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Why is the Berlin Brandenburg Airport ten years behind schedule and nearly four billion euros over budget? And what possessed Kenya's government to spend a whopping $35 million on a chain link fence just six miles long?
In this hilarious, fascinating and insightful expose, industry insider Peter Smith reveals the massive blunders and dodgy dealings taking place around the world as private companies and public sector bodies buy goods and services. A recent report showed that over 90% of procurement projects fail. So, why are so many billions wasted on ineptitude, mismanagement and, in some cases, fraud?
By turns an entertaining account of some of the worst procurement scams in history and also a resounding lesson in how not to operate, Bad Buying offers clear and practical advice on how to avoid embarrassing mistakes, minimise needless waste and make sound, strategic procurement decisions on your next initiative.
'Had this been published pre-Covid, some of the recent f*ck-ups and waste might have been avoided. It's a must read for the public and private sector alike' Lt-Gen. Sir Andrew Gregory, SSAFA: The Armed Forces Charity
'Hilarious, enlightening and brilliant....This book will make you think twice about buying anything - but do buy this' Antonio Weiss, bestselling author of 101 Business Ideas That Will Change the Way you Work, and Director, The PSC
ยฉ Peter Smith 2020 (P) Penguin Audio 2020
Peter Smith has over 35 years' experience in procurement and supply chain as a manager, procurement director, consultant, analyst and writer. Peter is the Managing Director of Procurement Excellence Ltd, a leading specialist consulting firm. He is recognised as one of the UK's leading experts in public and private sector procurement performance improvement. Peter has an MA in Mathematics from Cambridge University. His first book, Buying Professional Services, was published by Profile in 2010.