8 September 2011 | Angus Craig
Bob Soames
Buy Research Publications
£12.50
1 star
This looks at the procurement practices of the ancient Greeks, comparing them with modern-day practices.
It focuses on the activities associated with developing a tender, awarding a contract and ongoing contract management. The author’s observations are limited to the documents available
and many of them are legal
or financial in nature. The most surprising observation
is that the ancient Greeks
had no concept of
commercial confidentiality
so suppliers could easily compare, for example, price and payment terms.
The book gives little insight into the softer skills that modern day practitioners
are familiar with. The section on negotiation is limited to one short paragraph that says it is a transient activity and
“as in all negotiation the end result would have been the best deal both parties were prepared to accept”.
I think this book will appeal to people interested in the classics, but for the majority of procurement professionals, there is not enough about modern purchasing practices to make it worth reading.
* Angus Craig, director, Craig Hall Consulting
