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Purchasing and supply chain management

Our selection of books, articles, links and guides can help you with finding and managing suppliers, purchasing, managing stock and planning for supply chain disruption.
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Latest on purchasing and supply chain management

Read our latest features and articles on purchasing and supply chain management.
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Accountants must rally together to combat corruption
  • Article
  • 25 Nov 2024
ICAEW is contributing to the battle against procurement fraud and is sharing best practices to combat corruption, which costs the global economy £2trn annually. Discover how you can make a difference.
Two people looking at the laptop having a conversation
The case for action on late payments
  • Article
  • 18 Nov 2024
A small practice round table at Chartered Accountants’ Hall, attended by Small Business Commissioner Liz Barclay, outlined the impacts of late payments on economic growth.
A person holding a mobile phone in one hand, making a payment with a bank card, held in the other hand
Payment scams, data hacks and Cyber Security Awareness Month
  • Article
  • 31 Oct 2024
Cyber round-up: the continuing payment scams and personal data attacks on individuals, key takeaways from ICAEW’s Cyber Security Awareness Month campaign, and how to safeguard your data and business from harm.
Padlock and credit card placed on top of keyboard
Cyber: Assessing human cyber risk in your organisation
  • Article
  • 23 Oct 2024
Cyber Security Awareness Month: Multiple surveys show that people are the weakest link in cyber defences. Karen Morrall ACA explains how businesses should manage and mitigate the human factor.
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Cyber: the importance of security in supply chains
  • Article
  • 16 Oct 2024
Cyber Security Awareness Month: often the weakest link in a company’s cyber security infrastructure, supply chains must be tightened to avoid costly, malicious breaches.
Man in suit pulling out some bank notes from an envelope
Modern slavery signs that accountants are well placed to spot
  • Article
  • 30 Jul 2024
Businesses are increasingly raising concerns of modern slavery and recognising risks in their supply chains. Which red flags must accountants be particularly alert to?
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Six ways to improve efficiency in public sector buying
  • Article
  • 24 Jul 2024
Matthew Rees, a director at the National Audit Office (NAO) with responsibility for procurement, sets out six key recommendations from his report on efficiency in government procurement of common goods and services.
Padlock and credit card placed on top of keyboard
Supply chain: a cyber vulnerability blind spot
  • Article
  • 24 Jun 2024
The supply chain is highlighted as the new frontier for cybercrime. Although activity can be outsourced, responsibility and accountability cannot, experts warn.
Read more

Topics in depth

Retail bakery cakes
Finding and managing suppliers
Resources to help you find suppliers for your business and manage supplier relationships.
Delivery boxes
Managing stock
Find out more about stock management and inventory control.
Hot air balloons
Managing supply chain disruption
Articles and guides to help you plan for potential supply chain disruptions.
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Purchasing
Find out more about purchasing and procurement with our selection of articles, links and guides.

Webinars

Supply chain cyber security series
  • Webinar
  • 22 Sep 2022
Your business is only as secure as its weakest link. Watch this series to understand and manage supply chain cyber security risk.
How to increase budgetary impact without spending more money
  • Webinar
  • 16 Nov 2021
This webinar will focus on some of the key procurement practices and mindsets essential for getting maximum value and reliability from your suppliers.
Modern slavery: how to prepare a s54 statement
  • Webinar
  • 17 Mar 2021
This webinar explains Pentland's approach to preparing the section 54 statement.
Are your procurement activities adding value in 2021 and beyond?
  • Webinar
  • 19 Feb 2021
This webinar explores the latest innovations in procurement and supply chains, and how to drive and improve your performance.
5144 reasons you should take the Modern Slavery Act seriously
  • Webinar
  • 01 Dec 2020
Nick Wildgoose, a supply chain risk management expert, provides a brief background on the Act itself and international context and potential developments.
Supply chain assurance in the retail sector
  • Webinar
  • 16 Oct 2020
Abigail Harper talks through a risk-based approach to providing supply chain assurance within the retail sector.
Why collaboration with suppliers matters
  • Video
  • 09 Jun 2020
9 June 2020: As businesses look for ways to emerge successfully from the pandemic, supply chain management will be key. The best supplier relationships not only support cost effectiveness but also innovation and the generation of sustainable value.
What happens when everything generates data?
  • Webinar
  • 21 Apr 2020
The internet of things, where sensors are integrated into many kinds of objects, is growing rapidly. This webinar explores how finance professionals can take advantage of this powerful technology.
More webinars

eBooks

The ICAEW Library & Information Service provides full text access to a selection of key business and reference eBooks from leading publishers. eBooks are available to logged-in ICAEW members, ACA students and other entitled users. If you are unable to access an eBook, please see our Help and support advice or contact library@icaew.com.

