List of figures and tables; Preface; Acknowledgements; 1 No company is an island; 2 Know what your customers value; 3 Right first time; 4 Know your core; 5 Handling the complexity; 6 What's the issue? We can all do procurement; 7 Executive sponsorship and priorities; 8 Strategy in context; 9 Knowing what the business needs; 10 Picking the right suppliers; 11 Understanding your spend; 12 The secrets of sourcing; 13 Sharing the pain in hard times; 14 Avoiding the perils of outsourcing; 15 Corporate responsibility; 16 Good procurement across the company.