Yet again I find myself “discussing” with a potential public sector client the importance of allocating sufficient time and resource to develop the evaluation criteria they will have to publish with their ITT. But this time I’ve finally realised why clients think they can afford to give this short shrift up front – they mistakenly believe they are going to decide who wins their competition after the bids have come in! (more…)
Dr Hamish Meldrum, head of the British Medical Association (BMA), said in a New Statesman article in January that said he “is anxious that the principle of ‘universality’ and ‘comprehensiveness’ on which the NHS was founded, are imperilled by the fantasy of The Health and Social Care Bill and the creation of a utopian marketplace in which private providers compete with state care”. (more…)
Peelie, Blinkie, Catalina and Bogo. These are not the names of the latest children’s characters, they are in fact the lingo of ‘extreme couponers’ – bargain-hunting buyers in the US who are looking for discounts off the weekly shop. (more…)
Looking forward to 2012, I am well aware that our continued level of success will only be sustained if CIPS continues to deliver and be supported by our members. We have to remain relevant to our audiences and all those who use our services and come to us for knowledge and guidance. That’s why the results of our recent customer satisfaction survey are so important, the content of which has been instrumental in the launch of new products and services. (more…)
Business travel (or indeed, most travel) today can be a stressful, tiresome experience. Incomprehensible booking systems, illogical security protocols and staff that believe passengers are an inconvenience are enough to make even the mild mannered despair. (more…)
How encouraging it is to see SRM and risk management being recognised among the main levers of procurement’s business contribution according to the Supply Management 2011 Reader Researchand this month’s news focus. (more…)
This weekend, a friend told me about a book she had stolen from her dad that she thought I might like. When I asked what it was called, she said: “‘50 ways to name a goat’, or something like that.” (more…)
Last week, bemused colleagues asked me to comment about the reported use in the Czech Republic of lotteries for awarding contracts. The apparent unfairness of this was attracting their interest partly because at first sight it seems incompatible with the use of our evaluation software. (more…)