Siire

Siire, commonly romanized as shiire in Japanese, refers to the procurement of goods or raw materials for resale or production. It is a key activity within purchasing, supply chain, and inventory management in many organizations.

Originating from the kanji 仕入れ, siire literally means “to bring in goods for use.” The typical reading is shiire, with alternative spellings such as siire in nonstandard romanization. Common terms include 仕入れ (shiire, procurement), 仕入れ値 (shiire-ne, purchase price), and 仕入先 (shiire-saki, supplier).

In practice, siire encompasses supplier selection, price negotiation, contract terms, purchase orders, delivery scheduling, quality control, and inventory management. It is distinct from, yet closely connected to, production planning and sales, and it influences cost of goods sold and working capital. Modern approaches emphasize supplier diversification, just-in-time delivery, and data-driven optimization to reduce costs and improve reliability.

Siire is a core function in many business systems and is often managed by a dedicated procurement or purchasing department. It interacts with accounting for cost tracking and with logistics for inbound goods handling. The term is widely used in Japanese business literature and in multinational firms operating in Japan to describe the activities that bring inputs into the organization.

See also: purchasing, procurement, supply chain management, inventory management.