The purchasing and supply function has emerged from the shadows. As senior management executives around the world recognize the importance of each expenditure, and its subsequent impact on every level of their organization, purchasing and supply has become a major source of increased profits for today's corporations. Recognizing this, numerous well-established companies--including IBM, Weyerhaeuser, Bristol-Myers Squibb, and others--have today established Chief Purchasing Officer (CPO) positions. For more than three decades, THE PURCHASING HANDBOOK has been a staple reference for purchasing and supply professionals around the world. Chapters written by over 100 top authorities provide in-depth, authoritative coverage of each topic, and allow professionals to make confident, informed decisions in virtually any area of purchasing and supply. This updated, expanded 6th Edition--with 20 new chapters--contains not only the basic information every manager needs to know but also the current information and research that every manager MUST know for procurement in the next century. A partial listing of topics covered includes: Globalization; Industry consolidation; Technological advancements; Supply chain synchronization; E-commerce and the Internet; Virtual value networks; Strategic versus tactical procurement; Supplier integration; Collaboration planning and execution; Supply strategy development; Ethics and responsibility; Supplier price and cost analysis; Purchasing and supply negotiations; Purchasing of raw materials and commodities; Marketplace intelligence; Re-engineering; Human resource management; Total cost of ownership; Inventory management; Legal aspects of purchasing; Investment recovery. The first decade of the 21st century promises to bring an explosion in the technologies, strategies, and nuts-and-bolts applications of purchasing and supply management. THE PURCHASING HANDBOOK, SIXTH EDITION takes an innovative look at these future trends and issues--while delivering today's most accurate, up-to-date purchasing and supply information and making existing principles easy to understand and apply. This combination of essential reference information and eye-opening research findings makes it unmatched as a professional resource--and essential for every purchasing manager's professional collection.