The Association for Operations Management (APICS) recently posted a review of Managing Indirect Spend: Enhancing Profitability Through Strategic Sourcing, published in 2011 by John Wiley & Sons, and listed the text as a "Common-Sense Advancement" resource. 

"To run a business you need supplies, insurance, an accounting department, a marketing department, telecommunication services, and a variety of other items not directly related to creating your product or service. Collectively, these types of expenses are referred to as “indirect spend.” Indirect spend can be considered any spending an organization does that is not tied directly to a finished product or service. It can be substantial—as high as 40 percent, according to authors Joe Payne and William R. Dorn Jr."

The reviewer, Karl M. Kapp, EdD, CFPIM, CIRM, also provides a brief description of each of the book's four sections.  He specifically highlights the chapter on what not to do in the first section as a great asset to the text.

He concludes:

"This text provides a comprehensive look at indirect spend. The application of the suggested tools and techniques can help an organization effectively manage indirect spend and streamline supplier relationships."

 For more information about Managing Indirect Spend, visit www.strategicsourcingbook.com.