Category Management in Purchasing: A Strategic Approach to Maximize Business Profitability

by Jonathan O'Brien

Overview

Approach purchasing and procurement strategically, effectively and sustainably, with this comprehensive and practical guide to category management.

Category Management in Purchasing equips those working in procurement with the tools they need to ensure effective procurement in an ever changing landscape. Combining practical advice and theory, this essential resource is crucial for developing successful purchasing strategies. Covering new technology-driven approaches to category management, this new edition outlines digital transformations and technological advancements, from digital sourcing platforms to new tools and systems.

This edition also provides readers with the knowledge to approach complex sourcing situations not only effectively, but also sustainably. Including new guidance on how organizations and businesses can implement sustainability into their procurement strategies, Jonathan O'Brien recontextualizes category management in a time when responsible sourcing is more important than ever. This highly regarded and essential text provides what everyone in procurement needs when striving to make category management a reality.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781398613799
Publisher:	Kogan Page, Ltd.
Publication date:	05/28/2024
Edition description:	5th ed.
Pages:	576
Product dimensions:	6.14(w) x 9.21(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Jonathan O'Brien is the CEO of Positive Purchasing Ltd, based in Plymouth, UK. With over 30 years of experience, he has helped equip global organizations to increase their purchasing capability through digital platforms, training, education and working directly with practitioners and executive teams. He is the author of Supplier Relationship Management, Negotiation for Procurement and Supply Chain Professionals, The Buyer's Toolkit, and Sustainable Procurement, all published by Kogan Page.

Table of Contents

** Chapter - 00: Introduction; ** Chapter - 01: Introducing category management; ** Chapter - 02: The principles of category management; ** Chapter - 03: Laying the groundwork for success; ** Chapter - 04: Stage 1 – Initiation; ** Chapter - 05: Stage 2 – Insight; ** Chapter - 06: Stage 3 – Innovation; ** Chapter - 07: Stage 4 – Implementation; ** Chapter - 08: Stage 5 – Improvement; ** Chapter - 09: Making category management happen; ** Chapter - 10: Guaranteeing success – Now and for the future

Editorial Reviews

"Having worked with many organisations across a broad spectrum of industries, this latest edition of Category Management in Purchasing is as relevant today as a practitioners' go-to handbook as it ever has been. Updated to embed sustainable procurement, how to navigate the digital evolution, key success factors and more, this edition serves those new to category management as well as the experienced amongst us."

Rachael Legg

"Category management will continue to be relevant to procurement organisations, but it's changing fast. The tech revolution and influence of AI on our profession is a game-changer. Get all the knowledge you need for best practice category management from Jonathan O'Brien, one of the most respected thought leaders in the industry, in this new and revised edition."

James Meads

"This impressive fifth edition of Category Management in Purchasing keeps pace with procurement's increased maturity and sophistication. This book emphasizes the latest digital trends and sustainable practices while reinforcing proven practices and frameworks that continue to stand the test of time."

Kelly Barner

"With this fifth Edition, Jonathan O'Brien has further refined one of the foundational texts in procurement thinking over the last two decades. His updates on sustainability are exactly what the procurement industry needs."

Guy Strafford

"Jonathan O'Brien's book is one of the most important resources for every procurement professional or student's library. The fifth edition incorporates the latest thinking on digital category management, and how sustainable and purposeful procurement should be built in to Category Management. Category Management in Purchasing remains a useful, significant and vital benchmark text for global procurement thinking and practice."

Peter Smith

"I've always loved this book as a foundation for procurement practitioners. This new edition has been progressively updated to reflect our ever-changing time and the evolution of procurement that's required. This new edition puts category management at the centre of what procurement is about today."

Procurement Protagonist and author of Procure Bite Tom Mills

"By reading this up-to-date masterpiece, you will understand why category management is still an essential topic."

Stéphane Morel

"Our Global Procurement organization has enjoyed great success in large part due to Jonathan O'Brien's category management principles and processes. We believe that Jonathan is the foremost expert on category management and his book provides the roadmap for sustainable long-term Procurement-generated business value."

Tom Walsh

"Category Management in Purchasing is the cornerstone of comprehensive procurement improvement, including up-to-date approaches to category management that deliver organizational value."

Erik Stavrand

"I've been in procurement for 25 years and have found this latest edition of Category Management in Purchasing to be quite simply the most comprehensive, practitioner-focused reference and how-to guide that I've encountered. It's an accessible and pragmatic knowledge base filled with solid frameworks, techniques, tools, case studies and advice from a leading practitioner and expert on the topic."

Pierre Mitchell

"This edition is a siginificant step forward. O'Brien's widely acclaimed and established exposition of category management is further complemented by rich new insight from leading practitioners into how organizations can realize an effective implemention of this approach. Another essential tool for the modern strategic procurement leader or practitioner from one of the leading authors in our community."

Philip Ideson

"This book has quickly established itself as the essential reference book for category management and a practical guide for practitioners. With its thoroughness and insight, it is valuable to both the category novice and the experienced manager and should be on every senior procurement executive's bookshelf."

Spend Matters Peter Smith

"The definitive guide to strategic category management in modern organizations."

Global L&D Manager, Procurement Supply Chain Mgmt, BP Plc - Patricia A Whitehouse

"Jonathan O'Brien has managed to encapsulate everything that organizations must put in place to deploy effective category management. A quality read and a great reference manual to keep on hand."

Senior VP Global Outsourcing, KONE Corporation - Marc Magistrali

"Category Management in Purchasing fills a need in the literature available on this topic and provides the reader with a thorough insight into the principles and application of category management."

former CEO of the Institute of Purchasing and Supply - Ken James

Praise for the previous edition: 

"[C]omprehensive. If your organisation has decided category management is worth considering then this is a must-read." —SupplyManagement.com

"[I]t is required reading for anyone who wants to understand Category Management at the highest level. It is an invaluable addition to the professional literature." —Eric Stavrand, eXegy Partners

From the Publisher