{"id":4189,"date":"2023-08-01T01:01:00","date_gmt":"2023-08-01T05:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.apriori.com\/?p=4189"},"modified":"2025-08-20T16:01:13","modified_gmt":"2025-08-20T20:01:13","slug":"how-to-collaborate-with-suppliers-to-reduce-product-costs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.apriori.com\/blog\/how-to-collaborate-with-suppliers-to-reduce-product-costs\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Collaborate With Suppliers to Reduce Product Costs"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Key Takeaways:<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li>Transparency is central to improving profitability and supplier relationships<\/li>\r\n<li>Apply our three practical tips to improve supply chain collaboration<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p><strong>Full Article:<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p>Your relationship with your key manufacturing suppliers is critical to the success of your business. Especially if that supplier relationship spans years and multiple successful new product launches. And that\u2019s why many manufacturers are reluctant to push back on cost increases with their tier-one suppliers.<\/p>\r\n<p>But, by having a deeper understanding of raw material and production costs, sourcing teams can pinpoint cost outliers and use data to reduce product costs. Importantly, you can achieve cost savings while maintaining strong relationships with your strategic suppliers.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<p>Can this <a href=\"https:\/\/www.apriori.com\/blog\/capital-expenditures-where-your-industry-stacks-up-how-to-offset-with-product-cost-reductions\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">product cost<\/a> estimate\u00a0<em>really be 5x lower<\/em>\u00a0than the price I\u2019m paying? In some cases, the answer is\u00a0<em>yes<\/em>.\u00a0That said, you shouldn\u2019t necessarily run to your supplier with an estimate in hand and demand a lower price because there are several factors that contribute to product cost.<\/p>\r\n<p>This article outlines the evolution of supplier collaboration, how to use cost benchmarking data during <a href=\"https:\/\/www.apriori.com\/blog\/new-cant-miss-tips-for-successful-supplier-negotiations\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">supplier negotiations<\/a>, and three productive ways to partner with suppliers to address cost. And as a bonus, we\u2019ve included supplier negotiation tips that apply to new suppliers and trusted supply chain partners.<\/p>\r\n<h2><strong>Procurement\u2019s Traditional Approach Cost Reduction <\/strong><\/h2>\r\n<p>For years, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) typically asked their suppliers for a defined annual price reduction. For example, procurement may request a 5% reduction in price on everything they purchase from the supplier. The next year, they may request a 6% reduction. And so on.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<p>This type of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.apriori.com\/blog\/where-manufacturers-should-and-shouldnt-make-cost-reductions\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">cost reduction<\/a> benefits the OEM and its supplier. The business benefits from an annual reduction in cost while ensuring they are working with a supplier that fully understands their product\u2019s specific design and build.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<p>The supplier, in turn, benefits by working with a business and a product that they truly understand, which can reduce training, floor setup, and other overhead costs. Plus, the supplier has the added benefit of securing the business for another year.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<p>But, the unfortunate reality is that this type of annual discount supplier relationship can become adversarial over time. To remain profitable, your supplier may overcharge you for some parts, knowing that eventually, they may lose money on the parts they sell you because they have run out of margin.<\/p>\r\n<h2><strong>A Win-Win Approach to Strategic Sourcing <\/strong><\/h2>\r\n<p>Today, sourcing teams have a lot more power when it comes to negotiating the specific cost of a product by using <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/ALH3D0CIRek?feature=shared\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">fact-based negotiation<\/a> insights derived from digital manufacturing simulation software. The right manufacturing simulation software can save you hundreds of thousands of dollars \u2013 and in some cases millions of dollars \u2013 during the course of your supplier relationship.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<div class=\"cta2\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.apriori.com\/resources\/case-study\/how-te-connectivitys-supplier-relationship-management-drives-savings\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Learn how TE Connectivity captures double-digit cost reductions through informed supplier collaboration<\/a>.<\/div>\r\n<h3><strong>What is Digital Manufacturing Simulation Software?<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n<p><span data-action=\"click-&gt;dropdown#toggle\" data-dropdown-menu-id-param=\"menu_term_279054884\" data-dropdown-placement-param=\"top\" data-term-id=\"279054884\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.apriori.com\/blog\/how-product-costing-software-turns-novices-into-cost-experts\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Product costing software<\/a>, such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.apriori.com\/solutions\/products\/ap-pro\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">aP Pro<\/a>, estimates and captures the cost of new products early in the design phase. It leverages <a href=\"https:\/\/www.apriori.com\/resources\/datasheet\/manufacturing-process-models\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">manufacturing cost models<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.apriori.com\/regional-data-libraries\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">regional data libraries<\/a> to run accurate cost simulations in real-time. Paired together, the data creates \u201cdigital factories\u201d to help cost teams identify and reduce cost impacts in designs.