Do relationship portfolios and networks provide the key to successful relationship management?

The importance of effective planning and management of an organization's array of customer and supplier relationships is self-evident, yet relatively little research has been published which develops our academic or managerial understanding of the conceptual and practical problems inherent in this issue. This paper is written from an interaction and network perspective and critically reviews existing customer and supplier portfolio analysis and considers the implications of using such an approach for the management of relationships. The notion of relationship portfolios in the context of network theory is reviewed and the authors suggest that portfolios provide an alternative method of network conceptualization and analysis and that such portfolios may be a key factor in successful relationship management.