The buyer-supplier relationship in Industry 4.0

It is only the start of researching what impact Industry 4.0 can have on business functions such as procurement and supply management. For this reason, this paper explores the changes to the relationship of the buyer and suppler in Procurement 4.0. Based on literature and a company visit, this paper provides an overview of the new way procurement is being done. It shows that there will be a supplier platform, with the goal to facilitate free information flow between buyers and suppliers. Factors that will influence that outcome include the support of management, technology, the will for collaboration and trust, regulation, standardization and new procurement skills.