Bad Buying

byPeter Smith

How organisations waste billions through failures, frauds and f*ck-ups

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Why is the Berlin Brandenburg Airport ten years behind schedule and nearly four billion euros over budget? What possessed Kenya's government to spend a whopping $35 million on a chain link fence just six miles long?

Organisations large and small spend up to 90% of their budgets on external suppliers of goods and services. Huge amounts of money flow between firms, yet most pay little attention to this element of their business. All too often billions are wasted on large-scale projects and the damage caused by corruption, ineptitude and mismanaged buying is hidden from shareholders and the public. By turns an entertaining account of some of the worst procurement scams in history and also a resounding lesson in how not to operate, Bad Buying offers clear and practical advice on how to avoid embarrassing mistakes, minimise needless waste and make sound, strategic procurement decisions on your next initiative.
Colossal, costly disasters could be averted if those holding the purse strings read this book.
The Times

About Peter Smith

Peter Smith has over 35 years' experience in procurement and supply chain as a manager, procurement director, consultant, analyst and writer. Peter is the Managing Director of Procurement Excellence Ltd, a leading specialist consulting firm. He is recognised as one of the UK's leading experts in public and private sector procurement performance improvement. Peter has an MA in Mathematics from Cambridge University. His first book, Buying Professional Services, was published by Profile in 2010.
Details
  • Imprint: Penguin Business
  • ISBN: 9780241434598
  • Length: 336 pages
  • Dimensions: 234mm x 25mm x 152mm
  • Weight: 410g
  • Price: £16.99
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