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>At its core, the software gives companies insight to optimize new product costs to maximize margins. The advanced software ensures that companies achieve their product cost optimization goals. And importantly, its automation capabilities help to address risk management by eliminating manual mistakes associated with using data across multiple systems.<\/p>\r\n<p>Digital manufacturing simulation software provides teams across the product development lifecycle with insights to conduct a fact-based negotiation with suppliers. This helps to ensure that you purchase each part at a fair price, that you\u2019re not overspending, and that your suppliers are not losing money.<\/p>\r\n<h2><strong>Benefits of a Fact-Based Procurement Strategy<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n<p>Fact-based negotiation is a highly effective cost-reduction strategy. During fact-based negotiations, the detailed component cost information within your digital manufacturing simulation software enables you to have focused discussions with your supplier about parts that you may be overpaying for. Digital manufacturing simulation also enables sourcing and procurement teams to identify the biggest gaps between your cost estimate and your supplier\u2019s quote.<\/p>\r\n<p>This cost reduction strategy is much more effective than saying, \u201cI want a 5% reduction in price every year.\u201d Why? Because in cases where you\u2019re paying 5x more than you should be for a specific part, a flat 5% discount may not save you as much as you could be saving.\u00a0And in cases where you are already getting a fair price, you are not asking your supplier to take a loss.<\/p>\r\n<h3><strong>Use Manufacturing Insights to Identify Cost Reduction Strategies\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n<p>Like in any negotiation, the more information you have, the better. Simply phoning your supplier and saying, \u201cI think I should be paying less for this part,\u201d puts the negotiation power on the desk of your supplier. They now control the conversation surrounding the costs that contribute to your quote.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<p>That\u2019s why utilizing manufacturing simulation software is a critical first step to having a fact-based negotiation with your supplier.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<p>With existing parts, manufacturing simulation helps you to identify potential savings opportunities by facilitating a spend analysis. Conducting a spend analysis leverages your detailed cost data to begin a collaboration with your supplier.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<h2><strong>3 Tips for Cost-Saving Collaboration<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n<p>Here are three key ways to collaborate with your supplier to reduce costs.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<h3>1: Identify Where You May Be Overpaying for Parts<\/h3>\r\n<p>Manufacturing cost estimation software\u00a0makes it easy to identify parts for which you may be overpaying. Not only will aPriori help you identify your products should cost, but the cost breakdown also includes a detailed secondary cost analysis as well.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<p>For example, let\u2019s say you have two sheet metal parts. With aPriori, you can identify cycle times for each part.\u00a0 For one Part A, you see that you\u2019re paying $1 a second for manufacturing time. For sheet metal Part B, you pay $3 per second for manufacturing time.<\/p>\r\n<p><strong>Negotiation Tip:<\/strong>\u00a0With your manufacturing simulation estimate in hand, ask your supplier:\u00a0<em>Can you help me understand why Part A is $1 a minute and Part B is $3 a minute?\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\r\n<p>Now, there may be a good reason for this discrepancy. Perhaps Part B costs $3 a second because that particular part has more tolerances, which can slow down the manufacturing process. But you won\u2019t know for sure until you approach your supplier.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-18670 size-full\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/shutterstock_599921468.jpg\" alt=\"Reduce Product Costs\" width=\"1000\" height=\"549\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.apriori.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/shutterstock_599921468.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.apriori.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/shutterstock_599921468-300x165.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.apriori.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/shutterstock_599921468-768x422.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.apriori.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/shutterstock_599921468-100x55.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/p>\r\n<h3>2:\u00a0 Identify How Redesign can Reduce Product Costs<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>You may not need a simulation software solution to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.apriori.com\/resources\/whitepaper\/the-anatomy-of-product-cost\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">redesign a part to reduce costs<\/a>. Simply asking your supplier for advice on what design changes they would recommend is a great way to reduce costs and quoting time. But, a supplier suggestion is no substitute for an optimized design.<\/p>\r\n<p>An advanced manufacturing simulation solution gives you real-time design suggestions to ensure you\u2019re designing to cost the first time. This is a great way to build a stronger relationship with your supplier.<\/p>\r\n<p>Why? If you\u2019re not using <a href=\"https:\/\/www.apriori.com\/blog\/what-to-look-for-in-manufacturing-costing-software\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">manufacturing costing software<\/a>, sourcing will likely need to request several quotes from your supplier during the design process. And sometimes, it can take weeks for that quote to get back to you and your engineering team. In a situation where you need to redesign your part to cost 3-4 times,\u00a0<strong>production times are pushed back by months because of the quoting process.<\/strong>\u00a0And your engineers may feel frustrated by delays and multiple iterations of the same part.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<p>Quoting this many times can be frustrating for your supplier, too. Providing multiple quotes for a single part increases the cost of doing business with you. And because they aren\u2019t guaranteed your business in many cases, they spend valuable hours quoting your part repeatedly.