Businesses all over the world have to compete to stay alive. With the advent of the internet, now more than ever is it important to save money in any way possible. One way to do so for businesses who work with suppliers to create their end product to utilize effective supplier relationship management techniques to optimize profitability.Business owners can take different measures to procure the services provided by their suppliers in different ways, yet they must keep in mind that simply trying to negotiate a cheaper price could result in decreased overall quality. After all, the supplier is a business as well, and they are also trying to survive in today’s economy. Analytical tools can help make the process a win win situation for both parties. These tools provide knowledge such as how a supplier stacks up against other suppliers, records of the supplier’s history of quality and reliability and this information can be compared to the terms agreed to in the original contract.The careful breakdown of these factors can help a business owner decide the most advantageous ways to continuing business with any one supplier. For example, if a company rents tuxedos to attend special events from from two different suppliers, and one supplier sends a consolidated monthly bill while the other sends separate invoices per rental, the supplier who is billing on a single invoice is going to be much cheaper to do business with in the long run when the overhead costs involved to process the invoices is calculated.Businesses can expect results when employing the use of software designed to manage supplier relationships. These programs can drive procurement productivity using a centralized process accessible online to any department or branch of the business at any time, making it well worth the investment.Unfortunately, many businesses today overlook the importance of supplier relationship management and the vast benefits it can ultimately reap for the business financially. Those business owners who are looking for a way to cut costs and have never considered this aspect would benefit by exploring the tools available to optimise the relationships they have with their suppliers as well as discover which ones are costing them more than they should. By making the initial investment in the tools necessary to discover this crucial information, business owners take the first step to a whole new technique in both saving money and improving the long term relationships they have with their various suppliers.