A great many trade books addressing an organization's relations with its suppliers have appeared recently. Perhaps the most advanced is the American Keiretsu by Burt and Michael Doyle (Homewood, Ill.: Business One Irwin, 1993). Whether these books stress early supplier involvement, partnerships, alliances, strategic procurement, or supply management, all these themes require and expressly s…
To most hospitality students, the term “purchasing” means paying for an item or service. This conveys a far too restrictive meaning because it fails to suggest the complete scope of the buying function. Perhaps the terms “selection” and “procurement” are better. “Selection” can be defined as choosing from among various alternatives on various levels. For example, a buyer ca…
There is not a single job in the hospitality industry that does not involve purchasing in one way or another. A flight attendant must keep careful inventories of bottled water and soft drinks to know how much to request for restocking. The manager of a hotel must be able to find the best price for laundry detergent in a reasonable quantity for her size operation. An accountant for a hotel c…