In today’s environment, providers and suppliers need each other—but too often default to guarded, transactional dynamics that slow progress and erode trust. This session explores what it looks like to treat suppliers as true partners: aligning on shared outcomes, establishing operational “rules of engagement” that reduce friction, incorporating vendor credentialing and building feedback loops that prevent small issues from becoming relationship-breaking conflicts. Attendees will also explore how organizations use suppliers as intelligence partners for early signals on personnel changes, shifts in physician purchasing behavior, and market or product disruptions—while still navigating real tensions around compliance, cost and performance.