Tedarik zinciri yönetimi, tedarik zincirindeki farklı taraflar arasındaki ilişki ve faaliyetleri yöneten sistematik ve bütünleştirici bir yaklaşımdır. Tedarik zinciri yönetiminin başarılı bir şekilde uygulanmasında ise tedarikçi geliştirme önemli bir rol oynamaktadır. Tedarikçi geliştirme temel tedarikçi geliştirme ve ileri tedarikçi geliştirme olmak üzere iki farklı açıdan ele alınabilmektedir. Temel tedarikçi geliştirme firma kaynaklarına minimum yatırım yapmayı ve en sınırlı seviyede firma katılımını gerektiren tedarikçi geliştirme şeklidir. İleri tedarikçi geliştirme ise çok daha yüksek düzeyde kaynak kullanımını ve firma katılımını gerektiren uygulanması çok daha karmaşık olan tedarikçi geliştirme programıdır. Tedarikçi geliştirme rakiplerle olan maliyetleri azaltma, kaliteyi artırma, üretim sürelerini kısaltma ve hızlı değişen teknoloji gibi rekabet ortamında firmalara büyük avantaj sağlamaktadır. Bu çalışmada, tedarikçi geliştirme programlarının firmaların satın alma performansına etkisini belirlemek amaçlanmıştır. Bu nedenle orta ve büyük ölçekli firmalara yönelik anket çalışması yapılarak yapısal eşitlik modeli aracılığıyla 3 ayrı hipotez test edilmiştir. Analiz sonucunda temel tedarikçi geliştirme ile ileri tedarikçi geliştirme arasında aynı zamanda her ikisi ile satın alma performansı arasında anlamlı ilişki bulunduğu sonucuna varılmıştır.

Supply chain management is a systematic and integrative approach to managing the operations and relationships among different parties in supply chains. Supplier development plays an important role on successful implementation of supply chain management. Supplier development is defined as any effort of a firm to increase the performance and capabilities of the supplier and meet the firm's short or long term supply needs. If firms can reduce the number of suppliers and increase the efficiency of those, they can improve your performance. Supplier development strategies involve efforts to improve suppliers’ processes and performance, supplier evaluation to determine the best suppliers. The supplier development efforts were collected two groups of practices: basic supplier development and advanced supplier development. The basic supplier development efforts require the most limited firm involvement and minimum investment of the firm’s resources. The advanced supplier development efforts require a greater use of firm resources than basic supplier development and involvement with suppliers. Basic supplier development involves sharing of performance information (quality, cost delivery) by the supplier and having quality procedure for suppliers. Advanced supplier development involve training for suppliers, sharing of accounting information by the supplier and sharing of cost and quality information by the supplier. Supplier development efforts have got big advantages to the firms. These efforts can decrease the cost, improve the quality, decrease the production periods, and compete with the other firms. On the other hand, supplier development is connected in both the customer’s and supplier’s organization, leading to joint team structures. Firms faced with problems of deficient supplier performance can perform supplier development efforts such as supplier evaluation supplier recognition and supplier training, in order to upgrade the performance. Determining the effect of supplier development program on firms’ purchasing performance was the purpose of this study. To assess these relationships, it was conducted a questionnaire survey on medium and big sized firms and three hypotheses were tested with Structural Equation Model (SEM). In this study, purchasing performance involve factors which are percentage of on time deliveries, percentage of orders delivered completely, developing new product and percentage of orders meeting quality requirements. Structural Equation Model (SEM) is the best popular statistical technique to test the relationships proposed in a model. It has been performed different disciplines for empirical that require quantitative analysis. It has better functions then other techniques including multiple regression, path analysis and factor analysis. These techniques have unique functions. Although statistical technique as multiple regression, path analysis and factor analysis are provided testing single relationship between dependent and independent variables, Structural Equation Model (SEM) can examine a series of dependence simultaneously helps to address complicated managerial and behavioral issues. The structural equation model consists of measurement model and structural model. Measurement model defines relations between the observed and unobserved variables. Structural model defines relations among the unobserved variables. In this study first, Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) was performed and variables were determined. Later, Structural Equation Model was performed to measurement model with AMOS and fit indices were calculated. It was found that measurement model has bad fit. For this reason, modifications were performed and we provide good fit. Later, structural model was formed. Structural Equation Model was performed structural model with AMOS, too. These results of the analysis showed that there was a significant relationship between basic and advanced supplier development. In addition it was found that there was a significant relationship between both basic and advanced supplier development and purchasing performance. On the other hand, findings show that basic supplier development has more effect than advanced supplier development on purchasing performance. Finally, results were compared with other studies and limits of study were explained.