`New' Hercules bulks up to tackle procurement issues

With the paper industry overhauling its purchasing processes to reduce costs and improve efficiency, managing the supply chain has taken on critical importance in the purchasing process. Hercules Incorporated, Wilmington, Delaware, has taken the approach that bigger is better, and, through its recent acquisition of BetzDearborn, has become the world's largest full line supplier of specialty chemicals to the paper industry. The company has seen major changes in the procurement process and suggests several strategies for designing a better procurement system, one in which both paper companies and suppliers can remove costs from the purchasing process.