Managing price fluctuation not getting any easierManaging price fluctuation not getting any easier

Back in the good old days, raw materials' prices typically only moved in one direction—up—and a manager was tasked with guessing the rate of increase and timing his orders to get ahead of the price hikes. That was then; now, prices for key raw materials fluctuate up and down, often dramatically, and it can be a company-ending mistake to take delivery just before prices fall.