Strategic Procurement: Organizing Suppliers and Supply Chains for Competitive Advantage

A companys success is determined by its ability to utilize all its assets. Yet two assets often neglected by the boardroom are the amount it spends on goods and services and the expertise of the organisations key suppliers. This highly accessible book will help you understand how to tap into these assets to secure competitive advantage. With application to organisations in all industries internationally, Strategic Procurement details why procurement is critical to successful business performance. It explores the strategic value of procurement to business and the potential for significant cost savings through maximising value from suppliers and third-party spend.

A lot has changed in the world of strategic procurement. While many developments have served to reinforce the business value of good procurement practices, there are many risks associated with poor procurement. On the upside, procurements role has increased in many recent mega-mergers. On the downside, there are glaring examples of supply continuity issues triggered by natural disasters; reputational issues related to supply chains of companies like BP and Apple; and the inadvertent role played by suppliers as the weakest link in cyber-crime.

This second edition of Strategic Procurement has been thoroughly updated to reflect these developments. Besides real-life case studies, there is a new chapter on procurements role in delivering successful mergers and acquisitions as well as three new chapters exploring the mitigants to a variety of supplier-related risks. Additionally, there are expanded sections on corporate responsibility, procurement proficiency, good procurement across the organisation, and new ways of supplier collaboration.