Exclusive Imports
  • eBook chapter
  • 2016
  • Andrew Rimmer
  • Spiramus
This chapter explains the operation of VAT and trade tariffs for goods imported into or within the European Union. It includes advice on Authorised Economic Operators (AEOs) and the customs procedures for imports across the various transport methods.
Exclusive Changing auditors
  • eBook
  • 2013
  • Mike Metcalf
  • ICSA Publishing
Provides an explanation of the statutory rules on auditor appointment, the termination of the old auditor’s appointment, and professional and contractual matters.
Exclusive Insightful quality: beyond continuous improvement
  • eBook
  • 2012
  • Frank Fair, Victor Sower
  • Business Expert Press
Operations management from a US perspective.
Exclusive Better business decisions using cost modeling
  • eBook
  • 2012
  • Victor E. Sower
  • Business Expert Press
Discusses the benefits of using cost modeling for procurement, operations, and supply chain professionals.
Exclusive Managing commodity price risk: a supply chain perspective
  • eBook
  • 2012
  • Janet L. Hartley, George A. Zsidisin
  • Business Expert Press
Managing price volatility from a US perspective.
Exclusive Currency rate volatility and Small and Medium Enterprises
  • eBook chapter
  • 2012
  • Janet L. Hartley, George A. Zsidisin
  • Business Expert Press
This chapter begins with a discussion of how supply chain managers can modify the process for managing currency exchange rate risk when sourcing or selling products or services from or to other countries. A process appropriate for managing commodity price risk at larger companies is suggested, along with some guidance for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) on how they can manage commodity price risk.
Exclusive Supply chain risk management: tools for analysis
  • eBook
  • 2011
  • David L. Olson
  • Business Expert Press
Guide to risk management for supply chains from a US perspective.
Exclusive Supply chain planning and analytics: the right product in the right place at the right time
  • eBook
  • 2011
  • Gerald Feigin
  • Business Expert Press
Supply chain management from a US perspective.
Terms of use

You are permitted to access, download, copy, or print out content from eBooks for your own research or study only, subject to the terms of use set by our suppliers and any restrictions imposed by individual publishers. Please see individual supplier pages for full terms of use.

More eBooks

Business press

The ICAEW Library & Information Service provides access to leading business, finance and management journals. These journals are available to logged-in ICAEW members, ACA students and other entitled users subject to suppliers' terms of use.
Exclusive What generative AI means for supply chain work
  • 29 Jul 2024
  • Kris Timmermans, Maria Rey-Marston
The article informs about the transformative potential of generative AI technology in supply chain work, which has the capability to automate or enhance 58% of supply chain processes according to recent research. Topics covered include how generative AI will impact various aspects of the supply chain, including designing and engineering, planning, sourcing and procurement, production, and fulfillment, by streamlining processes, improving decision-making, and increasing productivity.
Exclusive AI in retail: Cutting-edge solutions for modern challenges
  • 16 Jul 2024
  • Shelby Hiter
In today's hyper-competitive retail landscape, retailers are increasingly using AI to gain advantage. AI can enhance retail operations in a growing number of ways including boosting customer engagement, improving sales and marketing strategies, optimising inventory management, streamlining supply chains and providing advanced data analytics and insights. A range of AI tools and technologies for retailers are explored with examples of how leading brands are using AI.
Exclusive Stress among Europe's retailers rises to highest since Covid
  • 15 Jul 2024
  • Irene García Pérez
Stress levels among Europe's retail and consumer goods companies have reached their highest point since April 2020, according to research by law firm Weil, Gotshal & Manges. The sector has been impacted by weaker spending power and ongoing supply chain disruptions.
Exclusive Supply chain transformation
  • 01 Apr 2024
  • Narendra Agrawal, Morris A Cohen, Rohan Deshpande, Vinayak Deshpande,
Article discusses OML (Optimal Machine Learning) a form of AI that may transform supply chain management. Its central feature is a decision-support engine that processes large amounts of supply and demand data and takes into account priorities. Examples of its use by two large companies to improve supply chain performance are given.
Exclusive A better approach to supplier contracts
  • 01 Dec 2023
  • David Frydlinger, Oliver Hart, Kate Vitasek
Traditional purchasing contracts don’t work in complex strategic relationships where the parties are highly dependent on each other and flexibility and trust are required. The authors describe a formal relational contract which companies can use instead. A formal relational contract lays a foundation of trust, specifies mutual goals, and establishes governance structures to keep the parties’ expectations and interests aligned over time. Article includes model wording and the table 'Which type of contract is right for you?'.
Exclusive The psych in negotiations: Using human factors to attain superior outcomes
  • 01 Dec 2023
  • Mark Trowbridge, Melanie Trowbridge
Advice for procurement professionals on how to be successful in negotiation processes. Four main techniques are described in detail - preparation to understand the supplier's needs, appreciating the counterparty's personality traits, reading non-spoken body language and using interrogatives to appropriately shift the other party's paradigm. A range of example suggestive and leading questions are given which can be used by the negotiator to strengthen their position.
More articles

