By decreasing suppliers’ WTS, or increasing costs, a company can create value for suppliers—or supplier surplus. Since increasing costs isn’t sustainable, an effective business strategy seeks to create value for suppliers by decreasing WTS. How a company accomplishes this varies. For example, a brick-and-mortar company might partner with vendors to showcase its products in exchange for a discount. Suppliers may also be willing to offer a discount in exchange for a long-term contract.
In addition to supplier WTS, companies are also responsible for creating value for another key stakeholder: its employees. The difference between employee compensation and the minimum they’re willing to receive is employee satisfaction. There are several ways companies can increase this difference, including:
Increasing compensation: While most companies hesitate to raise salaries, some have found success in doing so. For example, Dan Price, CEO of Gravity Payments, increased his company’s minimum wage to $80,000 per year and enjoyed substantial growth and publicity as a result.
Increasing benefits: Companies can also decrease WTS by making working conditions more desirable to prospective employees. Some offer remote or hybrid working opportunities to give employees more flexibility. Several have also started offering four-day work weeks, often experiencing increased productivity as a result.
There are several ways to increase supplier surplus and employee satisfaction without hurting the company’s bottom line. Unfortunately, most managers only devote seven percent of their time to developing employees and engaging stakeholders. Yet, a successful strategy creates value for every stakeholder—both internal and external.
