Ross McCarthy, Author at Keystone Procurement

What do scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions mean for green public procurement?

Procurement professionals need to have an understanding of what green procurement or sustainable procurement means. Green Public Procurement takes a different approach to the private sector when it comes to integrating green considerations into its purchasing processes. In our view, the approach of the private sector is clearer and easier…

Ross McCarthy17th May 2023

Procurement Sourcing Procurement Strategy

Key considerations when buying from overseas suppliers

We work with clients regularly to help them source from near and far shore overseas suppliers. Whether a company is sourcing from the southern mediterranean, far east Asia (from a European point of view) or from another place, caution is advised. How to vet overseas suppliers Overseas suppliers should be…

Ross McCarthy2nd May 2023

Procurement Sourcing Procurement Strategy

How to run effective supplier review meetings

Decision-makers in organisations should be meeting their suppliers regularly to review their performance in meeting their requirements. Whether things are going well or not, suppliers need to be actively managed to drive high performance. Unless contract managers are holding supplier review meetings with structured plans and goals, they are simply…

Ross McCarthy21st April 2023

Bid Management

Three key features of successful tenders

It takes time to run a tender. Buyers want to see suppliers compete strongly for work. The more vibrant the competitive landscape, the better range of options they have to deliver what they need for their organisation. Suppliers must commit to learning how to bid competitively by developing strong responses…

Ross McCarthy13th April 2023

Procurement Strategy Uncategorised

A practical approach to developing sustainable procurement

There are many factors driving the strong focus on sustainability. The Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Climate Change Treaties (e.g. Paris, Rio, Kyoto etc) drives it at an intergovernmental level. A second key influence is public procurement policies and practices, the VonderLeyen Commission has placed a…

Ross McCarthy26th August 2022

Procurement Sourcing Procurement Strategy Procurement Training

Why public procurement drives inequality

Recently, I had a conversation with a procurement professional about inequality in the Not for Profit (NFP) sector. They had attended a seminar where there was a view that procurement processes, for their sector, drove inequality in labour outcomes, especially for female workers. It set my mind thinking about this…

Ross McCarthy7th September 2021

modern slavery remains a challenge in supply chains

Covid-19 Procurement Sourcing

BITTER TRUTHS – MODERN SLAVERY AND THE FIGHT AGAINST COVID-19

Slavery in the modern supply chain system We have written frequently about the risks of slavery in supply chains since we started as a company in 2014. Modern slavery is a very real issue. Globally, it is estimated that some 40m people are enslaved or subject to forced labour conditions.…

Ross McCarthy13th May 2021

Bid Management

Large companies win bids

An emerging trend in recent years has been how SMEs are succeeding in public procurement processes. There has been substantial change in how often large companies win bids. Increasingly, they are losing market share to smaller businesses, consortiums and specialists. There are steps they can take to defend their market…

Ross McCarthy9th December 2019

Procurement Sourcing

EORI registration required Post-BREXIT

Below, we outline the importance of EORI registration. It will help those trading goods to operate normally post-Brexit. What is an EORI number? EORI stands for Economic Operators Registration and Identification number and it is a unique identification number. It allows European Union (EU) based companies to trade goods with…

Ross McCarthy1st October 2019

Procurement Strategy

Commercial negotiation techniques to solve problems and break an impasse

Commercial negotiation - techniques to solve problems and break an impasse Have you ever found yourself at an impasse staring at an issue when working on a commercial negotiation? Sometimes, working with teams, special techniques and tactics are needed to help with a breakthrough. We frequently use these kinds of…

Ross McCarthy5th September 2019