1. What is Industrial Subcontracting? 
SPX（Subcontracting and Partnership Exchange）is a  specialized project management institution of UNIDO, which is implementing industry subcontracting and partnership exchange relationship in the worldwide. SPX’core contents are the long-term and stable cooperation relationships between upriver main-contractors (buyers) and downriver subcontractors (suppliers), and its basis task is match-making the needs and opportunities of the procurement and supply. 

2. What is subcontracting? 
Subcontracting is an economic relationship where one entity, the main contractor, requests another independent entity, the subcontractor or supplier, to undertake the production or carry out the processing of a material, component, part, subassembly or the provision of an industrial service in accordance with the main contractor’s specifications. 

3. What is Partnership exchange? 
Partnership is a more developed form of subcontracting in which main contractors and subcontractors mutually strengthen one another in a context of deeper and more extensive collaboration, by switching the traditional simple procure trading relationship.  

 4. Who are the main contractors?
The main contractors are generally, though not necessarily, large industries engaged in industrial manufacturing, which require a large amount of parts and components for final assembly. All these parts and components are not generally manufactured in-house in an integrated way either for reasons of economy or of specialisation. Though subcontracting relationship can exist in various sectors of activity, it is most prominent in the engineering sector in industries like automobiles, railways, aeronautics, electrical equipment, electronics, domestic electrical appliances, precision equipment, surface treatment, and also in plastic and basic metal work industries like foundry, forge, general mechanical or precision mechanical works.

5. What are the new Trends in Industrial Subcontracting and Supply Chain Management?
Because of increased competition based on product quality requirements, shortening of product life cycle, and pressure on costs, several trends which have transformed the classical subcontracting relation in a more deep linkage can be mentioned, such as: 
• A growing entrepreneurial commitment to "total quality management?both by the main contractor and subcontractor, and often jointly.

• An increased flexibility in the production process.

• An increasing amount of information and technology is exchanged between the subcontractors and the main contractors and among subcontractors themselves, thus the rate of innovation is speeded up.

• Subcontractors are involved from the early stages of product design.

• Delivery time is reduced (?just-in-time?.

• More services are delivered with the product.

• Reduction of production defects and lead-time is a must.

• Cost reduction has become a common task of subcontractors and main contractors.

• An increased trend towards the formation of industrial clusters, or groups of firms, which rely on the same or complementary business.

• A reduced number of suppliers to each main contractor. Subcontracting systems, are increasingly based on a pyramidal structure where the main contractors rely on a small number of first tier subcontractors, who in turn rely on a large number of second and third tier subcontractors.

• An ever increasing search for long lasting reliable partners. They both rely and are loyal to each other, and the only danger remaining is the fluctuation in business activity.

6. Where to set-up an SPX? (The institutional set-up of the SPXs) ？
Let us recall that a SPX is first of all a non-profit manufacturers association enjoying full autonomy, but supported/sponsored by public authorities and professional organizations, run by a team of qualified engineers specially trained for this purpose. 
Experience has shown that SPXs incorporated in Ministries of Industry and public organizations are monopolized by the State, cut-off from their industrial basis and bound to disappear. The formula of hosting the SPX in a Ministry or public organization should be considered only as a transitory start-up stage before being transferred to the private sector, preferably on an autonomous basis.

SPXs incorporated in private sector institutions such as Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Federations of Industry, Professional or Manufacturers Associations, can survive, when accorded the necessary recognition and operational autonomy. They are then considered as a specialized service provided by the Chamber or Federation to its affiliated/member companies.

But the full autonomy of SPXs is the most sustainable form of institutional set-up. It is then an industrial association with an autonomous budget and operational structure, managed by a Board of Directors (or National Council) which should be composed of all public and private sector organizations/institutions/associations which are involved in, or interested by industrial subcontracting, supply and similar forms of inter-industry linkages. In addition, the affiliated enterprises themselves should also be largely represented in the Board and possibly even take the leading role.

For this reason, UNIDO has proposed standard "Legal Statutes for establishing an autonomous SPX", as a standard instrument, to achieve the required sustainability of the SPXs.

7. How to finance and manage a SPX? (The modalities of financing and management of the SPXs?)
Here also, experience has shown that when the funds are provided exclusively by one source of financing, the SPX dies. A SPX financed exclusively by the Government becomes a Government department and is quickly isolate from its industry basis. The same applies for SPXs fully subsidized by international aid programmes.

On the other had, a SPX financed exclusively by the affiliated enterprises, under the false assumption that it is a profit-making activity, will soon be superseded by other activities which generate more profit and will abandon the specify activities related to subcontracting promotion.

