Amazon.com Review
The Purchasing Machine, by supply-management professionals Dave Nelson, Patricia E. Moody, and Jonathan Stegner, presents a strong argument for the growing importance of this highly specialized facet of the manufacturing process--incorporating "purchasing, money and material flows, ownership of acquisition and sourcing strategies, and even intellectual property movement and control"--along with a series of related measures that could carry companies to the top in years ahead. It also focuses on the leadership skills necessary to make them a reality. The authors admit that their best-practice companies (American Express, Flextronics, Whirlpool, Harley-Davidson, IBM, John Deere, Honda of America, Sun Microsystems, SmithKline Beecham, and DaimlerChrysler) aren't perfect in all areas, as evidenced by the recent tribulations of the latter automaker. But each has learned to excel in a particular area, such as customer relations or systems innovations, and the authors describe them and ways their examples might help others cut costs and turn resultant savings into "lower consumer prices, exciting products, or fatter shareholder returns." Nelson, Moody, and Stegner identify 20 of these best practices (such as Training, Supplier Information Sharing, and Loaned Executives), and show how "the discipline of acquiring and moving material" can be turned to strategic advantage. --
Howard Rothman
Review
Thomas T. Stallkamp Vice Chairman and CEO, MSX International; former Vice Chairman, DaimlerChrysler; and former President, Chrysler Describes why senior management in many successful companies has embraced supply chain management....Shows the strategic value of working with, instead of against, suppliers.
Chuck Lileikis CPM, Vice President, Central Procurement, Lockheed Martin Corporation Dave Nelson has brought supply chain management to the boardroom....For all purchasing professionals....Shows us how to think and practice strategically.
Jim Scotti Vice President, Global Procurement & Materials, Halliburton Company For twenty-first-century supply chain leaders who have gone beyond stand-alone purchasing....Adaptable to a variety of global industries.
George Koenigsaecker President, Lean Investments LLC, and Chairman, Shingo Prize for Excellence in Manufacturing Emphasizes the essential role of "charismatic, tough, brilliant leaders who made all the difference" in their organizations' transformation.
Rosemary Mattick Vice President, Procurement and Supply Management, Weyerhaeuser If you think strategic supply chain competency is not critical to your company's success, read this book. It will change your perception forever.
George J. Hupfer Vice President, Worldwide Purchasing, The Black & Decker Corporation A definitive work that demonstrates how to transform procurement into a profit machine.
Henri E. Irrthum Vice President and Chief Procurement Officer, DuPont Loaded with case stories, leadership examples, best practices, and practical advice on how to extract maximum value from integrated supply chain management.
Jose A. Mejia Chief Supply Officer, Lucent Technologies An enterprise-wide roadmap for organizations seeking to leverage supply management as a competitive weapon while embracing the virtual economy.
G. Ken Newton, Jr. Vice President, Procurement and Logistics, Texas Instruments, Inc. Required reading that deserves a permanent place on your bookshelf. The best practices alone will return your investment in time and money many times over.
Doug Smock Editor in Chief, Purchasing Magazine A good primer on outstanding procurement practices. It transcends buzzwords and jargon with many useful examples.
