Understanding Business Marketing and Purchasing -- The nature of business markets -- A definition of business marketing -- Are close relationships always a good idea? -- Relationships, markets and networks -- What (and why) do companies buy? -- Customer uncertainties -- Supplier abilities -- Problems and uncertainties for the supplier -- Business Marketing and Networks -- Aims of this chapter -- Different types of networks -- The content of companies and relationships -- Patterns in a network -- Single relationships -- Connected relationships -- Positions in a network -- Understanding Technology in Business Networks -- Introduction: the impact of technology on business marketing -- Technology in a company -- Technology and networks -- Understanding Customers -- The importance of purchasing and suppliers -- The customer's problems -- Who is involved in purchasing? -- How companies buy -- Strategic choices in purchasing -- Managing Relationships with Customers -- The tasks of business marketing management -- Managing a single relationship -- Auditing business relationships -- Building Offering: Developing the Promise -- What is an offering? -- Quality of offerings -- Offerings in relationships -- Offerings and abilities -- Strategic decisions on offerings -- Developing offerings -- Transferring the Offering: Fulfilling the Promise -- Introduction: difficulties in fulfilment -- Understanding transfer ability -- Managing operations: approaches and problems -- Specific aspects of operations and their links to fulfilment.