The Procurement and Supply Manager's Desk Reference, + Website, 2nd Edition

Preface to the Second Edition

This book, now in its second edition, is written for the procurement and supply chain management professional needing a reference to the working methods available today for use on the job. It also has in mind the newly appointed executive or the staff member with only a cursory knowledge of the workings of procurement and supply management. It provides, we trust, a complete compendium of the information that is required to effectively carry out the responsibilities incumbent in the procurement and supply management area.

Leading-edge business enterprises constantly look for ways to remain competitive. The procurement and supply chain management processes outlined in this book are just some of the ways business supply managers can make key contributions to their company's bottom line. The modern world of outsourcing requires proficient expertise in procurement and supply chain management that has not been seen in any other period during our lifetimes. The future is bound to rely even more on the expertise of effective leverage and the management of supply resources.

Change is inevitable. And our profession is changing now even more rapidly than it has in the past. Therefore, we also hope this book will enable you to assess the value of new concepts and processes in our field, and assist you in keeping up with these changes. To be successful you must stay well ahead of the curve yet be ever mindful of the responsibility that rests with your choices. ...