1- How is anticipating a material requirement or need through purchasing's involvement on a new-product development team different from reacting to a purchase need?

2- Discuss the advantages of electronically transmitting and receiving purchasing documents between a buyer and seller. What are the challenges involved in implementing e-procurement tools?

3- Why is purchasing becoming increasingly involved in the purchase of transportation services and other nontraditional purchasing areas?

4- What is the difference between a purchase order and a blanket purchase order? What are the advantages of using blanket purchase orders?

5- Select a category that you believe might be chosen for a strategic category analysis in the industries listed below. Describe the factors impacting each commodity, using a Porter Five Forces analysis (described earlier in this chapter). Justify why you believe the category is strategic to that industry, and the approach to be used in developing a category strategy.

6- Under what conditions might you consider single-sourcing an item in the leveraging category of the portfolio matrix?

7- Why must organizations develop suppliers? Is supplier development a long-term trend or just a fad? Explain.

8- What do you think are the reasons that so few companies are classified as Stage 4 companies? Do you think this is likely to change?

9- What is the difference between a purchase order and a blanket purchase order? What are the advantages of using blanket purchase orders?