<\/p>\r\n<p>Instead, using\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.apriori.com\/blog\/what-to-look-for-in-manufacturing-costing-software\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">cost modeling software<\/a>\u00a0helps you design to cost in the first iteration. Sending your supplier a single, optimized design requires only one quote from them. This is a significant incentive for your suppliers. Not to mention, you\u2019ll have a strong understanding of what that product should cost.<\/p>\r\n<p><strong>Negotiation Tip:\u00a0<\/strong>With your cost-optimized design in hand, say to your supplier: Can you provide us with a quote for this part? My manufacturing simulation software says this part will cost X dollars.\u00a0<strong><em>Do you think we can get close to this estimate?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3: <strong>\u00a0Improve the Production Process to Increase Efficiency\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>You may already know that matching parts to the supplier\u2019s capabilities is one of the biggest opportunities to cost savings while maintaining a strong relationship with your supplier.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<p>For example, a premier manufacturing simulation software solution can identify when a part is better suited for a Turret\/Bend process than for a Laser\/Bend process. With this information, you can eliminate suppliers from your RFQ list that do not have a turret.<\/p>\r\n<p>For suppliers that have both laser and turret, oftentimes, the turret capacity is maxed out, so they may quote you for lasering, which is more expensive. This gives you the insight to select the right supplier or push for use of the turret instead of the laser.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<p><strong>Negotiation Tip:<\/strong>\u00a0Can you help me understand why we\u2019re being quoted for a laser\/bend process when this part is suited for turret\/bend?<\/p>\r\n<h2>Advantages of Fact-based Collaboration Across Your Supply Chain<\/h2>\r\n<p>Supplier negotiation is an integral part of your cost-saving strategy. And while a manufacturing simulation tool can give you the insights you need to frame a strong negotiation in your favor, it\u2019s important to not foster an adversarial relationship with your supplier.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<p>Instead of asking \u201cwhy\u201d questions like <em>why am I overpaying,\u00a0<\/em>instead, frame it as a request for understanding. Start your collaboration with \u201cCan you help me understand\u201d instead.<\/p>\r\n<div class=\"cta2\"><a href=\"https:\/\/videos.apriori.com\/watch\/h4m7f8uDmfQHXW38KZWNmS?\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Unlock best practices for conducting collaborative, fact-based discussions with suppliers<\/a>.<\/div>\r\n<p><strong>Negotiation Tip:<\/strong>\u00a0Ask,\u00a0<em>can you help me understand the difference between my estimate and your quote?<\/em> This opens up a two-way dialogue instead of beginning with a one-way accusation. Sometimes, there are legitimate reasons for the cost difference. Sometimes, the supplier simply isn\u2019t the right fit for your part. Opening a dialogue allows both you and your supplier to reach a common, profitable ground to move forward together.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key Takeaways: Transparency is central to improving profitability and supplier relationships Apply our three practical tips to improve supply chain collaboration Full Article: Your relationship with your key manufacturing suppliers is critical to the success of your business. Especially if that supplier relationship spans years and multiple successful new product launches. And that\u2019s why many manufacturers are reluctant to push &#8230; <\/p>\n<div><a href=\"https:\/\/www.apriori.com\/blog\/how-to-collaborate-with-suppliers-to-reduce-product-costs\/\" class=\"more-link\">Read More<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":59111,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[13,14],"pillars":[43,44],"post_folder":[],"class_list":["post-4189","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-best-practices","tag-digital-manufacturing-simulation","tag-strategic-sourcing"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.4 (Yoast SEO v26.4) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How to Collaborate With Suppliers to Reduce Product Costs<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Read aPriori&#039;s three practical tips to collaborate with suppliers to reduce product costs and delays across the supply chain.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.apriori.com\/blog\/how-to-collaborate-with-suppliers-to-reduce-product-costs\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to Collaborate With Suppliers to Reduce Product Costs | aPriori\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"If negotiating product price is a key task of your job, a manufacturing cost estimation helps.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.apriori.com\/blog\/how-to-collaborate-with-suppliers-to-reduce-product-costs\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"aPriori\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-08-01T05:01:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-08-20T20:01:13+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.apriori.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Comparing-Processes-as-a-Team-in-aP-featured-image.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"900\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Abe Chaves\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"How to Collaborate With Suppliers to Reduce Product Costs | aPriori\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"If negotiating product price is a key task of your job, a manufacturing cost estimation tool will give you leverage to reduce product costs.