This book is the result of a four-year study into the most commonly used management tools and techniques in the areas of business strategy and finance, marketing, production and operations, and procurement and supply chain management. It explains which tools are used in small, medium-sized and large companies, whether based in the US, Europe or Asia, across many different industrial and service sectors. It explains where companies find out about particular tools, and examines which appear to be the most successful.

This book provides the first summary and critical appraisal of the thinking that currently informs the management of business relationships, from the perspectives of both the buyer and supplier. The authors argue that these approaches are one-dimensional and instead recommend a more holistic approach based on power, interaction and portfolio perspectives. The book provides evidence of how relationships can be aligned and misaligned in practice, using eighteen examples drawn from a variety of business cases and circumstances.