Supplier Selection for High-tech Start-up Companies : A Case Study of a Firefighting Robot

Abstract: The growing need to source manufacturing activities to original equipment manufacturers has presented a strategic challenge for firms in evaluating and selecting supplier partners for their products. Supplier performance evaluation is a well-researched area within supply chain management. Though several authors have contributed with models for supplier selection, there still exist uncertainties regarding how high-tech start-up firms should capitalize on these models. By conducting a case study at AB Realisator Management Consulting currently developing a new firefighting robot concept called FUMO™, the authors were able to develop a model for supplier selection and test it on a real case scenario. Results indicate that high-tech start-up firms in general should apply the following step-by-step process for selecting suppliers: Align supply chain strategy with product characteristics regarding supply and demand uncertainty, select supplier performance metrics from the comprehensive bank of metrics presented in this thesis related to the supply chain strategy, evaluate suppliers based on the selected performance metrics using the decision making framework Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). By following the suggested process step by step, incorporating performance metrics to the AHP structure, high-tech start-up firms will be able to find strategically suitable suppliers to manufacture their products.