Pro-active purchasing can make a major contribution to company profits. Purchasing professionally should enhance the overall value to an organization through the strategic exercise of sound commercial skills, such as effective negotiation, contracts and quality controls. This book reveals the key principles of purchasing, and extends them step by step to all business context, not least the service sector and smaller business. It concentrates on practical functions and how effectiveness can be improved in many companies. This practical guide also covers such up-to-date issues as concern for the environment, tactics for small suppliers and implementing quality measures.

Malcolm Jones is the Group Purchasing and Distribution Manager for Allied Dunbar.