Mike Winkler, VP of North America Purchasing, on Compassion, Collaboration, and the Future of the Supply Chain

Caring for People: Compassion and Collaboration
Compassion and collaboration are the future of Purchasing.

It's important to recognize that our suppliers are people and genuinely interested in meeting our expectations. In the past, however, that has sometimes been overlooked. 

But if we show compassion and be a collaborative partner, it helps our suppliers feel more supported and comfortable working with us. We will also find it creates more trust, sharing and a better, more collaborative environment in which to develop technology, benefitting everyone. 

I developed this belief over time, working with my own staff. When I came to DENSO’s North American headquarters in 2015, I became part of and began to lead a much larger team filled with different people, dynamics, and perspectives. 

I had to find an approach to balance those elements. I took time to understand who each team member was, what they wanted to do, where they wanted to go, their personal challenges and what was important to them. This helped build trust within the organization. As trust increased, we started to better understand each other, which helped us transition people to various positions that made them happier. People who were previously frustrated were able to find more fulfilling and valuable roles after having a chance to talk, allowing us to make positive changes together.

I believe the same goes for our suppliers. By engaging our business partners and suppliers in a similar fashion, we promote more positive output and beneficial discussions.

People Come First
In 2021, the state of Texas suffered a major power crisis during severe winter storms, leaving many without water, food, and heat. This of course also created supply disruptions, especially in the plastics area.

The first thing our DENSO team did was ask our business partners if they needed anything from us – water, blankets, any type of support needed to provide for their families. 

The number one priority was taking care of our business partners and their families, not products.

This is who we are at DENSO, It is part of our DNA. This helped our business partners understand we would do what it took to work with them through the disaster. When their immediate needs were met, we began talking about supply and together we started to get creative. Our business partners were more open to speaking with us because they knew we cared about them as people first and foremost.