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@apriori_inc\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@apriori_inc\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Abe Chaves\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"9 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.apriori.com\/blog\/how-to-collaborate-with-suppliers-to-reduce-product-costs\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.apriori.com\/blog\/how-to-collaborate-with-suppliers-to-reduce-product-costs\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Abe Chaves\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.apriori.com\/#\/schema\/person\/261dad46dc7102857e58cad933dd5e63\"},\"headline\":\"How to Collaborate With Suppliers to Reduce Product Costs\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-08-01T05:01:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-08-20T20:01:13+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.apriori.com\/blog\/how-to-collaborate-with-suppliers-to-reduce-product-costs\/\"},\"wordCount\":1682,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.apriori.com\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.apriori.com\/blog\/how-to-collaborate-with-suppliers-to-reduce-product-costs\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.apriori.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Comparing-Processes-as-a-Team-in-aP-featured-image.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Digital Manufacturing Simulation\",\"Strategic Sourcing\"],\"articleSection\":[\"PCM Best Practices\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.apriori.com\/blog\/how-to-collaborate-with-suppliers-to-reduce-product-costs\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.apriori.com\/blog\/how-to-collaborate-with-suppliers-to-reduce-product-costs\/\",\"name\":\"How to Collaborate With Suppliers to Reduce Product Costs\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.apriori.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.apriori.com\/blog\/how-to-collaborate-with-suppliers-to-reduce-product-costs\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.apriori.com\/blog\/how-to-collaborate-with-suppliers-to-reduce-product-costs\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.apriori.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Comparing-Processes-as-a-Team-in-aP-featured-image.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-08-01T05:01:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-08-20T20:01:13+00:00\",\"description\":\"Read aPriori's three practical tips to collaborate with suppliers to reduce product costs and delays across the supply chain.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.apriori.com\/blog\/how-to-collaborate-with-suppliers-to-reduce-product-costs\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.apriori.com\/blog\/how-to-collaborate-with-suppliers-to-reduce-product-costs\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.apriori.com\/blog\/how-to-collaborate-with-suppliers-to-reduce-product-costs\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.apriori.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Comparing-Processes-as-a-Team-in-aP-featured-image.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.apriori.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Comparing-Processes-as-a-Team-in-aP-featured-image.jpg\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":900,\"caption\":\"Increase manufacturing profitability with aPriori\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.apriori.com\/blog\/how-to-collaborate-with-suppliers-to-reduce-product-costs\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.apriori.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"How to Collaborate With Suppliers to Reduce Product Costs\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.apriori.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.apriori.com\/\",\"name\":\"aPriori\",\"description\":\"\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.apriori.com\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.apriori.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.apriori.com\/#organization\",\"name\":\"aPriori\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.apriori.com\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.apriori.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.apriori.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/aPriori_Logo_clr-300dpi.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.apriori.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/aPriori_Logo_clr-300dpi.png\",\"width\":763,\"height\":200,\"caption\":\"aPriori\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.apriori.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/x.com\/apriori_inc\",\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/apriori\/\",\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/aPrioriTech\",\"https:\/\/www.xing.com\/pages\/aprioritechnologiesinc\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.apriori.com\/#\/schema\/person\/261dad46dc7102857e58cad933dd5e63\",\"name\":\"Abe Chaves\",\"description\":\"Abe is a former GE Business Leader with over 20 years of experience in a variety of positions including: Marketing, Product Management, Purchasing, Productivity, Product Cost Reduction, and Quality. Currently a Principal Consultant at aPriori focused on advising our customers on how to implement product cost saving strategies and methods via spend analysis, supplier collaboration, and design to cost.\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.apriori.com\/blog\/author\/achaves\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"How to Collaborate With Suppliers to Reduce Product Costs","description":"Read aPriori's three practical tips to collaborate with suppliers to reduce product costs and delays across the supply chain.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.apriori.com\/blog\/how-to-collaborate-with-suppliers-to-reduce-product-costs\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"How to Collaborate With Suppliers to Reduce Product Costs | aPriori","og_description":"If negotiating product price is a key task of your job, a manufacturing cost estimation helps.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.apriori.com\/blog\/how-to-collaborate-with-suppliers-to-reduce-product-costs\/","og_site_name":"aPriori","article_published_time":"2023-08-01T05:01:00+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-08-20T20:01:13+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1200,"height":900,"url":"https:\/\/www.apriori.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Comparing-Processes-as-a-Team-in-aP-featured-image.