The contents of this book are based on the results of research, application and development carried out in collaboration between university and industry. The idea was to provide a soundly based practical approach that would enable people in manufacturing businesses to develop a make or buy strategy tailored to the requirements of their own company. The intention from the start of the project was to produce a book giving a fuller account of the issues involved in make or buy considerations, including other contributions to the subject from the perspectives of manufacturing engineering, economics, accounting and other relevant disciplines. However, most importantly, the book should contain a practical guide to devising your own make or buy strategy, which could be applied by managers facing these issues for real in their own company. This book is the result of that intention and the author hopes that it enables teams of people in manufacturing industry to work together in understanding and exploiting the possibilities that face them in a competitive world.

Chapter Contents:

• 1.1 Origin and purpose of this book
• 1.2 What is make or buy all about?
• 1.3 What drives a company to tackle make or buy?
• 1.4 How has industry tackled the subject up to now?
• 1.5 What do manufacturing managers want to know about make or buy?
• 1.6 Structure of the book

Inspec keywords: strategic planning; business process re-engineering; purchasing

Other keywords: buying strategy; manufacturing businesses; making strategy

Subjects: Purchasing