Therefore, in accordance with the tripartite participation proposed for the Board of Directors and with the Legal Statutes proposed by UNIDO for autonomous SPXs, the financing proposed should include:

• State or public institutions, in recognition of the contribution of the SPX to the national economy (at least 10% of the budget, ideally not more than 50%).

• Professional Association/Industrial Federations, in recognition of the contribution of the SPX to the development of the private sub-sectors of industry (at least 10% of the budget).

• The affiliated enterprises themselves, in recognition of the contribution of the SPX to their own productivity, competitiveness and growth (affiliation or registration fees should amount to at least 10% of the budget).

• In addition, SPX s should provide various fund-generating services (to non-members as well as members) such as: - Participation in industrial subcontracting/supply fairs and business meetings. - Training seminars and conferences. - Marketing surveys and missions (national and international). - Sectorial studies on investment requirements and incentives. - Technology and quality (ISO 9000) audits and assistance. - Legal assistance in relation with contracts, fiscal matters, etc.

But the SPXs should not receive commissions on contracts awarded.

8. Which services should be performed by SPXs?
Information services, i.e. technical information concerning small and medium industries which are capable of working as sub-contractors, suppliers or partners for domestic and foreign main-contractors; brokerage of information relating to the supply of and/or demand for sub-contracted products and supplies; information on supply of and demand for know-how, patents, technical cooperation, opportunities and procedures for the setting-up of partnership agreements.

Promotional services, i.e. organization of business meetings with purchase managers from domestic and foreign industrial groups; organization of collective participation in industrial fairs of the sectors concerned; preparation and dissemination of promotional material including internet sites on the SPXs and their member industries.

Advisory services on legal aspects of sub-contracting operations, product development and adaptation, quality control, standardization and certification, marketing.

9. Who are the clients/end-users?
Each SPX will provide a complete range of services to small and medium industrial sub-contractors and suppliers in the respective countries and will provide information services to large domestic and foreign enterprises acting as main contractors or purchasing enterprises, to other SPXs, Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Federation of Industries, Industrial Promotion Agencies, Foreign Trade Offices, etc. operating in the sub-region and worldwide.

10. How long do SPXs live?
SPXs are like enterprises: they live and they die. Some have a very long life, (some of the first established in 1960s are still alive) and some die after a few years. Others can be re-born and have a second life after 10 or 15 years.

Some argue that the SPXs have fulfilled their temporary functions and can disappear when all industrial enterprises of the region covered by the SPX, come to know each other.

This may be correct in some cases, but usually it is not, because:

• The manufacturing facilities and capacities of the enterprises keep changing all the time.

• New enterprises with new technologies and processes enter into the market and are willing to undertake operations under subcontract.

• New export markets become accessible through the SPX.

• New forms or enterprise collaborations appear (partnerships, strategic alliances, market and license agreements, etc.) for which the SPX can play a unique and privileged role.

Therefore, the flexibility and adaptability of SPXs to changing conditions/environment are a must.

11. How good do the SPXs perform?
A survey conducted in 1993 shows that on average, SPXs using UNIDOSS consulted 80% of their registered enterprises at least once that year, of which 40% lead to the conclusion of contracts, which is an excellent performance. In 1997, a similar survey was conducted and showed that each registered company had been consulted at least twice that year, and that 66% of them had concluded at least one contract that same year, which is even a better performance.

12. What results should be expected from a SPX?
Results expected by a SPX performing normally well, after a three year take-off period, could be estimated at least as follows:

• 500 enterprises visited and registered with the SPX (an additional 100 per year up to 800-1000 enterprises)

• 200 successful interventions (or consultations) per year (successful means at the satisfaction of the main-contractors)

• 50-100 national contracts concluded per year (worth approximately ? 5,445,000 to 8,712,000)

• 25-50 international contracts concluded per year (worth approximately ? 2,722,500 to 5,445,000).

13. What would be covered by a UNIDO project for establishing a SPX?
UNIDO assistance in establishing SPXs through technical cooperation projects involves:

• Short-term specialised expertise in all aspects related to the SPX (institutional, operational, management, computer software, enterprise auditing, marketing & fairs, legal aspects, etc.),

• specialised and on-the-job training,

• applying the whole package of UNIDO methodology and tools,

• participation in international fairs and business meetings,

• networking with other SPXs and industrial promotion agencies.

A comparison of the financial estimates shows that UNIDO's initial contribution in technical cooperation (initial investment in a standard project of ? 217,800) is rapidly transformed into an effective and profitable promotion of industrial development in the country.