procurement
UK body says top talent may be missed for some permanent jobs
Bosses hiring for procurement jobs are being told that an inflexible approach to recruitment processes may mean that they are missing out on number of talented candidates.
Mike Petrook, spokesperson for the Chartered Management Institute (CMI), said that with the UK suffering from a skills shortage at the moment, it is important to be open minded with regards to hiring procedures otherwise there may be a negative impact.
"By being inflexible in terms of the type of employment that you're offering, your organisation could be shutting itself off to reams of top talent," he added.
Furthermore, Mr Petrook argued that the employers should not get bogged down in bureaucracy of staff hours and must concentrate on the quality as well as volume of someone's work.
The CMI claims to be the only body of its kind in the UK to promote strong management and has more than 86,000 members.
Find information on the latest Procurement roles at Poolia Recruitment Specialists
Updated: 12 July 2010.
Categories: market-and-industry-news, procurement.
London 2012 procurement jobs 'will deliver £7bn boost to UK economy'
Procurement jobs for the London 2012 Olympic Games will bring an additional £7 billion into the UK economy, according to Lord Coe, chairman of the organising committee.
He told a Telegraph Media Group event that the procurement job of providing vital materials and services for the London Games was well under way.
"We've just procured 27 temporary bridges, a contract that has protected jobs for two-and-a-half years in the England-Wales borders," he said.
"The procurement opportunity across the UK is massive."
Lord Coe said there were going to be many beneficial opportunities across the supply chain, with London 2012 needing things like 17,000 beds and around one million pieces of sporting equipment.
He added that the procurement job was a nationwide effort, with materials for the aquatic centre being provided from Wales, while the steel being used to build the Olympic Stadium was coming from Bolton.
Last month, the London Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympics Games said it was going to start purchasing equipment such as seats and fencing from early 2010, reported Event Magazine.
Updated: 23 October 2009.
Categories: market-and-industry-news, procurement.
Lloyds cuts 40 banking jobs in HBOS investment arm sale
Lloyds Banking Group expects around 40 banking jobs will be lost following the sale of its Halifax Bank of Scotland (HBOS) investment management operation.
It has been sold to Rathbone Brothers for around £35 million.
Lloyds has said that although compulsory redundancies will be a last resort, about 40 banking jobs will go in Edinburgh by the end of 2011 as a result of the sale.
More than £1 billion worth of funds and around 6,000 customers will be transferred to Rathbone.
Tom Woolgrove, managing director of Lloyds UK private banking, said: "Lloyds has carried out a thorough review of its private client businesses and has concluded that a specialist provider would be better positioned to manage this particular service for our clients."
Earlier this month, Lloyds, which is seeking to cut costs in the wake of last year's government bailout, sold the Halifax estate agents chain to Your Move sales and lettings business for £1.
Updated: 21 October 2009.
Categories: market-and-industry-news, procurement.
Buyers told 'golden era is over'
Buyers have been told that the golden period of falling commodity prices is over.
Robin Jackson, chief executive of procurement consultancy ADR International, said that government stimulus packages will cause inflation to hit buyers, reports Supply Management.
"We can already see it starting to happen with key commodities including copper, steel and oil, rebounding from their earlier lows," he said in ADR's business briefing for October.
He added that while inflation currently remains low, economic theory suggests that it will begin to climb in around 12 to 18 months time.
Mr Jackson said it was now up to buyers to persuade their managers that input prices will soon begin to rise.
Gold has hit several record highs so far in October 2009, while crude oil prices have recently hit £47 a barrel, a high for the year.
This morning, London's FTSE index climbed more than one per cent on the back of rising oil and metal prices.
Updated: 21 October 2009.
Categories: market-and-industry-news, procurement.
Buyers 'considering ditching Royal Mail'
Many buyers are considering switching their postal service from Royal Mail, according to a survey.
A Supply Management survey of workers in procurement jobs found almost 40 per cent of them are considering ditching Royal Mail's services.
The Communication Workers Union, which represents Royal Mail staff, has announced national post strikes are to begin from Thursday October 22nd 2009.
