Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been tagged as “supply chain”
2018 was not a great year for the retail industry. Increasing costs and diminishing footfall resulted in shrinking profits. However, there are numerous ways that retailers can look to improve their profitability in 2019 to reduce mounting pressure. Creating innovative private label ranges is one sustainable way to reduce costs whilst getting more customers into shops. From past experiences working …
I had the time to visit a few shops recently and one grabbed my attention – I thought it looked fantastic! The shelves were crammed with a plethora of brands and own label products – at a quick glance, it looked great. I’d never seen another retailer stocking four brands of bagels (plus own-label), three brands of milk – all …
What does it actually mean? Sustainable sourcing is generally used to describe a holistic approach to a procurement exercise, focusing not only on commercial factors, but also the environmental and societal impact of what we plan to do. To some organisations, sustainable sourcing is dealt with by the publication of a CSR policy on the company website, to others it …
My personal and family shopping habits have changed over recent years, and like many we spend an unreasonably large proportion of our money shopping with Amazon. At Christmas time the procession of delivery vans clog up our street and whilst we don’t ‘tip’ the milkman anymore at Christmas I can see a time when we will do so with the …
From risk management, to fostering innovation and refining supply chains, procurement professionals have arguably never been as valued as they are today. Despite this, there remains much to be done for the function to secure its position at the board table. Procurement as a career path is still in its infancy compared to other more established functions, such as accounting …
Over the last week we have been witnessing a crisis at KFC in the UK. In case you have not heard, KFC is suffering a failure of delivery of chicken to their 900 restaurants, as a result of a new logistics supplier failure (DHL and QSL). Images of empty chicken shops and lorries queueing outside a depot, where crates of …
The most common time frame for accidents in London is the rush hour from 7-10am and 6-8pm. Especially hauliers are involved in accidents due to the size of their vehicles and their restricted view. Due to the London Council it is not allowed for Lorries to enter certain roads in and around London before 7am in the morning. For drivers, …
Businesses today are undergoing massive changes as a result of three enablers: Globalisation, Technology and Supply Chain. This trend is most evident in the retail industry where globalisation has allowed products to be designed for global taste and be produced at the lowest cost; and supply chain fundamentals have supported businesses with flow of goods, information and money. Technology, on …
Be honest, how rigorous is your operational due diligence at bid phase? It seems that the reality is that the business mantra of ‘plan for the worst and hope for the best’ seems to be one that is conveniently overlooked when assessing pricing decisions in a market where a 15% acquisition success rate is viewed favourably and risks feel like …
With Brexit being the leading creator of uncertainty, especially for European businesses, the undefined current geopolitical situation is heavily influencing international business. Even though some may argue that the impact of Brexit on China will be limited, Brexit and its following agreements will create political and economic opportunities and threats that will not stay unrecognised. The ambiguity on currency fluctuation, …
If the last 12 months have been any indicator, the only certainty is that we can’t be certain of what will happen in the months and weeks leading us up to March 2019. This said, if the current situation offers us any clues, we should be prepared for the possibility of a post-Brexit-Britain without a Free-Trade deal with the European …
Supply chains have now evolved into complex beings, which are networked at multiple levels. These “supply networks” are complex not just in terms of the number of entities, but also in terms of their length. It is not surprising to see these modern day networks extending across the globe, delaying the process and information flows involved. To worsen the issue, …
4C Associates’ Carissa Dzwonek explores how omnichannel retailers can leverage the latest solutions to become all-knowing. Omni-channel retail is nothing new. Any business with a bricks and mortar presence, coupled with an online offer can claim to operate across multiple channels. More advanced organisations develop frictionless offers across channels, enabling them to convert customers effectively, regardless of the device or …
Against the background of a ticking two-year clock, this analysis will argue that Brexit will reshape the UK Retail landscape by shuffling the cards once more. There are 3 key Brexit-related challenges facing retailers: Currency and financial movements This is an effect that has already been hitting retailers operating in the UK. Movements of exchange rates outside of their typical …
The June 2016 referendum brought to life even the sleepiest of the analysts, with everyone having their views on how Brexit would reshape the UK economic and social structure – most of them predicting a severe and immediate impact. The more structured arguments signalled immediate impacts on services (Forex, stock markets), near term impact on movement of goods (tariffs, import/export) …
