In 2003 a Harvard Business Review panel concluded that “despite years of process breakthroughs and elegant technology solutions, an agile, adaptive supply chain remains an elusive goal: maybe it’s the people getting in the way”.
This illustrates an undeniable truth; business plans, whether focused on growth, contraction, acquisition, integration or even business as usual are based on strategy and hard numbers, but their success depends on people and capabilities. This has a particular resonance for the procurement function as the both the technical and often, more importantly, the soft skills of the team, can have a huge effect on both the actual and perceived results. (more…)
I am account director for a large blue-chip customer at Norland, which provides hard services-led facilities maintenance and support services. I lead a team ensuring our customer’s operational needs are exceeded and that we meet our financial commitments.
Our internal relationship with the procurement team has been on a journey in the past few years. I would have described the relationship as frosty before, but now there is a strong sense that we are all in it together and we are working proactively to deliver results to my customer. (more…)
A good bedside manner is a highly desirable component of a doctor’s skill set. A clinician may not be able to offer an immediate cure, but they can tell a patient what to expect and, vitally, provide a comforting influence. So what difference could this approach make to procurement? (more…)
I am often asked about supplier relationship management (SRM) and how to maximise results in this area. It is a topic of much debate and a Google search finds over six million results, so it can be hard to know where to start.
Organisations often fall into the trap of improving their SRM meeting structures and reporting processes without actually focusing on the accuracy of their underlying KPIs. (more…)
The issue of late payment has loomed large in my life over the past week. Last Tuesday I was in Westminster to attend a roundtable on the issue, which brought together senior figures from banking, government, financial health, accounting and politics.
The stadium is built, the medals have been sourced and the horses have been benchmarked to make sure that no competitor gets an unfair advantage. In just 100 days, the London 2012 Olympics will begin.
Of course, SM has followed the story as it has progressed, and I thought it would be good to reflect on what has come out from the marathon that has been procurement for the games. (more…)
As supply chain management has become dependent on electronic systems it has simultaneously grown more vulnerable to attacks from external (or internal) sources. (more…)
It’s all over the news this morning about Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude making his jerry can comment – that to prepare for the oil tanker strike, people should store petrol at home (even though a jerry can holds 20 litres, which is above the limit of fuel that can be stored at home). Maude runs the risk of perhaps being too honest. He, like other ministers, needs to think carefully about the message being sent. (more…)
British clothing retailers are apparently becoming more interested in making more of their ranges in the UK.
According to The Express, Sir Philip Green, owner of the Arcadia Group that includes Topshop, Miss Selfridge and Dorothy Perkins, said: “We are looking to do more here and are developing in Britain where we can.” Other retailers apparently trying this approach are John Lewis, J D Sports and Asos.
The report said ‘made in Britain’ is becoming trendy again as retailers react to rising labour costs in China. (more…)
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