Collaboration is one of the most talked-about themes in the UK grocery supply chain, but what does it look like in practice?
At our first supplier member meeting of the year, hosted by Britvic, this question shaped the discussion. A consistent theme emerged:
Retailers may talk about partnership, but suppliers know that collaboration only starts once service is under control.
If availability and delivery performance are inconsistent, innovation ideas and strategic conversations rarely gain traction, regardless of intent. Service reliability is the entry ticket with collaboration following a clear progression: Service → Trust → Collaboration → Innovation
» From Relationship Intent to Operational Discipline
Members shared practical examples of strengthening collaboration not just through softer relationship language, but through operational improvement:
- Joint supply chain strategies with customers
- Using Advantage Survey insights to focus priorities
- Automating customer service processes
- Reducing transactional workload
- Improving quality & timeliness of data
- Managing expectations proactively in times of challenge
- Framing supply chain discussions in commercial terms
The consensus was clear: collaboration breaks down less from lack of willingness and more from operational noise; manual processes, inconsistent data or comms and limited capacity.
When teams are firefighting, strategic engagement suffers.
Together, the group defined four foundations that consistently underpin effective retailer–supplier collaboration:
» Priorities for the Year Ahead
Members are now focusing on two core areas:
Customer Fulfilment
Reducing low-value transactional activity through better systems, automation and streamlined processes, freeing teams to engage proactively with retailers.
Sales Forecasting & Promotional Planning
Improving forecast visibility, planning discipline and upstream alignment to reduce downstream disruption.
The aim is simple: stronger upstream collaboration to improve performance for both suppliers and retailers.
» From Aspiration to Advantage
The key takeaway from the session was straightforward.
Collaboration is not a soft concept. It is an operational capability built on:
- Reliable service
- Clean data
- Clear communication
- Structured engagement
When these foundations are in place, collaboration moves from aspiration to measurable advantage.
» Join our Supplier Workgroups
If you’re working to strengthen collaboration with UK grocery customers, join the conversation and get involved in upcoming Simply Supply Chain workstreams.
