This article discusses the main performance measures used by five different companies. In the four private‐sector companies studied, the emphasis is on finding ways to measure purchasing contribution to profitability — hence accounting measures form the basis of the main control tools,...

An investigation has been carried out within a multinational engineering corporation into the role of purchasing within a corporate structure. The main research method was case studies of corporate purchasing and three factory buying departments. It was found that the division of...

There is no great reservoir of literature available to the serious student of that part of management sciences known as purchasing. Although there are a number of textbooks prepared by academics in purchasing, much of the authorship of other purchasing‐related literature has been undertaken by...

Purchasing audits have received too little attention; an improved methodology is described here with increased emphasis on the technicalities of procurement.

This paper is based on an empirical study of TQM implementation in the Malaysian industrial context. The main focus of the study was to identify quality factors for effective TQM implementation, which are critical for TQM to flourish in Malaysian industries, and to understand the dynamics of TQM...

The focus of the research described in this paper was to identify the key quality factors in Web site design and use. From the factors identified, a conceptual model has been developed to assess how a Web site can deliver what its users expect. The model is based on: ease of use, customer...

Research carried out to develop and advance the application of design and process failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) at Garrett Automotive Ltd, Skelmersdale, is described. The work has been undertaken under the umbrella of the UMIST Total Quality Management Multi‐company Teaching...

Reports a European study on the use of quality management self‐assessment. Data have been obtained from 117 organizations who, in general, have some experiences of self‐assessment methods. Among the main findings were the identification of the steps which are considered to be a key influence...

This paper relates the main findings of a literature review of policy deployment. The search revealed that less than 20 papers in the English language had been written on the subject, policy deployment appears to be under‐researched and that a number of those writing on the subject do not...

The author investigate the effect which the delivery performance of a company's suppliers have upon the company's own delivery assurance and reputation. Alternative methods of evaluating supplier delivery performance are studied. An analysis is made of the extent to which the suppliers' poor...