Forget about a silver bullet

Staff -- Purchasing, 11/4/2004

Get back to basics. That's the message delivered by Ron Nussle and Jim Morgan in a just released book entitled, "Integrated Cost Reduction." Nussle, a supply chain veteran and managing director of global materials for Lam Research Corp. and Morgan, Purchasing Magazine's Editorial Director Emeritus, provide a roadmap to permanent long-term cost savings and true value add-ons. What gives ICR its real muscle is its focus on marshalling the proven successes of value analysis/value engineering, lean manufacturing, Six Sigma, supply chain management and e-commerce "under a seamless cost reduction umbrella." In other words, you don't have to jettison the good stuff you've been doing. ICR is designed to refocus a company's preexisting reengineering initiatives on the areas that most need cost reduction and value enhancement. And the authors don't leave you with theory. Nussle offers what he calls "a step-by-step ICR cookbook" online. It provides forms, checklists, timelines, sample engagement letters and spreadsheets for use by anyone who has read the book and wants to use ICR tools and processes at their company. It's a very different book. Buy now at the PURCHASING magazine bookstore: www.purchasing.com/bookstore.