Procurement Intelligence Unit

In the current economic climate, positive news for luxury goods companies is gold-dust – and thanks to market intelligence it looks as though one Swiss watch-maker is bucking the downward trend. more

As a former colleague once memorably informed me, 'General Hindsight never lost a war'. He was a salesman, and used the phrase – which he had no doubt gleaned from another wise man – to explain how he had let a deal slip through his fingers because the right people weren't engaged at the right time. more

If anyone had been brave, or imaginative, enough to write a script detailing the dramatic events of the past two years, then it's likely it would have been turned down by Hollywood's biggest film makers for being too far-fetched. more

There are undoubtedly some categories of spend that many senior figures still file in an in-tray (remember them?) marked uncomfortable, which is why the PIU is running a series of workshops throughout 2010 bringing together category experts from across the procurement world. more

When you got out for a bite to eat, do you ever wonder whether the beef you eat once had a happy life among its fellow cows? Or if the rocket salad you’re nibbling on comes from a looftop garden? And what if the restaurant you eat at is heated with gas sourced from organic waste, well, cow manure and sewage slurry, to be exact? Absurd thoughts? Perhaps not, as the recently founded Sustainable Restaurant Association (aka SRA) would tell you. more

There is something that no supply chain, regardless of industry, size or location, is untroubled by - the risk of counterfeiting. In recent weeks in the press I've come across quite a few examples of companies that have become victims to this procurement nightmare. more

This week, the PIU launched its first-ever annual procurement strategy report, entitled 'Procurement CPO 2010 – Playing the Full Role'. Among other trends, the study identifies the major challenges and priorities that CPOs and their teams are facing this year, the key success factors they believe are critical in overcoming them and the ways in which performance is measured. more