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The Fourteenth Edition of Purchasing and Supply Management provides a comprehensive introduction to the purchasing and supply chain management field, supported by over 40 case studies. Cases cover purchasing and supply chain issues in a variety of settings, from process industries to high tech manufacturing and services as well as public institutions. The text focuses on decision making throughout the supply chain. Based on the conviction that supply managers, in concert with suppliers and distributors, have to contribute to organizational goals and strategies, this edition continues to focus on how to make that mission a reality.

Since its genesis in 1985, Foxfire has expanded to become a leading supplier of manufacturing, warehousing software, and supply chain execution systems. Foxfire's worldwide headquarters is located in Greenville, SC and has offices throughout the US. Foxfire also has a research and development center located near Clemson, South Carolina, leveraging the resources and talent pool of Clemson University's world-class institute of higher learning. Foxfire's customer base reaches across the United States, Canada, and Latin America, and we are currently expanding into other world markets rapidly through a network of distribution partners

The United States is saddled with a high unemployment rate and many experienced people are seeking jobs right now. Even so, companies will confront a serious shortage of supply chain talent, warns the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Center for Transportation and Logistics in a white paper titled "Are You Prepared for the Supply Chain Talent Crisis?"

The supply chain talent shortage will stem from a combination of layoffs and a changing skill set needed for the job. Companies that shed staff during the depth of the economic downturn may soon need to rehire practitioners, some of whom will have found work in other areas or at competing firms, analysts wrote.

The report notes that finding qualified individuals remains challenging, even though the supply of candidates has grown due to the increase in more specialized supply chain management programs at colleges and universities. One way to help address the talent shortage, the report's authors suggest, would be to raise the level of awareness of the profession in order to encourage more young people to enter the field.

Press room Press releases IBM Announces New Energy-Management, Sustainability Solutions for Smarter Enterprises

IBM (NYSE: IBM) today added new software and services to its expanding portfolio of solutions aimed at creating sustainable enterprises and smarter urban infrastructures. The new offerings, piloted in-house by IBM, help owners and managers of commercial buildings leverage the latest efficiency technologies and compliance systems to deliver economic, operational and environmental benefits.

IBM also announced that Autodesk has joined its industry alliance, Green Sigma Coalition, a move that can help the group improve buildings’ sustainability from blueprints to daily operations. Additionally, IBM announced an expanded relationship with Schneider Electric, global specialist in energy management, to deliver new combined offerings that monitor and reduce energy use to make buildings smarter.

To effectively compete in the global market and maximize profitability, businesses need efficient and secure supply chains that meet the complex needs of their operations. Our supply chain & operations professionals provide insights into supply chain transformation, sourcing, procurement, logistics, engineering, manufacturing, final assembly and product service and delivery.

"We are finding new unexpected entrepreneurs entering the procurement arena," said Brian Tippens, HP's director of Supplier Diversity. "They include a large number of female and minority veterans back from the Iraq war unable to find employment and recent graduates in the same boat. Business Matchmaking is providing a uniquely effective and efficient means for reaching out to help them get started and to grow." Dave Sutton, a procurement director for the US Department of Justice, calls the Business Matchmaking events "outstanding." He added "Their exceptional ability to organize events, get the right people and produce the desired results is well proven." Peggy Williams of the US State Department agrees calling Business Matchmaking "premier events, well organized and well attended and their entire operation is world-class."

The Real Meaning of Supply Chain Management

It’s not just about logistics and purchasing. The supply chain consists of a broad network of partners who interact at every level of their organizations, says Douglas M. Lambert, director of the Global Supply Chain Forum at Ohio State University.

It’s more than just a question of semantics. The failure to give the term “supply chain” a broad enough definition can cause a company to adopt a short-sighted approach to its operations. “In our view,” says Lambert, “the supply chain is a network of companies that comprises your suppliers, their suppliers, customers of your company and their customers, if they exist.”