Articles and books in the Library collection

The collection of the ICAEW Library & Information Service includes a range of articles, books and reports on purchasing and supply chain management. Use the links below to see what we have available in our Library catalogue (Libcat).
Fundamentals of risk management: understanding, evaluating and implementing effective risk management
  • 2018
  • P.Hopkin
  • Kogan Page
A comprehensive introduction to commercial and business risk for students and risk professionals. It provides a full analysis of the changes in contemporary risk areas including supply chain, cyber risk, risk culture and appetite, improvements in risk management documentation and statutory risk reporting.
Financing trade and international supply chains: commerce across borders, finance across frontiers
  • 2014
  • A.R.Malaket
  • Gower
The book includes observations on the effective use of traditional mechanisms such as documentary letters of credit, as well as an overview of emerging supply chain finance solutions and programmes.

To find out how you can borrow books from the Library please see our guide to borrowing books.

You can obtain copies of articles or extracts of books and reports through our document supply service.

External resources - Atom Content Marketing guides

Financing equipment
  • Atom Content Marketing
A guide to hiring or leasing equipment for your business. Hiring or leasing equipment is one way of making your working capital go further. Instead of paying out up front, you spread your payments over a set period.
Essential guide to purchasing
  • Atom Content Marketing
A guide to business purchasing. Effective purchasing helps you control costs and can significantly improve margins and profits. Your purchasing choices also have an impact on the quality of your own products or services and on your cash flow.
Select and negotiate with suppliers
  • Atom Content Marketing
A guide to selecting and negotiating with suppliers. Selecting the right suppliers makes a major difference to the cost and quality of your firm's products and services, especially when your company is expanding.
Cost control
  • Atom Content Marketing
A guide to cost control for your business. Cutting costs is the simplest way to improve your bottom line. Introducing a cost control system can bring immediate savings and make sure that you remain competitive in the longer term.
Terms of use

ICAEW accepts no responsibility for the content on any site to which a hypertext link from this site exists. The links are provided 'as is' with no warranty, express or implied, for the information provided within them. Please see the full copyright and disclaimer notice.

External resources - organisations and reports

BCI Supply Chain Resilience Report 2023
  • Business Continuity Institute
Report from the Business Continuity Institute, exploring trends in logistics and supply chain management. Requires free registration to access.
CDP Global Supply Chain Report 2019/20
  • CDP
Annual CDP report looking at large companies and their efforts to create sustainable supply chains. It explores which environmental actions buyers should consider integrating into purchasing processes when looking to reduce risk, drive environmental action and meet public commitments.
Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS)
  • Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS)
Professional body representing individuals and organisations in the field of purchasing and supply chain management. Resources on the website include supply management models (member-only), CIPS Risk and Resilience Assessment Tool, document templates and glossary of procurement terms.
Creating resilient supply chains: a practical guide
  • Cranfield University School of Management
This 2003 Cranfield University School of Management report provides insight and practical tools to assist managers in improving the resilience of their organisation's supply chain networks. The report was accompanied by Understanding Supply Chain Risk: A Self-Assessment Workbook, which provides model worksheets to assist companies in identifying and planning for vulnerability and resilience in their supply chains.
Deloitte - Supply chain collection
  • Deloitte
Deloitte's latest resources on topical global supply chain disruption issues, and how to build a resilient and customer-centric supply chain.
Five tips: How to map your supply chain
  • Supply Management
With natural disasters, economic pressures and health and safety failures increasingly impacting global supply chains, mapping the supply chain down through every tier is the only way to mitigate a growing burden of risk. To avoid the pitfalls, here are five top tips on mapping out your supply chain.
Global Supply Chain Pressure Index (GSCPI)
  • Federal Reserve Bank of New York
The GSCPI index tracks the state of global supply chains using data from the transportation and manufacturing sectors. It is updated monthly.
International Federation of Purchasing and Supply Management (IFPSM)
  • International Federation of Purchasing and Supply Management (IFPSM)
Federation of national and regional purchasing associations. The body provides a blog and news articles.
Terms of use

ICAEW accepts no responsibility for the content on any site to which a hypertext link from this site exists. The links are provided 'as is' with no warranty, express or implied, for the information provided within them. Please see the full copyright and disclaimer notice.

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