More than three-quarters of postal workers backed the decision to strike in the dispute which centres around pensions payments and increased workloads.
Bill Fyfe, procurement manager at the National Trust for Scotland, told Supply Management that his organisation had saved around £70,000 per year thanks to a recent switch of postal supplier.
Many of the 63 per cent of buyers who said they were not interested in switching postal services also stated they did not use such services very often.
Instead they have switched to delivering items traditionally delivered by post, such as pay slips and invoices, via email.
Updated: 16 October 2009.
Categories: jobs, market-and-industry-news, procurement.
E.ON UK aiming for greener supply chain
E.ON UK has revealed that it is looking to make its supply chain more environmentally friendly.
According to supply chain director Chris Lovatt, the energy company is working with its suppliers to cut costs and its carbon footprint without compromising on standards.
Speaking to Supply Management, he stated that this strategy would enable E.ON UK to identify and make changes to its operations where necessary.
Mr Lovatt said these changes would then be introduced providing "there is no adverse effect on our end customers, the environment or safety standards".
"We want to challenge our suppliers and for them to challenge back," he commented.
The move comes after research from EcoVadis and HEC Paris revealed that eight in ten procurement directors in the UK made efforts to adopt more sustainable purchasing strategies last year.
London mayor Boris Johnson has been among those to encourage firms to make more eco-friendly purchasing decisions, saying this would help them save money and protect the environment at the same time.
Updated: 30 September 2009.
Categories: market-and-industry-news, procurement.
Olympics to boost London economy
People looking for permanent jobs in London could be set to benefit from economic growth stimulated by the Olympic Games.
The British capital is set to host the sporting event in 2012 and Olympics minister Tessa Jowell believes the whole country will benefit
as a result.
Speaking at this week's Labour Party conference in Brighton, she said the Olympics have led to the regeneration of many deprived areas taking place at a faster rate.
This, she stated, has in turn led to the creation of a major new international centre for industries that will drive the UK's economic recovery.
"By investing in the UK's future the Olympics will deliver a massive boost to our economy," Ms Jowell commented.
"These are not just London's Games - they belong to the whole of Britain."
Ms Jowell added that the sporting event will lead to the creation of more permanent jobs in London and transform the lives of many young people.
This comes after she revealed that large and small businesses across the UK are securing supply chain contracts with the Olympic Delivery Authority.
Updated: 30 September 2009.
Categories: market-and-industry-news, procurement.
Fluctuating fuel prices 'affecting procurement sector'
People in London procurement jobs stand to be affected by ongoing volatility in the fuel markets, experts have suggested.
According to food and grocery research company IGD, energy is more costly than ever before, while the supply of fuel has become highly erratic.
This, it stated, is likely to create "challenging" circumstances for all participants in the supply chain.
James Walton, chief economist at IGD, has therefore called on businesses to adapt to the current climate by making changes to the way delivery fleets are operated.
Speaking to Retail Week, he commented: "It is becoming increasingly clear that whatever the future holds, the retail industry cannot continue in its current form."
Meanwhile, the Freight Transport Association has called on the government to introduce a lower rate of fuel duty for commercial vehicles.
The recent 2p increase in fuel duty was criticised in the Express and Star last week by Paul Watters of the AA, who described current petrol prices as "ridiculously high".
Updated: 30 September 2009.
Categories: market-and-industry-news, procurement.
Government calls for more efficient council procurement
People in London procurement jobs in the local government sector have been told to spend taxpayers' money more efficiently.
According to communities secretary John Denham, new and innovative ways of using money to improve public services need to be developed.
"Every taxpayer pound must be made to work as hard as the person who earned it did," he insisted.
"Councils need to recognise that creative purchasing is not simply buying for less."
Indeed, he stated that being innovative and shaping markets must become the new principles of public procurement.
Mr Denham added that by thinking creatively, local authorities would be able to deliver social, environmental and economic benefits.
This, he said, could in turn create more permanent jobs, boost skills and help small businesses.
