New Features :

• A new chapter on strategic outsourcing has been added. Strategic outsourcing has rapidly become the building block for globalization.
• Expanded coverage of JIT (Lean) Purchasing demonstrates how the role of purchasing has changed from merely placing orders to investigating the supplier's technical and process capabilities.
• Expanded coverage of Electronic Purchasing shows how e-purchasing has fundamentally transformed the traditional indirect purchasing function and has lead to significant cost savings and coordinated efficiency.
• Expanded coverage on supply chain relationship management examines how any buying organization must maintain strong relationships with its best contract manufacturers and suppliers in order to stay competitive in today's aggressive market sectors.
• Five new real world cases based on practical organizational situations have been added to reinforce the lessons learned in each chapter.

Retained Features:

• Introduces innovative and recent concepts in purchasing and supply chain management, such as supply chain power and e-purchasing systems concepts.
• Includes coverage of pricing, price discrimination, and an appendix on the Robinson-Putman act.
• Covers special topics of interest to majors: equipment and leasing, healthcare purchasing, service procurement, and legal issues in purchasing and supply management.
• Contains over 20 case studies, all original to this text.