The Purchasing Handbook

This handbook is a complete and authoritative source of practical information on all aspects of purchasing management. This new edition is the first revision of this classic handbook since 1982, a decade in which many important developments have taken place in business, the economy, and the field of purchasing. Once again developed under the auspices of the National Association of Purchasing Management, Aljian brings the entire field up to date. A special emphasis of this new edition is the coverage given to purchasing policies and procedures in a service economy and in service industries. Previous emphasis in the handbook was on manufacturing-related purchasing issues. Aljian provides up-to-date guidance on all aspects of the general purchasing process from purchasing department through contracts, pricing and negotiation and beyond, to such subjects as purchasing strategy and evaluating purchasing performance. In addition, the handbook also zeros-in on specific subject areas and specific industries, covering in detail global sourcing, raw materials, health care, government purchasing, and other specific subject areas. Targeted coverage is provided on other "special interest" subjects such as materials management, just-in-time, legal aspects of purchasing, scrap and other topics of interest to purchasing managers and corporate departments with which they interrelate.