Procurement Strategy Archives - 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

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

Ireland's Government has made Green Procurement and Social Considerations a priority from 2020.

Bid Management Procurement Strategy

2020 Trends for Irish Tenders – Green Procurement and Social Considerations

New rules for tenders in Ireland: In October 2019, the Irish Government announced new requirements that suppliers to the Public Sector will have to meet. These are 'Social Considerations' and 'Green Procurement'. Until recently, Ireland was behind other countries when it came to including these types of criteria in tenders.…

Donnacha Phelan17th December 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

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 Strategy

Public procurement and trends in outsourcing contracts

Across the developed world, there is an apparent crisis in high profile procurement contests like outsourcing contracts. From Berlin's zombie airport to prisons contracts to capital works programmes in the health and other sectors, media coverage of procurement has rarely had a higher profile. From Grenfell tower in London to Ireland's…

Ross McCarthy29th January 2019

Procurement Strategy

Green procurement and the role of innovation clusters

Green procurement is an emerging area in procurement that is taking off as a discipline. This is a result of its codification in social and legal/regulatory procurement principles that focus on economic, social and environmental factors. As a discipline, green procurement focuses on the efforts of companies to be ethical…

Ross McCarthy14th December 2018