Top Stories
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ATI Allvac streamlines MRO buying with integrated supplierBy William Atkinson, September 17, 2009Spend analysis work leads metals manufacturer to outsource transaction-heavy MRO buying More
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At AEP, MRO buyers eye expanded role, formalize process to manage costsBy Susan Avery, September 17, 2009Utility's procurement team views safety and reliability as more critical qualities for an MRO supplier. More
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Spending with small business doesn't have to suffer in recessionDave Hannon, August 20, 2009Rockwell Collins outlines the strategy and benefits to spending with small and diverse suppliers More
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Economy puts emphasis on supplier management at Emerson Climate Technologies and DrummondBy William Atkinson, August 13, 2009During a recession, managing supplier relationships can take a different tone for many purchasing professionals. If suppliers go out of business, or even if they survive, but struggle doing so, this can pose problems for the company. Buyers need to work with existing suppliers during tough times, while also developing alternate sources of supply for those worst-case scenarios. More
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Supplier partnerships pay off for midmarket coffee equipment makerBy John Day, August 13, 2009• Wilbur Curtis Company Location: Montebello, Calif • Size: 240 employees • Business: Commercial coffee, tea, and specialty beverage brewing systems. Proactive partnerships with quality suppliers helped Wilbur Curtis lower its direct materials costs significantly, says Ron Wilson, director of purchasing. More
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Crayola draws new picture of supply chain for today's marketBy William Atkinson, July 16, 2009While many supply chain executives see the current barrage of challenges being presented by the economy as a negative, Easton, Pa.-based Crayola is taking the opposite approach and identifying competitive advantages in the down market. And the executive driving this thinking is Peter Ruggiero, vice president of global operations at Crayola. More
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FMC Technologies centralizes procurement tools and teamBy William Atkinson, July 16, 2009When a global manufacturer makes the decision to centralize its procurement practices and operations, it requires more than manpower and a successful strategy. It also requires relevant technology. FMC Technologies designs, manufactures, and services systems and products, such as subsea production and processing systems, surface wellhead systems, and high-pressure fluid control equipment for th... More
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Monitoring supplier health key to automotive parts makerBy William Atkinson, June 18, 2009While it has always been important for procurement executives to remain vigilant about monitoring the financial health and viability of key suppliers, it is obviously critical in the current economic times. And perhaps no industry is under as much supply chain pressure as the automotive industry right now. More
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BASF procurement gets deep into R&DBy Alan Earls, June 18, 2009With 97,000 employees and products ranging from plastics and performance polymers to agricultural products and fine chemicals, Germany's BASF is one of the world's largest and most diverse chemical makers. And as such, it's on the forefront of innovation in the chemicals and plastics markets. But not all of that innovation comes directly out of BASF's research and development labs. More
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Clorox outlines supplier management strategies for tough timesBy William Atkinson, April 30, 2009CPOs looking for examples of a company that understands the importance of providing various forms of assistance to suppliers may want to look at the Clorox Co. in Oakland, Calif. More
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Buyers target new business wins at Magna ElectronicsBy David Hannon, April 9, 2009While most C-level executives see purchasing's job as reducing costs, a few visionary corporate executives understand purchasing's role in helping the company win new business, in addition to managing costs. Executives at Magna Electronics in Holly, Mich. are among those visionary few and with that in mind, they recruited David Muller to be director of purchasing and told him to overhaul the de... More
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LG Electronics centralizes purchasing to saveBy James Carbone, April 9, 2009About 18 months ago, the CEO of LG Electronics made Tom Linton an offer he couldn't refuse. CEO Yong Nam said, "Tom I want to build one of the top procurement organizations in the world. Would you be interested in doing that?" Linton said he would and accepted the offer, becoming LG's first chief procurement officer in the company's 50-year history. More
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Six Sigma helps Ring Power become a better supplier and buyerBy William Atkinson, April 9, 2009Six sigma can be an effective tool for making improvements in an organization. However, the Six Sigma strategies are most effective when the entire supply chain does not understand, embrace and use them. A chain, it is said, is only as strong as its weakest link. Industrial equipment maker Caterpillar made a decision in 2001 to become a Six Sigma organization throughout its entire supply chain,... More
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IFF is ahead of the curve in low-cost country sourcingBy William Atkinson, March 12, 2009When it comes to low-cost country sourcing, New York-based International Flavors and Fragrances (IFF) was ahead of the curve—50 years ahead of the curve. While low-cost country sourcing is a relatively new concept to a lot of companies, IFF has been routinely involved with it since the company's formation in 1958. More
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Halliburton pushes Lean Six Sigma to its supply baseBy William Atkinson, March 12, 2009A lot of companies begin looking at Lean, Six Sigma and other efficiency improvement strategies when business tightens, as a way to reduce excess costs. But Halliburton took the opposite approach and implemented Lean Six Sigma as a way to improve its customer service in the face of growing demand. Houston-based Oilfield services provider Halliburton has experienced significant demand growth ove... More
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Boston Scientific develops supplier risk management programBy William Atkinson, February 12, 2009Medical device maker Boston Scientific develops supplier risk index. More
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Parsons Corp.: Contract equipment purchasing requires team-based focusBy William Atkinson, February 12, 2009Engineering firm Parsons outlines its project buying and procurement strategies for its work with Lonza. More
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Xerox Canada gets strategic in managing its services buyBy Susan Avery, January 15, 2009An ex-pat is helping to bring a strategic focus to indirect services buying at Xerox Canada. Purchasing professionals working for center-led sourcing operations based in the U.S. need to remember unique requirements of facilities located in other parts of the world when putting together regional or global agreements with suppliers, says Caren Weiner, Canadian purchasing manager at Xerox. More
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Tree of Life overhauls supply chain org, tools for improved product flowBy David Hannon, January 15, 2009As a distributor of natural and organic foods, Tree of Life relies heavily on its sourcing and logistics operations to get products into its supply chain and out to its customers. And with 1,200 sales associates in the U.S. alone, the $1 billion U.S. subsidiary of Dutch food giant Royal Wessanen moves a lot of product through its distribution centers. More
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Sonoco leverages SRM techniques to build procurement teamBy William Atkinson, December 11, 2008One of the most important functions of a supply management organization is to develop long-term, productive relationships with suppliers. For Marc Ensign, director of strategic sourcing, international procurement and supplier diversity at Sonoco Products, the best procurement executives strive for the same relationships with their employees. More
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