- 25
- OCT
- 2011
UK audit firms receive continued attention
Author: Jonathan Webb - Categories: Indirect Spend
The UK Office of Fair Trading (OFT) will commence investigation into the anti-competitive nature of the audit market. The OFT has stated that PricewaterhouseCoopers, Deloitte, KPMG and Ernst & Young have failed to self-regulate. more
- 27
- SEP
- 2011
Big Four market grip under attack - EU proposes audit reforms
Author: Jonathan Webb - Categories: Indirect Spend
A recent reports calls for a radical overhaul of the audit industry. Plans prepared by the EU Directorates General for the Internal Market calls for the dividing of auditing from advisory activities. more
- 07
- JUL
- 2011
Cooking up a storm in catering: making the most of low-spend categories
Author: Jonathan Webb - Categories: Indirect Spend, Best Practice & Benchmarking
The PIU recently held a roundtable on the catering sub-category of facilities management. As one of event attendees pointed out "catering is a very emotive subject" it can produce significant workload for procurement staff. more
- 11
- MAR
- 2011
McKinsey - The Jesuits of capitalism fall from grace
Author: Ben Ngobi - Categories: Indirect Spend, Risk
McKinsey, the elite consulting company, is in a commercially and politically devastating quagmire. more
- 17
- FEB
- 2011
Time to audit the auditors: financial assurance can come in many sizes
Author: Jonathan Webb - Categories: Indirect Spend
The UK House of Lords is currently looking into reforming the audit market, the European Commission is consulting on potential reforms and US regulatory authorities have recently announced intentions to update legislation. It's also time for companies to re-examine their options. more
- 24
- NOV
- 2010
Procurement should fear the magic pudding: energy will run out
Author: Jonathan Webb - Categories: Indirect Spend
The belief in a never-ending energy supply is a surprisingly widespread delusion yet utilities buyers must accept that the era of cheap energy will come to an end. more
- 04
- NOV
- 2010
UK postal market liberalisation to deliver future opportunities
Author: Jonathan Webb - Categories: Indirect Spend
The delivery of letters and parcels in the UK is becomingly increasingly complex in an increasingly fragmented market. However, a recent PIU Operational Supplier Market report on the UK postal and courier market shows that there are plenty of opportunities for savings. more
- 23
- SEP
- 2010
How to avoid sky-high travel costs
Author: Jonathan Webb - Categories: Indirect Spend, Cost Management
The global recovery has seen a rapid rise in business travel over the last year and increased demand has placed an additional need for companies to develop travel procurement practices that don't fall victim to the market. more
