Competitive Internet auctions are forcing suppliers, here and abroad, to cut prices more than in the past.

Retailers are also barred from forcing suppliers to make frequent deliveries in small lots at no extra cost, a practice of many food and convenience stores.

Importing Japanese parts and products has become costly as the dollar's plunge has forced suppliers to raise prices.

A Nike factory has agreed to pay $1m in unpaid overtime to Indonesian workers in a move that could force other suppliers of multinational companies to follow suit.

For the rest, it is cutting costs to the bone, using inexpensive materials and forcing suppliers to foot part of the bill for developing parts.

Simply forcing suppliers and service providers to take on more responsibilities and cost is not a healthy externalization of cost.

And at the same time they are forcing suppliers to pick up more of the work and expense of designing and engineering components.

It has been able to deliver on the promise in part by forcing suppliers like P.&G. to be more efficient.

He added that the lower oil prices also were forcing suppliers to cut costs and rivals were being weakened.

The swing in currencies has forced Japanese suppliers to raise their prices and eroded the cost advantage of importing from Japan.