Q: I work in the IT purchasing department of the UK subsidiary of an American-owned firm. Rigorously enforced group policy dictates that we buy all our support services in one highly specialist area from the UK branch of an American supplier, with which

Q: A supplier knows that it is the only one that can supply to your short deadline on a £2 million contract, and it insists on terms and conditions that leave you exposed. What should you do?

Q: I’ve seen a number of articles recently indicating that significant savings have been achieved by large organisations running reverse auctions, but these seem to be largely focused on production materials in manufacturing industry. Do you believe rever