Whirlpool Corporation Case Study

Assignment Questions
1. Discuss what the following statement means: ‘It can take years for a buyer/seller partnership to begin delivering results.’
The reason why it can take a long time to begin delivering results is because the supplier must involve in day-to-day redesign support and process improvement. This whole process will take a long time. In order to build a trust between supplier and a company the supplier should take the action to improve a trust relationship.
2. Discuss the advantages of having point-to-point contact (Exhibit 1) between functional groups at different companies. Are there any disadvantages to this approach?
A Good advantage of having point-to-point contact between functional groups at different companies is being

What role does trust play in the relationship between Whirlpool Corporation and Inland Steel? Provide examples from the case that illustrate trust within this relationship.
In order to build a strong relationship between companies there must be a trust. So trust played a big role in this case. A good example in this case was that inland steel “concern that a single-sourcing policy might cause it to lose touch with the market”. On the other hand, whirlpool “concerned about the technological risks of relying on only one supplier”. However, building a trust relationship between them was the best solution by the belief that both companies will be a low-cost

A good specific indicator can the companies use to measure progress and performance is by having a list of questions to be answered from both companies and see how satisfied are they.
7. Under what conditions might the parties to the alliance discussed in this case dissolve or end the relationship?
Some conditions that might end the relationship is breaking the trust between parties. And meaning by that is when one side change their strategic without telling the other side about it. This will create an issue in the relationship. On the other hand, if a company found that the cost and productivity are not match then this could end the relationship.
8. How can firms minimize or manage the bumps, hurdles, or conflicts that often occur when firms join together in an alliance or partnership?
In my opinion, firms can minimize or manage the bumps, hurdles, or conflicts by setting up a meetings every time the firms needed to. Also by sharing the reports to minimize any risks and find a solution. Also by updating each firm by the other part activities will minimize the