Indian institute of Management Bangalore (IIMB), Indian Institute of Materials Management (IIMM) and Supply Chain Management Institute (SMI), Germany are joining hands with to conduct a unique and possibly most comprehensive study of its kind on the Purchase function. IIMB is a reputed Institute of Management, the Indian Institute of Materials Management (IIMM), is a National Apex body representing professionals engaged in various facets of Material Management, Logistics & Supply Chain Management and the Supply Chain Management Institute (SMI) is a specialised centre of the EBS Business School, Germany, dedicated to carrying out global research, education and training in the area of Purchasing, Logistics and Supply Chain Management. Two academic units of IIMB, the Supply Chain Management Centre and the EADS-SMI Endowed Chair for Sourcing and Supply Management at IIMB will be coordinating this study which looks at how the purchasing/supply function is organised, functions it performs and the background and reporting line of the chief purchasing officer (CPO).

This research project will study the roles and responsibilities of the purchasing heads in India and will help industry and academia to gain valuable insights about the roles, responsibilities and practices of purchasing and supply function in commercial and non-commercial organizations, across different sectors and the changes that will occur over time. IIMB and IIMM invite organizations, both commercial and non-commercial, and Heads of Procurement Functions to participate and share their views online prior to April 30, 2012, at URL: http://www.iimb.ernet.in/centres/SCMC.

The EADS-SMI Endowed Chair for Sourcing and Supply Management at IIMB was formed by Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIMB), European Aeronautic Defense and Space (EADS) Company and Supply Chain Management Institute (SMI) joining hands to establish an endowed chair for sourcing and supply management which addresses important issues pertaining to strategic sourcing which are of interest to both domestic and global companies sourcing from Asian countries.

The chair undertakes several activities primarily focusing on knowledge generation through research, and knowledge dissemination through executive education and post graduate programs. Other activities include launching networking activities among the researchers and practitioners to promote new thinking in sourcing and supply management.

(N Bringi Dev, Head - Communication, IIM Bangalore. Tel: 080-26993133. Email: bringi.dev@iimb.ernet.in)