The revised third edition of the "Gower Handbook and Supply Management" views procurement as standing on the boundary of the firm, looking outwards and scanning the environment for new opportunities and threats. In this respect, as in many others, the new edition is quite different from the previous two, reflecting the many changes that have taken place for businesses over the years. In particular this edition has been slimmed down and focused to assist the reader by working systematically outwards using a purchasing lens to view the wider business world. The aim is to show the potential contribution that purchasing can make as a driver for organizational efficiency and business development. It is this latter requirement, the need for purchasing to generate revenue, that has been identified as being ever more prominent as a demand on purchasing directors" time and effort. Written by leading practitioners and academics, and published in association with the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply, this book should become a classic in the field.