A Purchasing Manager's Guide to Strategic Proactive Procurement.

David Burt coined the term "proactive procurement" - or perhaps I should say that he is the first person I know to use the term. It is an important idea - that we should be proactive rather than reactive.

Burt's 1984 Proactive Procurement (Prentice-Hall) was a solo effort. The book reviewed here is co-authored by Richard L. Pinkerton, also well known in purchasing and contracting circles. About half, or a little more, of this book is virtually unchanged from Burt's 1984 effort. Pinkerton's contributions include sharing in necessary updating and contributing broadened and new coverage of supplier selection, quality assurance, team building, and planning.

I was surprised to see that the Cataloging-in-Publication Data page did not mention prior publication by Prentice-Hall of so much of the contents. The authors' Preface does say that the new work "... retains the visionary topics of Proactive Procurement... ." Those buyers of this 1996 text who have the 1984 book on their shelves might at first feel as if they have been "had." Others, those not already aware of the proactive procurement idea and the Integrated Procurement System (IPS), will get their money's worth. For them, I recommend the book heartily.

As an AMACOM publication, this book should reach a new audience and encourage others to progress from reactive and passive purchasing to proactive procurement. The authors admit that only a handful of firms have actually progressed to the proactive stance.

The difference between Strategic Procurement and the new Purchasing Manager's Guide to Strategic Proactive Procurement is that the new release stresses selling the approach to management and integrating the system. It is a call for more involvement by the relevant ...