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This chapter is excerpted from 'Leading and Managing Strategic Suppliers'. Strategic suppliers provide critical products and services to their clients. If the supply chain for key components breaks down and the components do not arrive on the contracted just-in-time (JIT) date, then the whole production line may stop. If an IT supplier fails to deliver key system development projects on time, the implications for the effectiveness of core business processes can be catastrophic. With the growth of outsourcing, where whole business functions are delegated to a supplier, the dependency on them is further increased. When the outsource is to a supplier in a different geography, remote from the client, the additional complexities and challenges of outsourcing - for example, remote communications, different cultures - must be managed. An organization's ability to manage its strategic supplier base effectively is central to its performance, competitiveness, and future success. This book provides practical guidance on the knowledge and skills required for managers whose role involves the management of the relationship with and the performance of strategically important suppliers. While the focus is on the management of suppliers during the live relationship after procurement, the approach is holistic as the entire supplier management process is discussed in detail using a Supplier Lifecycle model. The model describes five clear stages - identify the business requirement for the services to be provided, research the supply market, carry out procurement and supplier selection, integrate and transition to the new supplier and services to the organization, manage the delivery of the products and services for the contracted period, including the supplier responses to changing customer needs.