Reference no: EM133257103

Case: Ford revamped the way it purchases operating resources such as office, computer, and maintenance supplies. Instead of having employees fill out purchase orders that must be cleared by the boss days later, employees simply log on to an Internet system. They browse through the electronics catalogs of manufacturers, order from a preapproved group of suppliers, and get purchase approval in minutes. What new challenges and opportunities does the e-procurement system present for business marketers who serve Ford?

2. Jim Jackson , an industrial salesperson for Pittsburgh Machine Tool, will call on two accounts this afternoon. The first will be a buying organization Jim has been servicing for the past 3 years. The second call, however, poses more of a challenge . This buying organization has been dealing with a prime competitor of Pittsburgh Machine Tool for 5 years. Jim, who has good rapport with the purchasing and engineering departments , feels that the time may be right to penetrate this account. Recently, Jim learned that the purchasing manager was extremely unhappy with the existing supplier's poor delivery service. Define the buying situations confronting Jim and outline the appropriate strategy he should follow in each case.

3. Karen Weber, the purchasing agent for Smith Manufacturing , views the purchase of widgets as a routine buying decision. What factors might lead her to alter this position? More important , what factors determine whether Karen considers a particular supplier, such as Albany Widget?

4. Harley- Davidson, the U.S. motorcycle producer, recently purchased some sophisticated manufacturing equipment to enhance its position in a very competitive market . First, what environmental forces might have been important in spawning this capital investment?