It looks like Major League Baseball is paying attention to supply management and supplier quality. Did you ever notice how frequently major league baseball players break their bats? And have you noticed how some bats shatter violently, with pieces flying dangerously all over the place? MLB has been trying to do something about this, especially since there have been serious injuries of fans and umpires. In 2008 MLB asked wood-science experts to study the design and construction of baseball bats to see what causes some bats to shatter more explosively than others. One interesting finding was that maple bats shatter more violently than ash bats. MLB hired a bat inspection company to start inspecting the wood supplies of the various bat companies to make sure that the wood was acceptable. In the 2008 season, multi-piece failures were supposed to have been reduced by 30%. The bat design and wood experts are trying to reduce the failures even further. Bat manufacturers have been cooperating with the inspections, agreeing that reducing the chances of dangerous shattering is a good thing. Also, the manufacturers are now required to carry more liability insurance. All of this has increased the price of MLB bats.
Even Major League Baseball needs to manage its critical suppliers, improve quality and work with suppliers to make improvements that will ensure the safety of its customers and stakeholders while still maintaining the important key characteristics of the product.
Understanding supplier performance is vital to ensuring a well-functioning supply network. This how-to book will help you develop and implement an evaluation process to help you reduce costs, lower risk, and improve both the performance of your company and your suppliers.