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Abe Chaves","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_title":"How to Collaborate With Suppliers to Reduce Product Costs | aPriori","twitter_description":"If negotiating product price is a key task of your job, a manufacturing cost estimation tool will give you leverage to reduce product costs.","twitter_creator":"@apriori_inc","twitter_site":"@apriori_inc","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Abe Chaves","Est. reading time":"9 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.apriori.com\/blog\/how-to-collaborate-with-suppliers-to-reduce-product-costs\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.apriori.com\/blog\/how-to-collaborate-with-suppliers-to-reduce-product-costs\/"},"author":{"name":"Abe Chaves","@id":"https:\/\/www.apriori.com\/#\/schema\/person\/261dad46dc7102857e58cad933dd5e63"},"headline":"How to Collaborate With Suppliers to Reduce Product Costs","datePublished":"2023-08-01T05:01:00+00:00","dateModified":"2025-08-20T20:01:13+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.apriori.com\/blog\/how-to-collaborate-with-suppliers-to-reduce-product-costs\/"},"wordCount":1682,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.apriori.com\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.apriori.com\/blog\/how-to-collaborate-with-suppliers-to-reduce-product-costs\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.apriori.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Comparing-Processes-as-a-Team-in-aP-featured-image.jpg","keywords":["Digital Manufacturing Simulation","Strategic Sourcing"],"articleSection":["PCM Best Practices"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.apriori.com\/blog\/how-to-collaborate-with-suppliers-to-reduce-product-costs\/","url":"https:\/\/www.apriori.com\/blog\/how-to-collaborate-with-suppliers-to-reduce-product-costs\/","name":"How to Collaborate With Suppliers to Reduce Product Costs","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.apriori.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.apriori.com\/blog\/how-to-collaborate-with-suppliers-to-reduce-product-costs\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.apriori.com\/blog\/how-to-collaborate-with-suppliers-to-reduce-product-costs\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.apriori.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Comparing-Processes-as-a-Team-in-aP-featured-image.jpg","datePublished":"2023-08-01T05:01:00+00:00","dateModified":"2025-08-20T20:01:13+00:00","description":"Read aPriori's three practical tips to collaborate with suppliers to reduce product costs and delays across the supply chain.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.apriori.com\/blog\/how-to-collaborate-with-suppliers-to-reduce-product-costs\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.apriori.com\/blog\/how-to-collaborate-with-suppliers-to-reduce-product-costs\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.apriori.com\/blog\/how-to-collaborate-with-suppliers-to-reduce-product-costs\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.apriori.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Comparing-Processes-as-a-Team-in-aP-featured-image.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.apriori.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Comparing-Processes-as-a-Team-in-aP-featured-image.jpg","width":1200,"height":900,"caption":"Increase manufacturing profitability with aPriori"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.apriori.com\/blog\/how-to-collaborate-with-suppliers-to-reduce-product-costs\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.apriori.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"How to Collaborate With Suppliers to Reduce Product Costs"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.apriori.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.apriori.com\/","name":"aPriori","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.apriori.com\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.apriori.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.apriori.com\/#organization","name":"aPriori","url":"https:\/\/www.apriori.com\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.apriori.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.apriori.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/aPriori_Logo_clr-300dpi.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.apriori.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/aPriori_Logo_clr-300dpi.png","width":763,"height":200,"caption":"aPriori"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.apriori.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/x.com\/apriori_inc","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/apriori\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/aPrioriTech","https:\/\/www.xing.com\/pages\/aprioritechnologiesinc"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.apriori.com\/#\/schema\/person\/261dad46dc7102857e58cad933dd5e63","name":"Abe Chaves","description":"Abe is a former GE Business Leader with over 20 years of experience in a variety of positions including: Marketing, Product Management, Purchasing, Productivity, Product Cost Reduction, and Quality. Currently a Principal Consultant at aPriori focused on advising our customers on how to implement product cost saving strategies and methods via spend analysis, supplier collaboration, and design to cost.","url":"https:\/\/www.apriori.com\/blog\/author\/achaves\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.apriori.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4189","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.apriori.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.apriori.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.apriori.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.apriori.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4189"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.apriori.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4189\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.apriori.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/59111"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.apriori.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4189"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.apriori.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4189"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.apriori.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4189"},{"taxonomy":"pillars","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.apriori.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pillars?post=4189"},{"taxonomy":"post_folder","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.apriori.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/post_folder?post=4189"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}