Purchasing - January 15, 2009

Like the phoenix rising from the ashes, financial supply chain management is taking on new life as the economy cools. And as it does, procurement and finance are working closer together. The following story is true. We are withholding the names of the buyer and supplier to avoid embarrassing them. A capital-equipment manufacturer that was diligent about auditing suppliers on a number of criteria found a weak link in the supply base. The weak link was a sole-source supplier of a critical component.

• Electronics Edition
• Electronics Distribution
• Electronics distributors face stiff competition in Asia
• Electronics Trends
• Mouser signs agreements
• iSuppli: Chip inventories swell in fourth quarter
• Electronics Business Intelligence
• Chip prices will fall along with capital spending
• Relay prices expected to be more stable in 2009
• SEMI: Despite downturn, wafer capacity continues to grow
• IDC: External disk storage capacity, demand increases
• Supply Chain Risk Management
• Caution! Economic downturn presents new set of challenges to EMS, OEM electronics buyers

• Features
• Xerox Canada gets strategic in managing its services buy
• Best Practices
• Dean Foods milks strategic sourcing for all its value
• Cost of Quality
• The next frontier in cost control: Quality
• Supply Chain Software
• Materials management software cuts waste in the supply chain

• Metals
• Chips
• Metals Business Intelligence
• Buyer-Supplier Relations
• Do the math: Crashing demand oversupply record low metals prices
• Nonferrous
• Bear market is expected to force metals prices even lower in 2009
• Steel
• New wave of merger activity on the far horizon for steel industry

• News and Departments
• Black Belt Negotiators
• Black Belt Negotiators: How to win internal allies
• Chemicals
• Chemical trade deficit will continue in 2009
• Huntsman and Apollo/Hexion terminate merger
• Chemcial Business Intelligence
• Petrochemical demand will continue to slide in 2009
• Dow to shut 20 plants, idle 180 more
• Surfactant prices ease up as feedstock costs tumble
• NACD members meet to plan legislative priorities
• Corporate Travel
• Mitre engineers savings with travel gurus, employee training and online booking tool
• Costs to rise, but travelers still will take to the skies
• Economy + Supply
• GM Sues Supplier To Get Machinery
• Advantage Rental Fails
• Microchip Demand Down
• USCG Boosts Maritime Security
• GDP Recovery Predicted In Second Half
• Purchasing Indexes Plunge
• Palm Has Cash In Hand
• Auto Sales Outlook Slashed
• Suzuki Shelves Large-car Plan
• Building Rebound...in 2010
• Economy + Supply Data
• Goodbye Kinko's, Hello FedEx Office
• Olin Declares Force Majeure
• Tractor Demand Will Fall
• NAFTA Truck Sales Down
• Capital Goods Demand Stays Weak
• Dow Sells TPU Business
• Logistics
• Truckers continue to cut costs, reduce capacity in down market
• Parcel shipping rates firm up without DHL in the market
• Plunging freight rates have some ocean carriers in survival mode
• Government makes Hours of Service rule final for truckers
• DHL's exit from the U.S. market leaves small package market share up for grabs
• Logistics Business Intelligence
• MRO + Distribution
• More collaboration is on agenda of MRO buyers, suppliers in 2009
• MRO Briefs
• MRO Business Intelligence
• My Turn
• Time to work more closely with finance
• Office
• Office Products Outlook: Material cost declines should push paper prices down in 2009
• Office Products + Technologies Business Intelligence
• Office furniture another area for cost-reduction
• Telecommunications changes to come
• Prices
• Diesel Prices Stay Low
• Metals Price Forecast Down
• China Ends Taxes On Some Imports, Exports
• Commodity Price Index Dives
• LTL Trucking Rates Continue Down
• Commission Wants Gas Tax
• Oil Price Forecasts Stay Low
• Commodity Prices
• Trans-Atlantic Airfares Cut
• Steel Prices Will Bottom in First Quarter
• Gold Price Forecasts Down
• Corning Cuts Glass Prices
• Chip Prices Dip In 09 As Well
• Chemical Price Indexes Dive
• Iron Ore, Coal Prices Down
• Will Base Oil Prices Continue to Slide?
• Scale Up: Big Ideas in the Middle Market
• Boyd Coffee saves with warehouse efficiency
• Speaking Out
• Keep outsourcing in the United States
• Trends
• Tiremakers cut back capacity in U.S.
• Chrysler names another new CPO
• Transportation costs plunge in December on lower fuel, demand
• Pulp, paper and lumber plant shutdowns will extend into 2009
• China's manufacturing slows as demand from U.S. buyers slumps
• IFCO outlines lift truck procurement strategies
• Business Intelligence
• Rail volumes run downhill, impact on rates unclear
• Downturn could provide merger opportunities
• Tree of Life overhauls supply chain org, tools for improved product flow
• GSK pushes Green buying backto the product design stage
• Boeing restructures supply chain, manufacturing organizations