FEMA's purchasing department became so overwhelmed, they then asked another federal agency, the General Services Administration, for help.

NPR: FEMA Accounts Reveal Last-Minute Scramble

Intelisys software automates the purchase-approval process, freeing up the purchasing department to spend time, say, negotiating better prices.

FORBES: The AOL of B-to-B

Before long, word spread from the loading dock to the purchasing department that something extraordinary and unconventional had occurred.

FORBES: A Rolls Royce Drove My Overnight Success

One emphasized that its purchasing department was caught completely by surprise to learn that purchased items contained small amounts of one of these metals.

FORBES: Conflict Minerals Rule Imposes Big Burdens On Manufacturers

Mr Davenport quotes the example of a company that had introduced a sophisticated purchasing system but forgotten to train the employees in the purchasing department.

ECONOMIST: A survey of software

Enterprise servers, the kind server that dominates IT department purchasing today, have dedicated storage and data center network access on each motherboard.

FORBES: AMD SeaMicro Disaggregation: A Threat to Facebook's OCP?

Toyota is thinking it's going to take a fresh way of building cars and trucks, and Cho has tapped every department in Toyota-- engineering, purchasing, marketing, design--plus called on Toyota's suppliers to find it.

FORBES: Cover Story