Building a collaborative supply chain relies heavily on establishing strong, trust-based relationships among all parties involved. Mutual trust is the foundation of collaboration, fostering open communication, shared goals, and a willingness to work together for mutual benefit. When trust is present, partners are more likely to share critical information, coordinate activities, and support each other during disruptions. While investing capital, integrating information systems, and developing a common culture are important, they are secondary to the fundamental requirement of trust, which enables all other collaborative efforts to be more effective.

References:

Barratt, M., & Oliveira, A. (2001). Exploring the Concept of Supply Chain Collaboration. International Journal of Logistics Management.

Simatupang, T. M., & Sridharan, R. (2005). The Collaboration Index: A Measure for Supply Chain Collaboration. International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management.