Procurement Sourcing Archives - Keystone Procurement

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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

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 Sourcing Procurement Strategy

How to get suppliers to bid – techniques to increase supply options

We are often asked how supply options can be improved by clients in the public and private sector. Below, we lay out some of our thoughts on how businesses can get suppliers to bid. Get suppliers to bid - be clear in your demands The number one complaint suppliers have…

Ross McCarthy11th July 2019

Procurement Sourcing

Specification and Selection of IT Systems

Enterprise level IT systems require money and time to deliver. They can also impact how employees do their job. So how can you go about procuring the right IT system? We think a structured approach is best. The first step is system specification and selection. Specification and Selection This is our approach for IT…

Donnacha Phelan14th February 2019

Procurement Sourcing

Can approaches to contract management solve hospital overcrowding?

In this post, we examine a report on public procurement in the National Health Service in the UK. It focuses on bed occupancy and how contract management techniques can be used to improve efficiency. We also look at what they could mean for public procurement contracts in Ireland. *** The…

Ross McCarthy19th September 2018

Procurement Sourcing

Procurement sourcing: the potential impacts of corporation tax changes in the EU

Brexit, the current US President, and many other factors threaten global supply chains and procurement sourcing options. One factor, that is hugely influential in the location of businesses is the range of tax environments available to businesses. The new breed of company is changing the degree to which tax arbitrage…

Ross McCarthy12th September 2018

Procurement Sourcing

Combining Sourcing Expenditure – Tesco and Carrefour take the fight to Amazon

There are interesting manoeuvres taking place currently among the largest supermarkets in the world. Over the past couple of months, Tesco, a UK based retailer, and Carrefour, a French domiciled international retailer have announced joined sourcing expenditure plans for their respective businesses. Tesco and Carrefour have a combined annual turnover…

Ross McCarthy15th August 2018

Procurement Sourcing

Procurement sourcing: is your ethical cup of tea, actually ethical?

The ethics of ethics Procurement sourcing at face value seems a straightforward endeavour. Suppliers respond to confirmed demand from a buyer and business is subsequently done between them. Globalisation however is making these relationships increasing complex. There are often laws demanding suppliers treat their employees in line with international labour laws.…

Ross McCarthy27th July 2018

Procurement Sourcing

Strategic sourcing: a suppliers guide to the buyer’s toolkit

Strategic sourcing is a phrase that is often used, but not always understood. Frequently, when discussing how buyers see the market and determine how they seek to procure from it, we find businesses have a low level of knowledge and understanding of the techniques used to ensure sourcing is strategic…

Ross McCarthy11th May 2018