I’m talking about the kind of people who can go into a party at the beginning of the evening knowing only a few souls and leave having befriended all the guests—shaking hands and backslapping on the way out. I’ve always perceived that as a true talent. The phenomenon is even more noticeable in a Facebook world. We all know people who have 1,200 “friends” on their Facebook page. Sure, they may have met all of these people at one point or another, but do they really know them?

Why am I bringing this up? As we prepared the current issue of Orthopedic Design & Technology and geared up for the second annual ODT Forum in Memphis, Tenn., (see preview on page 64), I began to mull the importance of relationships as well as maintaining and evaluating the right business associations—a critical ability in today’s tougher business climate. Manufacturers—to keep an edge—not only must have a secure grasp of their own processes, but also intimately must understand what their suppliers, vendors, contract manufacturers, and various other partners are capable of. It’s a push-pull relationship in which both parties are asking the right questions of the other and driving separate variables of the process—to the mutual benefit of both organizations.

In this issue, you’ll find articles on the evolution of orthopedic materials and trends in research and development. While fantastic overviews of the current state of each topic, they both highlight an important point: The best jobs are accomplished with the right partnerships.

In his vendor evaluation article, Kelly Lucenti, industry executive and a contributing writer in thisedition of ODT, points out that as the industry expands, pressure is mounting from federal regulators and customers for medical device manufacturers to develop tighter controls on outside suppliers. The result is that manufacturers are trimming their stable of suppliers, many of which include hundreds of vendors, and they are prioritizing relationships and establishing or overhauling approved supplier lists. He offers a number of metrics to help firms establish the best vendor evaluation protocols.

With multiple sessions, this year’s ODT Forum also reinforces the importance of forging strategic partnerships and provides insightful how-tos for initiating and maintaining the most effective outsourcing relationships in a variety of processes along the manufacturing value chain. This is definitely news you can use, provided by well-known industry thought leaders.

Much like the core group of friends you can depend on to stick with you through thick and thin, a steadfast roster of business partners often is just as time-consuming to cultivate. But the rewards most certainly are worth the effort it takes to relationship build. And, if you’re doing it right, it’s not work. With the right people behind you, you don’t have to worry about looking back as you charge forward.

Christopher Delporte
Group Editor