Tag: Supply Chain

Collaboration: ‘Suppy Chain Innovation’ in The Times

New writing… Pleased to say I have had another article published in The Times newspaper, as the opening piece to a special Raconteur report on Supply Chain Innovation.

The article discusses how being faster, better and cheaper than the competition requires colleagues, partners and stakeholders across an entire supply chain to work together and collaborate. With supply chain management finally having made its way into the strategic arena of the Board Room, such collaboration is even more crucial to achieving joined-up sustainability goals which call for a more systemic approach. It is also key to attracting and retaining valuable talent in a competitive marketplace. Innovation is not, however, all about the tech. Whilst modern digital kit such as drones and robots might  be grabbing headlines and catapulting supply chain issues on to the front page, the shift is as much cultural as it is technological. Technology is undoubtedly vital, but much of it is behind the scenes and, in the short term, often more likely to take the form of process-oriented software than gadget-laden hardware. When it comes to responsible sourcing and ethical labour, digital innovation is also both an enabler and a potential disruptor, as supply chain visibility is empowering public scrutiny, at the same time as it is supporting transparency in brands and business. By clicking the following link, you can read the full article , which explores, in depth and with insight from a range of expert commentators, exactly how and why:

• ‘Collaboration is key for supply chain innovation’.

The full 20-page Supply Chain Innovation report is available to view/download here.

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Sustainability win-win: ‘Future of Procurement’ in The Times

New writing…. Pleased to say I have had another article published in The Times newspaper, as part of a special Raconteur report on the Future of Procurement.

Reconciling best-value procurement and sustainability need not be a problem, since the two carry the promise of a real win-win.  The potential synergy is clear, at least in principle. In practice, however, is where the challenge starts. Exploring how best to track and target supply-chain performance, my article takes us beyond the old backside-covering box-ticking and bare-minimum compliance of yesteryear, into the brave new world of holistic and proactive procurement, that is smart, balanced and sustainable. It is not easy, especially in an industry like construction, notorious for its aggressive contracting model and adversarial business culture. However, times are changing and so too is the sector, albeit slowly. The future of procurement will be different, and better:

• ‘How sustainability can build value in construction’.

The full 20-page Future of Procurement report is available to view/download here.

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No Plan B: ‘Supply Chain Strategies’ in The Times

New writing... Pleased to say I have had another article published in The Times newspaper, as part of a special Raconteur report on Supply Chain Strategies.

High street giant Marks & Spencer is leading the charge against abuses in the global supply chain with a long-term commitment to sustainability. With 35,000 different product lines and 32M customers, it is a big task. In this piece I look at the challenges and achievements of pursuing with purpose a strategic and systemic approach over the course of a decade since the launch of its flagship programme Plan A. In particular, the article also discusses the ongoing battle against the criminal elements involved in modern slavery and the need to collaborate widely in a bid to tackle this scourge of the supply chain. You can read the full story here (with no paywall), on:

• ‘The need for a sustainable global supply chain’.

The full 16-page Supply Chain Strategies report is available to view/download here.

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‘Enterprise Agility’ in The Times

imageNew writing… I have a couple of pieces for Raconteur published today in The Times newspaper, looking at Enterprise Agility in general, plus supply chain matters, in particular:

• ‘Embrace the unknown with unbounded vision’ – online title ‘Business agility is fundamental to market resilience‘;

• ‘New mindsets and supply chain metrics’ – online title ‘New agile mindsets and metrics for supply chain‘.

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Co-creation and Construction: It’s good to share

A version of this article first appeared on the Sustainability Talk & News website, published 6 February, 2014.

2014-03-11 17.14.48 HDR-1 copyCurrently very much in vogue, co-creation is being touted as the optimum way for business to capture innovation, speed delivery and drive resource efficiency. Inclusive and transformative, it is the change-management weapon of choice for sustainability. There is only one problem: It seems a bad cultural fit for Construction.

As we emerge slowly from the ‘Age of Austerity’, commercial organisations are running lean, with budgets tight and few personnel available to pursue speculative process improvements, or explore new ways of working. Time, money and people are all at a premium and investment is in short supply.
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