Negotiating is one of the most important tasks when it comes to purchasing One of the best-known strategies for negotiating is the "Harvard Concept". The basic idea: Be hard on the issue but soft on the people. Learn more here about the renowned Harvard University project that is a core element of Harvard Law School's program of studies.
 

Corona Crisis or War in Ukraine: Dual Sourcing Can Help Purchasing Departments Through Tough Times If a supplier is lost for good or temporarily, a second supplier acts as a substitute. This makes the supply chain a lot more robust than straight-forward single sourcing. However, taking the dual approach also has its downsides.
 

Make or buy - that's the big question! The so-called Make or Buy Decisions is one of most direction-giving decisions that have to be made concerning the orientation of the company.

Determining what is needed is one of the key functions of materials management. It aims at determining the quantities of materials a company needs to meet its production and sales plans. A lot has to be taken into consideration. In this article, we will tell you all about it.

The order volume and time in procurement can be organised primarily in to fundamental paths: via the ordering point and the ordering intervals process. Both ordering systems are consumption oriented, but are distinctive in terms of their use. The selection of the respective ordering system thus depends greatly on the individual conditions in the company and must be intelligently planned!

Suppliers play a big role in the success of a company. What criteria are important when choosing suppliers and what defines a good supplier? A practical checklist tool is available at the end of this article.

Procurement (the organisation of goods and services) is the number one task of purchasing. It is important that all the required goods and services are in the right place at the right time, in the required quantity and quality. Have you taken everything into account in the procurement process? Below you’ll find a "basic framework" that applies to all steps of the ordering process. Depending on the company structure and specifications, this can be further refined and adjusted.
 

What are the most important KPIs in purchasing and what are their current values? And what has changed compared to previous years? Here we take a look at an important study undertaken annually by a German standards institute.

BSI, EN or ISO: Find out here what the standards are, where the differences lie and why standards and certifications are important.

External suppliers of raw materials and products play an important role for many companies, since this happens at the beginning of the supply chain. In order to guarantee reliable, high-quality and timely deliveries, regular supplier evaluation is worthwhile. This lets you know which suppliers meet the requirements, perform particularly well or have major weaknesses.
 

Supply bottlenecks due to the failure of a supplier, or poor quality on the part of a supplier, endanger production. Supplier management therefore pursues the goal of optimising the processes between client and contractor — including checking the creditworthiness of suppliers. This is what the credit check is for. It analyses the extent to which a supplier can meet its future obligations or how vulnerable it is to insolvency.