The Project Manager's Guide to Purchasing: Contracting for Goods and Services

This very practical guide describes the whole process of contracting for goods and services, from selecting tenderers to placing a contract. It details the key topics that are necessary for success, such as contract strategy, contract types, contract law and evaluating tenders. Whilst the book also addresses the project context in which purchasing takes place, the subject matter could equally be applied to any business context. The treatment of the subject assumes no prior knowledge but, at the same time, provides the experienced person with new, and sometimes unconventional, insights into the subject. The book includes personal experiences, cases and exercises in order to root the subject into the real world. The Project Manager's Guide to Purchasing has been structured so that the reader can choose the chapter topic areas that they wish to study in isolation. Where necessary references are provided to complement the individual chapters. Illustrations of key documents in the purchasing and contracting process are also provided.

Table of Contents:
Contents: Preface; Introduction; Purchasing and project management; Contract strategies; Contract categories; More about contracting; Contract law; Communicating the requirements; Selecting the tenderers; The enquiry process, methods and document; Payment strategies; Evaluating the tenders; Incentives; Other influences; Finalizing the deal and delivering; The loose ends; Additional sources and contact details; Index.

About the Author :
Garth Ward owns the project management training and consultancy business Ritchie Ward Associates. At the same time he has been a Consultant Lecturer at Cranfield School of Management and for ten years was the Director of the Masters Course in Project Management. Prior to this he worked for twenty years as a project manager for leading clients and contractors.

Review :
'...Every chapter taught me something new. This book will appeal to those wanting to learn about purchasing for projects and programmes for the first time as well as to managers and directors that rely on purchasing as an important contributor to the success of their projects and programmes. It will also appeal to those who are purchasing specialists already but would like to have an A-Z guide nearby as a handy reference. One gets a sense from reading this book that Garth has forgotten more about purchasing than most of us will ever learn, but has somehow managed not to leave out anything of value in this book. This is the consummate, ’go-to’ guide for anyone involved in purchasing within large projects and programmes.' Cameron Cromwell, Managing Director, Programme Management Services, Morgan Est The role of the Project Manager is one of the most demanding positions in any organisation, large or small. Garth Ward has produced a rarity in the world of Project Management - a book that successfully encompasses the subject, written with the authority and practical experience gained from personally delivering challenging projects. In addition to providing an extensive guide to the commercial elements of purchasing, the book contains numerous case studies and amusing anecdotes, all of which are recognisable to those involved in the execution of projects. The purchase of goods and services is a critical aspect of the execution of any project and The Project Manager’s Guide to Purchasing is recommended as essential reading for both practicing Project Managers and those aspiring to deliver the projects of the future. Mike Cleaver, Commercial Vice President, M W Kellogg Limited This book is essential reading for anyone with a budget to spend. It will prove particularly useful for asset owners in helping them understand the complex dynamics of capital projects and to identify the key issues that lead to successful implementation. This book will dispel the m