Balanced Sourcing: Cooperation and Competition in Supplier Relationships [Hardcover]

Timothy M. Laseter (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0787944432 | ISBN-13: 978-0787944438 | Publication Date: September 14, 1998 | Edition: 1st

There's too much work to be done. Your organization can't handle the load. That's when you begin to consider outsourcing some of your business functions. But how can you choose the right suppliers and ensure maximum results? In this book, Laseter--of the world-renowned consulting firm Booz?Allen & Hamilton--shows companies how to address that challenge through the dynamic pursuit of balanced sourcing.

"This will be a super book to provide to new purchasing people and to reinvigorate experienced purchasing professionals. It was great to see many of the concepts with which we have experimented logically explained. I wholeheartedly endorse it."--Jean Mayer, executive director, manufacturing procurement operations, Ford Motor Company

Laseter and Booz?Allen coined the term "balanced sourcing" to describe a model for ensuring competitive pricing from suppliers while simultaneously nurturing cooperative relationships. Drawing upon Booz?Allen's experiences with leading companies, Balanced Sourcing lays out the six organizational capabilities that make up the firm's field-tested strategy. Detailed case studies of four prominent corporations-Honda of America, Cisco Systems, SUPERVALU, and Florida Power & Light-show you the broad applicability of this model for companies in industries from manufacturing to services to high-tech.

"Too many 'best practice' guides present a one-size-fits-all solution, such as copying the so-called Japanese model of sole sourcing. In fact, the best Japanese companies do not treat all suppliers as sole-sourced partners and you should not either. Balanced Sourcing is full of practical tools and models that will help you think through appropriate strategies for each of your suppliers."-Dr. Jeffrey K. Liker, associate professor, industrial & operations engineering, and co-director, Japan Technology Management Program, University of Michigan

Get real-life lessons from around the world on: **Creating sourcing strategies **Building and sustaining supplier relationships **Leveraging supplier innovation?and much more! Make the most of your outsourcing with this one-of-a-kind best practices guide!

Editorial Reviews

Review

"In an era when more foolishness than fact is burbled about managing the supply base, it's refreshing to read Balanced Sourcing. This book explores an average company's least-used resource: its supply base. In a step-by-step approach, the book explains how companies can develop a dynamic strategy based on the strengths and resources of their supply base." -James P. Morgan, editorial director and vice president, Purchasing magazine

"Traditional North American companies pay more than 20 percent premium for purchased goods and services compared to the new nontraditional competitors. Balanced Sourcing clearly shows the secret of 'Best in Class' cost management techniques. Do you know what 20 percent of your spending looks like added to your bottom line?" -R. David Nelson, vice president, Worldwide Supply Management, Deere & Company

"Too many 'best practice' guides present a one-size-fits-all solution, such as copying the so-called Japanese model of sole sourcing. In fact, the best Japanese companies do not treat all suppliers as sole-sourced partners and you should not either. Balanced Sourcing is full of practical tools and models that will help you think through appropriate strategies for each of your suppliers." -Dr. Jeffrey K. Liker, associate professor, industrial & operations engineering, and co-director, Japan Technology Management Program, University of Michigan

"This will be a super book to provide to new purchasing people and to reinvigorate experienced purchasing professionals. It was great to see many of the concepts with which we have experimented logically explained. I wholeheartedly endorse it." -Jean Mayer, executive director, manufacturing procurement operations, Ford Motor Company