The advice comes after Mayor of London Boris Johnson launched a new website containing best practice guidelines and information for the procurement sector to help it become more environmentally friendly.
Updated: 25 September 2009.
Categories: market-and-industry-news, procurement.
Skilled employees in demand in London
Employers are increasingly keen to appoint highly skilled people to London procurement jobs, an analyst has noted.
Brian Groom, business and employment editor at the Financial Times, said many companies are making the issue of skills a priority as they look forward to an economic recovery.
This, he stated, is because some are concerned that a skills shortage in their firm could harm their competitiveness when the economy picks up.
Mr Groom also noted that businesses are focusing on skills in order to make sure Britain is able to keep up with rising standards in other parts of the world.
Companies looking to appoint people to London procurement jobs were among those said to be looking at addressing a skills shortage.
This comes amid a period of growing optimism about the future of the UK economy, which could lead to recruitment activity picking up.
A poll carried by ComRes for the Independent this week found that 38 per cent of business leaders are seeing signs of recovery in their sector.
Updated: 25 September 2009.
Categories: london, market-and-industry-news, procurement.
Recession 'has made procurement a priority'
Procurement has moved further up the corporate agenda as a result of the economic downturn, according to a business analyst.
Stefan Stern of the Financial Times stated that in the past, company bosses had tended to avoid taking the issue of purchasing and cost-control as seriously as they should have.
However, he noted that since the credit crunch began, this attitude has changed and people are now making it more of a priority.
"Suddenly everyone is interested in preserving cash, hammering out the best deal and getting tougher on suppliers," he commented.
Mr Stern noted that those businesses which did not take procurement seriously and failed to bring in enough professional expertise are suffering as a result.
He added that some firms which have always considered it important have been able to take advantage of this by creating more London procurement jobs and boosting their client base considerably.
The comments come shortly after the government began allowing small businesses free access to information on public sector procurement contracts worth up to £100,000.
Updated: 25 September 2009.
Categories: market-and-industry-news, procurement.
Business leaders hail new procurement database
The introduction of a new national procurement database has been hailed by a business group in England.
Earlier this month, the government scrapped the fee to use its website that advertises thousands of public sector procurement contracts worth up to £100,000.
This means that smaller businesses will have better access to information that could enable them to expand their operations, thereby creating more London procurement jobs.
The North East Chamber of Commerce has been among those to hail this development as a good move for the procurement sector in England.
Ross Smith, head of policy and research, told the Northern Echo: "This should help increase competition and therefore the quality of services which are provided."
He added that public sector organisations are currently facing strong pressure to look for new ways to connect with local businesses.
Ian Pearson, economic secretary to the Treasury, recently hailed small and medium-sized business as a vital part of the UK economy, particularly in the current financial climate.
"It is essential that we support them in as many ways as possible," he stated.
Updated: 24 September 2009.
Categories: market-and-industry-news, procurement.
Procurement sector embraces green policies
People in London procurement jobs are increasingly choosing to make the environment a priority, a new poll has revealed.
According to research from EcoVadis and HEC Paris, eight in ten procurement directors in the UK made efforts to adopt more sustainable purchasing strategies last year.
Meanwhile, over a third of respondents said they plan to spend more on making their supply chain more eco-friendly this year, despite the downturn in the economy.
Commenting on the findings, Professor Olivier Bruel of HEC said they show that the "economic dimension of sustainability is a critical focus" for companies during the recession.
"Sustainable procurement is an integral part of the new model that companies must adopt to survive and thrive in today's global economy," he commented.
The study highlighted a number of reasons for the increased emphasis on the environment, including brand protection, managing costs and complying with new rules on green practices.
This comes after London mayor Boris Johnson said making eco-friendly purchasing decisions would help firms to save money and protect the environment at the same time.
Updated: 24 September 2009.
Categories: market-and-industry-news, procurement.
Johnson aims to make London procurement greener
Boris Johnson has called on people in London procurement jobs to make decisions with the environment in mind.
The Mayor of London's Green Procurement Code website was revamped this week, allowing visitors easy access to best practice guidelines and information.
