Welcome to this week’s edition of the Keystone Column. We are focusing on procurement strategy and tenders this week.
Business stories
Procurement strategy: Ireland lags behind other EU member states on digital economy
As the Irish general election reaches its conclusion, it is safe to say that the future direction of the Irish digital economy has not been a major topic for debate and this is perhaps unfortunate. The Irish Times reports that an EU study places Ireland in 8th out of 28 states for the digital economy. The Digital Economy and Society Index measures connectivity; human capital/digital skills; use of the internet; integration of digital technology; and digital public services. The report states more progress is needed to boost the number of skilled ICT professionals in the economy as well as the integration of some digital technologies by enterprises. From a procurement strategy perspective, the fundamental changes in how citizens, consumers and businesses interact with and source goods and services on a daily basis demands that this be the case.
Procurement strategy: technology trends procurement teams cannot overlook in 2016
The news above that Ireland is lagging behind on the development of the digital economy is unsettling when one reads this article from Pure Research on technology trends in procurement. Several technologies now have the potential to change the way enterprises work, and therefore procure – so procurement strategies are changing completely. Buyers are now examing the potential offered by 3D-printing, cloud computing, big data and BYOD (Bring Your Own Device). All these trends feature on its list of tech trends that procurement teams “cannot overlook” in 2016. It seems the future of procurement, like so many parts of a modern business, will be digital!
Interesting trends
Online shopping is continuing to evolve and this is having a knock-on effect on procurement strategy. This article in the Daily Telegraph suggests that, for the first time, the majority of online shopping sales in the UK are now conducted through smartphones and tablets. Between November and January, 51% of online sales involved hand-held devices. This is up from 40% a year earlier. According to the data, 66% of visits to retail websites between November and January came through mobile devices.
The article concludes that “we increasingly use our smartphones for managing so much of our lives – it’s only logical that completing purchases on retail sites would gravitate over to these devices as well.” While hand-held devices have been used to browse content for some time, its clear to us that businesses can no longer assume that customers wish to use other devices for more complex interactions requiring information upload, such as purchases. Procurement strategy must now taken account of this change in user behaviour. Businesses that don’t adapt their websites to offer full functionality to mobile users risk alienating a growing proportion of their customers.
Innovation – things we have seen and like
This week we would like to raise a glass to good supply chain management. Laois microbrewery 12 Acres Brewing Company is able to stake its claim to being the first Irish brewery to fully trace the malted barley they brew with to the farm it was grown on, thanks to their supplier Minch Malt in Athy Co. Kildare.
Minch is Ireland’s oldest and largest malt producer for the brewing and distilling industry, and as with a growing number of Irish food ingredients producers, traceability over every link in their supply chain is now a key part of their value proposition. Minch has developed an enclosed supply chain in malting barley wherein all field practices are recorded within computer systems at every stage of production providing full traceability from the field to the finished malt.
And from which farmer’s fields did 12 Acres choose their malted barley? Why those they know best of course – they brew with malted barley that originated in their own family’s fields!
Note: we are in the sourcing & procurement business. We highlight things we like or that are novel or innovative. We seek neither compensation nor recognition for doing this. We are fully paid up members of the pay it forward mindset. Innovators should be encouraged.
New public procurement tenders this week
Visit the Keystone website to view our take on the 376 active public procurement opportunities with more than five days until their deadline. There are a vast range of services, supplies and construction related opportunities including in the following sectors:
- Construction and related trades,
- Professional & Advisory Services,
- PR, Media, Advertising and related,
- ICT supplies and services,
- Training,
- Property & facilities management,
- Vehicle & automotive,
- Catering and related services,
- Cleaning and related services,
- Waste Management,
- Research & environmental monitoring,
- Printing, office supplies and related services,
- Trades,
- A vast range of other services and supplies.
Businesses interested in any of these public procurement opportunities that are unsure of how they can follow-up on these tenders can contact Keystone at any stage. We would be happy discuss your needs. These public procurement opportunities are sources of business growth and innovation for companies across the country.
Keystone E-Tenders Report Open YTD as at 2502 (by sector)
Keystone E-Tenders Report Open YTD as at 2502 (by date of publication)
Please note, e-tenders often has public procurement opportunities incorrectly categorised so people relying on e-tender alerts could easily miss out on opportunities if they are dependent on it. E-tenders is only as reliable as the people inputting tenders and mistakes are made very frequently. The Keystone Column includes all live tenders posted on e-tenders since January 4th 2016 that have five or more days until their deadline as at 25/02/2016.