Cloud computing, robotics, automation, data exchange… 4C’s Milan Panchmatia considers how businesses can leverage new opportunities in the era of the ‘smart factory’ Industry 4.0, also known as the fourth industrial revolution, has the potential to transform the way in which products are created, transported and sold. This new era was ushered in thanks to technologies such as automation, cloud …
Slavery is a global issue that affects businesses regardless of their geographic location. International companies involved in clothes manufacturing, farming and mining activities are seen as the most at risk, but the issue can affect almost any industry. The UK Modern Slavery Act has shone a light on the issue of forced labour in supply chains. The Act requires businesses …
Changing consumer behaviour has led to a revolution in fashion retail. 4C Associates’ Milan Panchmatia considers how the “See Now, Buy Now” approach will impact established practices. Generally speaking, businesses which sell directly to consumers tend to be those which need to be most reactive to their demands. The propagation of connected devices has led to an increasingly expectant population, …
4C Associates’ Milan Panchmatia examines how retailers can adapt their supply chains to take advantage of new opportunities. The retail industry is one of the fastest changing on the globe. New technologies are being developed at a rate never seen before and the level of competition in the field is greater than ever. Small, agile companies are finding ways to …
4C Associates’ Milan Panchmatia examines how global fashion companies can balance sustainable supply chains with the need to grow their business. Supply chains are increasingly fragmented and complex. Rapidly changing demand, economic uncertainty and higher levels of competition, mean businesses are constantly having to review their supply lines. Nowhere is this truer than in the fashion industry. Here companies are …
Milan Panchmatia examines how supply chains have been affected by recent natural disasters and how businesses have sought to minimise future risks. Globalisation has provided businesses across the globe with countless opportunities to reshape their supply chains and reach out to new customers. In some sectors, the sheer number of suppliers available has allowed leading organisations to completely alter their …
Theresa May, the Britain’s prime minister, made a speech last week that sought to provide more detail about the kind of relationship the country will have with the European Union (EU) after it leaves. It specifically explained how the Government will manage the transition from a central player in the EU to a solidly independent trading nation. It left a …
Online shopping has resulted in a wealth of opportunities for retailers, but also an array of new challenges. In this post, 4C Associates’ Milan Panchmatia considers why retailers need to take a closer look at their reverse supply chains. It is no secret that online retail is booming. According to figures from IMRG and Capgemini, UK retailers made £114bn from …
4C Associates’ Jeremy Smith considers how the internet of things is changing the way businesses and consumers interact. The internet of things is not a new concept. The idea of countless devices connected to each other via the web has been around since the late 1990s. In fact, Kevin Ashton, Executive Director of Auto-ID Center, coined the phrase in 1999 during …
Regardless of the size of a business, freeing up capital to grow is often a priority, especially for those businesses with ambitious expansion plans. The solution is often a supply chain finance (SCF) programme to help maximise working capital and kick start growth plans. Also known as supplier finance or reverse factoring, SCF is a set of solutions to optimise …
Rising risk levels, a lack of relevant skills and managing transition – Milan Panchmatia explores why anyone would choose to be a CPO. As procurement’s role evolves, this needs to be reflected in way it operates within the business. Savings and other traditional measures of success remain important, but no longer encompass everything the function brings. Delivering value – be …
Although many elements of the UK’s departure from the European Union remain unclear, it is a safe bet to assume that Brexit will impact supply lines to and from the continent. It has been a few months since 52% of the British population voted to leave the European Union in a national referendum. The pros and cons of the departure …
When horse DNA was first found in beef products being sold in Britain, many felt we had reached a high water mark. There was a general feeling that food supply practices had become unsustainable and lacked transparency. Major retailers withdrew ten million burgers from their stores within the first few months of the news leaking. Two elements are widely believed …
The recent launch of Amazon Dash demonstrates an ever-increasing demand for speed, simplicity and ease amongst consumers – and with businesses also run by consumers, this level of service will soon be expected in the B2B world too. Jeremy Smith , Director at 4C Associates on how sometimes speed and urgency can outweigh cost. Read full article here.
