Category Management is a technique used to understand markets, analyse spend and make purchasing decisions which save money. It is about a pathway from accepting mediocre goods and services at high cost, to effective supply management which delivers real value. By altering how goods are categorised and supplied it helps shift sourcing from being an error-prone transaction to creating value for the business. Using case studies and practical examples the book provides a clear definition and understanding of category management. The author presents a step by step process for its implementation and use, which companies can readily apply in line with their overall business strategy. This practical toolkit will allow readers to analyse complex sourcing situations quickly and clearly and develop innovative and creative proposals for sourcing.

How is it possible to sell a kitchen at 30 per cent below market price? Why are hot dogs cheaper in IKEA than in the supermarket? How can IKEA sell the Lack table at half the price it was when it was launched 35 years ago and how can it be achieved with a substantial profit? Strategic Sourcing and Category Management examines how IKEA - and other cost leading companies - use category management to create advantages with direct and indirect sourcing. With 25 years' experience from IKEA, where he had the responsibility to develop and execute the company's purchasing strategy, author Magnus Carlsson shares his insights on important topics: when category management is profitable and why; how teams repeatedly create value and results; what the main approaches are in different categories; how a company implements category management; the difference between success and failure. In this new edition of Strategic Sourcing and Category Management, Magnus Carlsson has added new themes including examples and references from companies such as Maersk, Carlsberg, P&G and Aldi, illustrating the application of cost leadership that spans far beyond IKEA. Even there, the cost leadership lessons are not limited to home furnishings as the company is sourcing categories such as food, components, materials, transports and indirect materials, with a total purchasing spend of approximately €7 billion. But maybe even more importantly, the book illustrates how teams create value by thinking differently and asking the right questions, allowing an understanding that goes beyond mere tools and processes.

As modern organizations become more globalized and diverse, they require additional assistance to maintain effective workflows. With the support of intermediary partners, businesses can enhance their various management processes. Global Intermediation and Logistics Service Providers is a comprehensive reference source for the latest scholarly material on outsourcing strategies in contemporary business environments and examines the role of intermediaries in the dynamics of decision-making and process management. Highlighting pivotal discussions across a myriad of relevant topics, such as open innovation, competitive advantage, and social capital, this book is ideally designed for professionals, practitioners, researchers, and students interested in the impact of service providers within industrial organizations.

This book clearly presents emerging concepts and strategies for managing a modern procurement and supply chain function in both public and private sector organizations in a competent and professional manner.

The three volumes IFIP AICT 438, 439, and 440 constitute the refereed proceedings of the International IFIP WG 5.7 Conference on Advances in Production Management Systems, APMS 2014, held in Ajaccio, France, in September 2014. The 233 revised full papers were carefully reviewed and selected from 271 submissions. They are organized in 6 parts: knowledge discovery and sharing; knowledge-based planning and scheduling; knowledge-based sustainability; knowledge-based services; knowledge-based performance improvement, and case studies.

Organizing Marketing and Sales offers case studies to demonstrate in detail the kinds of challenges faced by multinational, multiproduct firms. It also draws upon theoretical perspectives in order to examine contemporary challenges in marketing and sales organization.

Modern supply chains are enjoying new opportunities for innovation and growth. Build competitive advantage, optimize cost and encourage ethical business practices with the process of strategic sourcing. Effective Strategic Sourcing brings together tools and techniques to develop comprehensive sourcing strategies and drive performance and margin improvement in an ethical, environmentally responsible way. From supplier research and risk analysis to category management and cost modelling, it answers key questions around make versus buy, outsource versus insource and RFI versus RFP. Top supply chain leaders from a range of industries offer their insights and experience in interviews covering the challenges inherent in modern strategic sourcing. The book also focuses on how supply chain and procurement professionals can address sustainability concerns by thinking globally and acting locally and aiming for net-zero carbon footprint sourcing. Learn from the experts and thrive in the 'new normal' with this essential guide to maximising the benefits of strategic sourcing.

The book focuses on efficiency analysis in enterprises and describes a broader supply-chain context to support improved sustainability. The research and its outcomes presented here provide theoretical and empirical studies on efficiency analysis in the supply chain, including operational, economic, environmental and social aspects. This book sheds new light on the efficiency-assessment framework for practitioners and includes essential tips on how to improve the sustainability of supply-chains operations.

With the rise of cloud services and the digitization of all business units, procurement managers need to understand how to buy technology services in order to generate revenue, drive innovation and retain customers. The Technology Procurement Handbook provides a structured and logical view of the digital buying process. It includes invaluable advice on how to manage digital demand, prepare sourcing strategies, analyze the cost and benefits of proposed solutions and negotiate and implement comprehensive agreements. The Technology Procurement Handbook examines the multiple streams of data that feed into the technology procurement process, such as ITIL service lifecycle data, PMI project management and cloud and software contract provisions. The book includes case studies and extensive practical advice based on the authors experience from recent procurement projects. There is also a chapter on modular contracting for the US market, explaining the use of agile contracts for IT projects.

Packaging has a major impact on supply chain performance, as it affects all logistics activities in supply chains. Effective and efficient packaging can significantly improve the performance of companies by generating value and reducing costs and the negative environmental impacts in supply chains. Packaging Logistics uses a systems approach to examine all the essential roles of packaging in supply chains, from the purchasing of raw materials to the production and sale of finished products, as well as transport and distribution. It examines the strategic role of packaging and its operational importance, explains the theoretical basis, presents useful methodologies, tools and concepts, and provides decision support for packaging innovation. It provides several examples of the total environmental impacts of packaging: on logistics and transport efficiency, on product waste and from the packaging material. Packaging Logistics covers essential topics such as one-way and reusable packaging, industrial and consumer packaging, ICT, end-of-life, environment, innovation, e-commerce, and future trends and challenges. This research-based and practical book takes the reader through every stage of packaging and relates it to supply chain and logistics, illustrated by many case studies.