Using a balanced approach to measure merchandising supplier performance

This study aims to verify the usefulness of a balanced approach . It examined 236 small manufacturers that had attempted to become suppliers to the mass merchandiser market. Each firm was asked to complete a self-assessment instrument and allow its product to be independently evaluated by a trained marketing professional. The results suggest that, while the balanced approach is useful in evaluating small suppliers, the reliance on only firm-related items is not as effective as an approach using an instrument that also includes product-specific measures. Firms with superior management and products were more successful in reaching a merchandiser\u27s shelves than those with poor ratings in each area