It is hoped that the site will act as a one-stop shop for companies looking to reduce the environmental impact of their purchasing activity.
"We want to make it easier for organisations to make eco-friendly purchasing decisions," Mr Johnson commented:
He said businesses that consider the environment would be able to help the planet and reduce their costs at the same time.
Mr Johnson added that this could be useful for companies during these "tough economic times".
The revamped website includes all the latest publications and reports on sustainable procurement, as well as resources to make it easier to source green products and services.
This comes after Transport for London confirmed that it would be investing £2.4 million in new energy-saving lights for traffic signals.
Updated: 24 September 2009.
Categories: market-and-industry-news, procurement.
Government told to help people looking for permanent jobs
The government has been urged to offer more support to university graduates looking for permanent jobs.
According to accountancy firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), nearly half of 18 to 34-year-olds believe not enough is being done to help those with degrees into employment.
Cathy Little, spokeswoman for PwC, has therefore called on the government to make the issue a priority, reports Bdaily.
"If we get it right, we could have a generation that has learned some of the hardest business lessons quicker and more effectively than many of the generations in full-time employment," she commented.
Ms Little added that the future economic prosperity of the UK is in the hands of today's younger people.
This coincides with Unison's calls to scrap tuition fees, as it believes they are putting people from low-income families off going to university.
The public sector trade union said this move would ensure that the route to higher education is as wide as possible.
Updated: 24 September 2009.
Categories: procurement.
Outlook for permanent jobs market 'is positive'
Conditions in the UK's permanent jobs market are getting better, a financial provider has stated.
According to BNP Paribas, the employment market is not yet at full strength, but there are "tentative signs" of it moving in a more positive direction.
Alan Clarke, UK economist at the group, told the Guardian that this tallies with the "impressive rebound" in other indicators of economic activity over the last few months.
Meanwhile, the government has taken steps to ensure that Britons who are looking for permanent and temporary jobs in sectors such as procurement find work.
Home secretary Alan Johnson has said that as of next year, employers will have to advertise any vacancies to people in the UK for at least a month before offering them to foreign nationals.
This, he stated, would ensure that companies are still able to take on skilled workers from other countries without overlooking those who already live in Britain.
Updated: 24 September 2009.
Categories: market-and-industry-news, procurement.
London Olympics boost supply chain activity in UK
Suppliers who are contributing to the London 2012 Olympic Games are creating thousands of supply chain contracts across the UK.
According to Olympics minister Tessa Jowell, this is proving to be a boost to both the wider economy and individual businesses during the current recession. This, she said, means the entire country is already reaping the benefits of the sporting event three years before it gets underway.
"Over a thousand suppliers, large and small, have won contracts with the ODA (Olympic Delivery Authority) worth more than £5 billion," Ms Jowell observed.
Of the 1,035 companies that are working on contracts with the ODA, 98 per cent are based in the UK, while 68 per cent are small or medium-sized firms. Meanwhile, a tenth of all suppliers are based in one of the five London boroughs that is hosting an Olympic event. The comments come after London Councils hailed the games as a "unique" opportunity to showcase the city on an international stage.
Updated: 17 September 2009.
Categories: market-and-industry-news, procurement.
Sainsbury's wins 'Oscar of the procurement industry'
People in London procurement jobs with Sainsbury's have been among those to be commended by an industry group.
The Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPD) this week held its annual Supply Management Awards.
Sainsbury's won the top prize at the London event, which was staged at the Grosvenor House hotel and hosted by the Mock the Week star Hugh Dennis.
The award for excellence was given to the supermarket chain on the strength of its efforts to reduce the amount of waste across its 509 supermarkets, reports Supply Management.
David Brooks, head of procurement at the company, commented: "This is the Oscars of the procurement industry. Winning this will clearly boost our profile even further within Sainsbury's."
This comes after the company reported that customer numbers have increased to more than 18.5 million people per week.
Sainsbury's also revealed that like-for-like sales in the first quarter of 2009 were up by 2.5 per cent.
Updated: 17 September 2009.
Categories: banking-and-financial-services, procurement.