Yesterday saw the launch of the new Amazon Dash Button product. This is the start of an integrated supply chain service which is run on the principles of Lean Consumption. The ‘Internet of Things’ has long promised us fridges that order your milk for you, as it runs out, but this is the first real move into the mass market …
According to a recent Harvard Business Review research, about 70% to 90% of acquisitions fail to deliver on planned value. To put things in perspective, the year 2015 alone saw close to $4.7t in declared deals with the average size of deals being $125m. With M&A activities seeing close to a 27% average annual growth, there is lot more riding …
Technology is playing an increasingly critical role in enabling organisations to manage their supply chain relationship. Gopal Iyer, consultant at 4C Associates shares his insights. Read full article here.
The result of the EU referendum will undoubtedly have a profound and long-lasting impact on the entire UK population and is likely to be something that is truly generational. Whether we voted for Remain or for Leave, however, Brits now have to assess where we are and how we maintain our position in the global economy. Read full article here
Handing over its assets to a few long term bottling partners and re-franchising its distribution needs, should help Coca Cola to boost operating margins, save costs and impress shareholders. But will this new asset-light strategy work? Gopal Iyer, sourcing and supply chain consultant at 4C Associates, says: “Time and again, companies have questioned and redefined their core competencies. ‘Deverticalisation’ has …
We all know risk management is a key deliverable of operational procurement but while a few of us love to get our hands dirty mapping and managing, often for most, risk awareness is limited to a once a year workshop and subsequent paper exercise that is seen as the purview of the dry and dull employee elements. Risk isn’t sexy. …
It is a common practice amongst Private Equity(PE) owned companies to tap into an Aggregator purchasing organisation that could leverage the bulk buying power of the entire portfolio owned by the PE owner. In the cases where portfolio companies are small to medium in size, it is often the case that they do not have indirect procurement departments. As the …
Back in October 2012, the Prime Minister unveiled a new scheme aimed at helping smaller businesses secure affordable finance. The initiative received a wide range of support and leading companies, including Diageo, Kingfisher, Tesco and IBM all signed up. The popularity of the scheme and the fact it was driven by both public and private sector organisations, indicates the potential …
In an economic climate where many businesses need to do more with less, procurement functions are increasingly looking to uncover new ways to incentivise their suppliers. Incentivising suppliers to deliver improved performances is not a new concept in the world of procurement. However, with an increasing number of businesses facing tighter margins, it is an area which certainly merits investigating. The …
Procurement is finally starting to get some of the recognition it deserves, but we need the right talent to make sure it keeps evolving. The challenging economic climate that we have experienced for the past few years has seen procurement make the step up from being a cost saver to a strategic partner. Whereas the function was once viewed as a …
Most organisations live in an increasingly competitive market and strive to at least maintain their cost base and focus on key areas that provide competitive advantage. While facilities expenditure has long been deemed non-strategic by most companies, the approach has been to maintain the status quo and address only those areas that present disruption to the smooth operation of the …
Much of the focus on the debate about the EU has been on the impact that any Brexit would have on exports and economic growth. On one hand the UK will lose access to the world’s biggest market, on the other hand it can negotiate free trade agreements more easily and export more freely from burdensome regulation. But what about the impact …
Supermarkets waging price wars is nothing new, however, the sustainability of the practice has long been called into question. The past two years, and the previous Tesco-dominated era, have been all about slashing costs and delivering the cheapest products possible. While this has proved advantageous for cash-strapped customers, and the growth of the likes of Aldi and Lidl, it has …
At a first glance, procurement and innovation come across as unlikely bedfellows. Whereas one is historically focused on delivering short-term savings, the other is more outward-looking and engaged in delivering less tangible results – at least in the short term. This outdated view of procurement’s relationship with innovation continues to persist in a number of companies despite numerous developments. An unstable …