From the Inside Flap

Every year, the typical manufacturing company spAnds 50 to 75 percent of its revenues on outside goods and services. And a dramatic increase in the outsourcing of non-core activities has heightened management's concern with purchasing in the non-manufacturing sector as well. As a result, effective buying has become one of the most challenging strategic issues of the day. In this book, Tim Laseter--of the world-renowned consulting firm Booz?Allen & Hamilton--shows companies how to address that challenge through the dynamic pursuit of balanced sourcing.Laseter and Booz?Allen coined the term balanced sourcing to describe a model for ensuring competitive pricing from suppliers while simultaneously nurturing cooperative relationships. Drawing upon Booz?Allen's experiences with leading companies, Balanced Sourcing lays out the six organizational capabilities that make up the firm's field-tested strategy. Separate chapters highlight key principles for developing each capability and delivering near-term results. Detailed case studies of four prominent corporations-Honda of America, Cisco Systems, SUPERVALU, and Florida Power & Light-demonstrate the broad applicability of the model for companies in industries from manufacturing to services to high-tech.Balanced Sourcing offers real-life lessons from around the world in such key areas as creating sourcing strategies, building and sustaining supplier relationships, and leveraging supplier innovation. Though written for senior executives who want to drive transformation in their organizations, Balanced Sourcing also provides practical advice to purchasing executives who want to understand their role in implementing the best practices of their profession.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass; 1st edition (September 14, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0787944432
• ISBN-13: 978-0787944438
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #996,096 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Tim Laseter currently serves on the faculty of the Darden Graduate School of Business at the University of Virginia and the Tuck School at Dartmouth. He has also served on the faculty of a number of other leading schools including IESE in Barcelona, the London Business School, the Goizueta Business School at Emory and the Stern School at New York University. He holds a BS in Industrial Management from the Georgia Institute of Technology plus an MBA and a Ph.D. from the Darden School. Formerly a Vice President at Booz Allen Hamilton (now Booz & Company), Tim draws upon over 25 years of consulting experience and ongoing research to provide a current and pragmatic view of issues in operations strategy and organization.

Tim is author of Balanced Sourcing: Cooperation & Competition in Supplier Relationship (Jossey Bass 1998)--which has been published in English, Spanish, Japanese and Chinese. He coauthored, Strategic Product Creation (McGraw-Hill 2007) with Rom Kerber, former Chief Technology Officer of Whirlpool Corporation. A collaboration with a team of Darden School faculty, produced the fifth edition of the Portable MBA (Wiley 2010). Forthcoming in the summer of 2011, is a collaboration with Elliot Rabinovich of Arizona State University: Internet Retail Operations(Taylor & Francis 2011).

Additionally he serves as a contributing editor to strategy+business penning a regular column entitled "Operating Strategies" covering a variety of topics including supply policy, delivery economics, strategic outsourcing, Product Development and e-Business. Over the years, he has been quoted in a host of publications including the Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, Industry Standard, Progressive Grocer, Purchasing, Internet Retailer, ComputerWorld, Advertising Age and The New Yorker. In addition to his academic commitments, he serves as a Senior Advisor Censo Consulting Group and as SVP of Strategy for RelayFoods.com while continuing to work with a mix of large and small organizations in the public and private areana.

Tim has been married to his wife, Jody for nearly 30 years. They have two children; their son Josh is an honors graduate of Georgia Tech, now a consultant with Dominion Digital and their daughter Cecilia, an honors graduate of Hamilton College is now working with two small but growing retailers, Sammy Snacks and Relay Foods while supporting a shelter in Thailand. Jody is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America and animal lover with six Labrador Retrievers, four cats, two horses, two goats and three dozen chickens. Tim enjoys reading classic fiction, science fiction, business histories, and general science. He has competed in triathlons since 1990 and managed several first place finishes in the Clydesdale Masters category between 2003 and 2009. He also enjoys endurance cycling as a member of Randonneuring USA and successfully completed several 200k, 300k, 400k, and 600k brevets as well as the infamous Paris-Brest-Paris 1200k ride in August 2007 (in 83.5 hours). Tim has led the training for a team of kids from the Boys & Girls Club to complete a metric century (62 mile) cycling challenge as part of $150,000 local fundraising event for each of the past four years.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book ! Puts it all together in one place, December 11, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (San Carlos, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Balanced Sourcing: Cooperation and Competition in Supplier Relationships (Hardcover)

Excellent reference on how to balance competition while still maintaining partnership status. Helps to explain how to take advantage of the entire scope of partnership relationships with suppliers while maintaining cost effectiveness.

SJL- VP National Association of Purchasing Management

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Primer to Supply Chain Managment, June 10, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Balanced Sourcing: Cooperation and Competition in Supplier Relationships (Hardcover)

Clearly laid out, well-written, and concise. Tim's model matched well with my experience, but afforded me an opportunity to organize my thinking on the subject. He should give lessons on writing for business.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good introduction to new logistics concepts, May 20, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (Cali, Colombia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Balanced Sourcing: Cooperation and Competition in Supplier Relationships (Hardcover)

Is a nice book, the concepts are very clear and easy to understand even if you are not and english speaking person. Is a good presentation of a sourcing model.