Buyers can, on occasion, request payment from suppliers, but charging them simply to secure custom is wrong, argues Melinda Johnson
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Few purchasers fully understand what partnering with suppliers is and the pitfalls involved, delegates at Coup 99 were told.
Douglas Macbeth, CIPS professor of supply chain management and head of management studies at the University of Glasgow, warned that partnering is not a “magic bullet”. “We’ll have a few shots with it and if it doesn’t work we’ll look for a new bullet,” he said.
Douglas Macbeth, CIPS professor of supply chain management and head of management studies at the University of Glasgow, warned that partnering is not a “magic bullet”. “We’ll have a few shots with it and if it doesn’t work we’ll look for a new bullet,” he said.
Britain leads Europe with 37.5 per cent of its overall logistics market contracted out to third parties, according to a report from analysts Datamonitor. But Germany pips the UK in the value of its contracted market, at £6.3 billion in 1998. Britain’s £5.7 billion in 1998 is up from £4.7 billion in 1996.
The Freight Transport Association (FTA) has published a report listing the key transport investment priorities for the government if it is to deliver its promises of transforming the UK’s transport infrastructure within 10 years and making it the envy of Europe.
Terry Hill
Macmillan, £25.99
Sony UK will continue with a Welsh Development Agency programme designed to help to improve the standard of suppliers in south Wales, writes Vanessa Pawsey.
John Hoskins, general manager of procurement at Sony’s cathode-ray-tube factory in Bridgend, told SM: “It’s about lean thinking, taking out waste and, at the same time, improving the quality of suppliers.”
John Hoskins, general manager of procurement at Sony’s cathode-ray-tube factory in Bridgend, told SM: “It’s about lean thinking, taking out waste and, at the same time, improving the quality of suppliers.”
London’s Great Ormond Street Hospital is set to outsource its stationery supplies in a move which the trust says will save it time, money and storage space in warehouses.
Michael Pace, Great Ormond Street procurement manager, said the deal, which takes effect in November, will see a single supplier handle the hospital’s stationery and various non-desktop item orders.
Michael Pace, Great Ormond Street procurement manager, said the deal, which takes effect in November, will see a single supplier handle the hospital’s stationery and various non-desktop item orders.
Careful management of procurement and supply chains has kept construction of London’s 135-metre-high Ferris wheel on schedule, according to project managers, writes Elizabeth Bellamy.
The £20 million British Airways-backed London Eye - currently on its side on the south bank of the Thames - should start spinning on new year’s eve.
The £20 million British Airways-backed London Eye - currently on its side on the south bank of the Thames - should start spinning on new year’s eve.
Lean supply chains will disappear within three years as firms become more agile to cope with customer demand and market competition, according to logistics experts.
The Confederation of Construction Clients, a public and private sector forum, will be launched in December. It will encourage value for money and measure improvement in the performance of suppliers. For more information, call 020 7931 9749.