Talk of effective partnering is just that - power is far more likely to define buyer-supplier relations, says John Ramsay
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Computer giant IBM is to create 2,000 jobs in the British consultancy division over the next two years. The move is part of IBM’s strategy to change its image as a hardware company and promote its consultancy division, which accounts for more than 50 per cent of business.
General Domestic Appliances, the UK venture between Marconi and US-based GE Appliances, is to move all its suppliers into online auctions if they wish to have new business with GDA.
Japanese car manufacturer Toyota is to cut costs by 30 per cent on the development, production and marketing of its models to defend its market share in view of a predicted slowdown in the car market. The firm is also reforming its purchasing systems because of the weakness of the euro against the yen and sterling, and plans to source parts from the continent.
The automotive industry is lagging behind other sectors in making use of e-commerce, according to accounting and consultancy firm KPMG.
In our issue dated 4 January, we inadvertently called the NHS Logistics Authority’s web-based logistics Internet site its Road Map system, when the name does not exist. While the system details order status, it does not show location of delivery trucks. Apologies for any confusion.
Savings from private finance initiative hospital contracts are only 1.06 per cent greater than standard public-sector alternatives, according to the Department of Health. The DoH is aiming to speed up the procurement of PFI hospitals by standardising the paperwork on contracts and is also moving to standard payment mechanisms.
A consortium that failed in its bid to upgrade part of the London Underground network is demanding full compensation for its £14 million bid costs. Tube Rail, which includes Brown & Root, Alstom, Amec and Carillion, lost out to Tube Lines to upgrade the Jubilee, Northern and Piccadilly lines. The government pledged earlier this year to return half of the costs of failed bids.
Construction’s two largest builders’ merchants, Travis Perkins and Jewson, which between them account for around half of the UK market, will be linked by an electronic trading system called Xchange. Construction software firm Ramesys has built the system, which will be available to its existing software users.