Purchasing - April 5, 2007

On paper it all looked good. Automotive supplier Robert Bosch North America was developing a fuel injector system for diesel engines and, as part of that process needed to machine steel for the part. Bosch wrote a spec for the low-alloy steel and steel supplier Timken Co. provided the steel as requested.

• Chemicals Edition
• Business Intelligence-polypropylene prices,  leadtime for sodium bicarbonate and caustic soda prices
• Chemforecast
• Propylene, polypropylene prices look to be less volatile
• Sodium bicarbonate market supports level pricing—for now
• Market Update
• Expiring patents, greater capacity influence pigments market

• Features
• Supplier management: Clarke American’s procurement transformation
• Best Practices
• Chemicals buyers: Talk like a chemist
• Professional Development
• Institute for Supply Management annual conference preview
• Supplier Relationship Managment
• Supplier relationship management: Pathways to convergence
• Trucking Update
• Trucking update: Buyers see light at the end of the tunnel

• Metals
• Business Intelligence-Percentage of buyers with too much steel and April cobalt price
• Chips
• Copper and Brass Products
• Volatile prices will cut copper demand from contractors, OEMs
• New Products
• Copper: more uses than just wire and cable

• News and Departments
• Economy + Supply
• Cable Companies Combine
• EU Wants Green Energy
• Allegheny Expands Titanium
• Items in Short Supply
• Hyundai Sets Engine Plant
• China Approves Intel Plant
• Productivity Stumbles
• More Fed Rate Cuts?
• Hybrid Sales Have Stalled
• Univar Buys Chemcentral
• Housing Rebound Delayed
• Faster Reviews For Patents
• Small Business is Bullish
• Dip in World Growth
• Economy + Supply
• Leadtime Report
• Titanium slightly easier to source
• Quick deliveries mark acetic acid
• Leadtime Report
• Mechanical tubing may stabilize
• Logistics
• Business Intelligence-Value of global air cargo market, Increase in air cargo from Hong Kong to the U.S.in 2006, and Percentage of cost that oil represents to average air cargo firm 
• Shippers leverage air cargo as global sourcing extends supply
• Detours
• MRO + Distribution
• Business Intelligence-Motion Industries' 2006 sales,Plumbing products added to Grainger line,NAPCP conference start date 
• American Express takes leap to transform payment process
• MRO Briefs
• MRO purchasing pros listen up: Selling yourself internally is key
• My Turn
• Cut your own costs, not just suppliers' costs
• Prices
• EPS Hike Proposed
• Tire Prices Inflate
• Uranium Tags Double
• Aluminum Slide Seen
• Naphtha is in A Rut
• Copper Prices Stay High
• Distillates Drift Up
• Solvents Increases Sought
• Iron Ore May Rise
• TDI Prices Elevate
• Sheet Steel is Higher
• Base Metals Prices Tight
• Coal Prices are Soft
• Crude to Stay High
• Wholesale Prices Higher
• Prices
• Trends
• Supplier awards
• Purchasing execs on the move
• ON Semiconductor leverages demand-driven model for improved execution
• American Express launches online marketplace for travel services
• Business Intelligence-Buyers reporting commodity price increases in March, Buyers expecting energy rates to rise in the next quarter 
• Contract management tools to see strong growth
• Tyco customizes its sourcing organization to fit business needs