I have been advised that a book entitled “The Construction Purchasing Agent Handbook: The Critical Sourcing Method” has just hit the market. I’ve read a couple of chapters of the book and scanned the rest so far.

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What I like about this book is that it is very, very targeted. It is aimed to deliver maximum benefit to new purchasing agents in the construction industry. As such, it shares a lot of practical, useable ideas instead of the pie-in-the-sky ideas that sound great from 30,000 feet but are virtually unimplementable like those ideas featured in books targeted at CPO’s.

Though the book does address many specifics of construction purchasing – and, therefore, should be required reading for everyone in construction purchasing – there are parts that can apply to any purchasing professional. One example is the ethics chapter. There is nothing new in this chapter but, when it comes to ethics, there are some things that can’t be said/heard too many times.

The book is well-written, contains solid advice, and is easy and pleasurable to read. If you’re interested, you can get this book from Amazon.com.

Recommended Reading

New Construction Purchasing Book Hits Market
The Should Cost Model – An End or a Means To An End?
How Visible Is Your Procurement Impact?
Does Consignment/VMI/Bailment Reduce Costs Or Merely Shift Them?
Paying A Supplier When There Is No Purchase Order