How does one distinguish between a "supplier" and a "partner"? How can companies boost worker productivity? And what's the role of technology in all this? Buddy Bockweg, chief executive officer of Vsimple, explains.

There’s a big difference between a “supplier” and a “partner,” Bockweg says. The first signifies an exclusively transactional arrangement, limited to the acquisition of a product or service at an agreed-upon price. The second involves a much deeper relationship, one that has become more important in a time of supply chain disruptions and uncertainty. Companies today are undergoing severe “growing pains” and are in need of aid in all parts of the business, he says.

In a true partnership, “you’re building a relationship,” Bockweg says. “And that allows both organizations the opportunity to do what they do best.”

A basic business transaction “should be the foundation you’re building on,” not a driver of momentum in the buyer-seller relationship, he says. The focus should be on how the partners can realize continuous improvement in their operations, based on trust and a commitment to sharing key data.

The same spirit of partnership should extend to the employer-employee relationship. The current shortage of qualified labor makes it essential that companies find ways to improve worker morale and retention.

Technology can help. The goal, says Bockweg, should be identifying and eliminating all “menial and monotonous tasks” by humans through automation. Modern-day automated systems yield benefits for the business, its employees and its customers.

When it comes to choosing the right technology, companies need to focus not just on what they produce, but how they do it on a daily basis. It’s all about enhancing productivity “to ensure the success of all.”

Bockweg views artificial intelligence as an opportunity for further advances in productivity. “In the next five to 10 years,” he says, it’s going to transform the way we all work.”