v Foreword In the past companies focused on the one hand on rationalizing their supplier base to reduce transaction costs. On the other hand firms tried to take advantage of the research and development potential of their suppliers. Due to these developments buyers put emphasize on the establishment and maintenance of long-term supplier relationships. The primary focus was not the success optimization of single procurement processes, but rather the long-term perspective of supplier relationships has moved into the center of attention. Furthermore, global procurement and joint product...