changes that actually stick on the shop floor.

• Anyone tasked with leading across the value chain where formal authority is limited but collaboration is essential.

Written by Dr. Jacqueline Kerr

Jacqueline is one of the top 1% most cited behavioral scientists in the world. With a TEDx talk, 200+ scientific publications, and deep experience in implementation science, she helps companies move from stuck strategies to scalable, system-wide change.