Purchasing

P&G boosts leverage
Whenever buyers at Cincinnati-based Procter & Gamble reduce annual costs by 5%, corporate profits jump more than 20%. And net earnings at the consumer product giant jumped 25% in the last fiscal year despite intense pressure on pricing of its own products such as Pampers, Tide and Crest, coupled with escalating costs for transportation and raw materials, particularly those tied to oil.

• Partnering to succeed
• American Express charges ahead

CPI Edition Chemforecast Feedstock cost surge spurs price hikes Chemical Distribution Partnering to succeed Exclusive Business Data Suppliers' profit growth may slow GE's Plastics Strategy Better margins through product differentiation and high-value products Specialty Chemicals New strategies, new allies for a new era Strategic Sourcing Summit Coping in uncertain times Departments Buylines The finer points of creating, managing service contracts Group purchasing helps leverage decentralized spend Integrating procurement in acquisitions and mergers How UCC amendments will impact the sale of goods Forget about a silver bullet Empower purchasing to leverage opportunities Buyers says manufacturing economy's growth has slowed A majority (69%) of the buyers surveyed in October experienced notable price increases of some kind Who's got strategic sourcing on the brain? Going global made easier with outsourcing Software News Purchasing pros on the move Inside Purchasing Purchasing's value—It's everywhere you look Logistics Rising fuel rates trigger more intermodal shipments Tight trucking capacity worries shippers What's Hot Briefs MRO At MeadWestvaco, it's about adding value, reducing prices Product Update More sales, more fun as market swings up Readers Sound Off Finding the talent to staff an international procurement office (IPO)

Metals Metals Chips Aluminum Market Report Mills' Dilemma Exclusive Business Data Metals indices slip backwards Light Weight Metals Weight-conscious automakers rely on aluminum, magnesium New products Fill 'er up! Aluminum eyes inroads from beer bottles News Economy How Supply Managers See Business Prices Factors Affecting Product Cost Supply What's Happening in Markets Tip Sheet Key Metrics and Supply Alert