With what type of purchasing system are vendors considered a resource?

• A. Vendor-managed inventory
• B. Purchaser-vendor partnership
• C. Collaborative procurement
• D. Transactional purchasing

Answer: (B)

Seeing vendors as resources comes from a strategic, collaborative relationship where the supplier is integrated into the buyer’s planning and problem-solving. In a purchaser-vendor partnership, both sides align goals, share information, and invest in each other’s success. This makes the supplier a key resource for achieving continuity, quality, innovation, and cost benefits, not just a transactional provider. The other purchasing models focus more on inventory control, multi-party collaboration, or short-term transactions, so they don’t embody treating the vendor as a strategic resource to the same extent.