Supply chains for businesses, big and small, are finding themselves under pressure to reduce costs, improve efficiency and assist in the maintenance of a steady cash flow. Milan Panchmatia, director of 4C Associates, the procurement consultancy, says that while it is true that the gap is closing, he believes with the economy back on an upward trend, the gap will …
Deciding to bring on a third-party provider can have multiple benefits. Chief amongst these is access to a cost-effective resource to cutting costs and delivering value. In an environment characterised by economic uncertainty the attraction is clear. However, not all providers offer the same service and it’s essential to select one which can mirror your expectations. Read full article on …
More and more leading businesses are investing in initiatives aimed at creating more sustainable supply chains. Whereas one might assume the practice would negatively impact revenue, the reality is that many companies have used these developments to drive significant cost and process benefits. Re-designing supply chains to cut carbon emissions and generally creating more sustainable practices have already helped companies …
One of the reasons behind Apple’s success is the company’s exceptional attention to detail. From the sleek design of its products to the intuitive nature of its software, nothing is left to chance. Thankfully for the California based company, the same amount of planning seems to have gone in to its supply chain strategy.Supply Chain Best PracticeAccording to Gartner’s 2012 Supply …
An increasing number of leading businesses have partaken in green initiatives, aimed at making their supply chains more efficient in order to reduce waste. Boots and Tesco, for example, have committed to reducing food and drink waste by signing up for the third phase of the Courtauld Commitment. This voluntary agreement is focussed on improving resource efficiency and mitigating the environmental …
A number of major corporations were caught on the back foot by the discovery of horse meat in several products. Many of the UK’s major food retailers have had to remove stock from shelves and issue apologises to their customers. The scandal highlighted the growing level of risk associated with global supply chains. Not only does a far reaching web of suppliers …
The dramatic rise in online shopping has resulted in an increase in parcel deliveries which has yet to be translated into profit. Craig Bunker considers how leveraging supply chains to carry out parcel deliveries, can help businesses bolster their margins. One of the issues currently facing retailers is the cost of parcel deliveries. As more and more customers opt to have purchases delivered …
2012 has been a challenging year for many businesses. A difficult economic climate coupled with huge pressure to cut costs, forced many finance leaders to substantially alter their business strategies. As a result many new and innovative cost transformation techniques were developed. 4C Insights kept on top of the latest trends and best practice solutions to emerge throughout the year. …
As 2012 comes to an end, 4C Associates looks back at some of the predictions made earlier this year. Craig Bunker considers prediction number 12: “High fuel costs and environmental concerns will drive the need for the next level of supply chain optimisation.” A recent Jones Lang LaSalle survey, revealed that 95 per cent of supply chain managers believe rising energy and transport …
Despite having had 10 months to plan for the festive spending spree, many retailers are not taking full advantage of their shopping outlets. A recent YouGov SixthSense report revealed that UK households will spend £792m less on Christmas this year than in 2011. These findings highlight the need for retailers to optimise all aspects of the supply chain process. Increased …
With procurement functions under increasing pressure to deliver quick win savings, long term projects such as Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) are often put to one side. In addition, there is a divide in opinion regarding the involvement of buyers in SRM; in some business the functions are kept separate whereas in others SRM is part and parcel of the procurement …
With many economists making bleak predictions regarding the ongoing economic crisis, optimising spend is a priority for many businesses. This has led to increased pressure on numerous functions, including logistics and supply chain, to work with procurement to maximize efficiency and drive company growth. Despite this, there remain many who are unconvinced by procurement’s ability to work with logistics and …
A recent survey carried out by Jones Lang LaSalle, revealed that 71 per cent of supply chain managers believe cutting costs will be the top trend for the next five years.The findings are indicative of the current economic situation and reflect the increasing pressure being put on supply chain managers to reduce costs. Other key trends highlighted in the survey, …
Once very much at the centre of consumer activity, the high street is rapidly losing ground to online retailers. This is not the first time traditional outlets have come under threat, however, the ease and convenience of online shopping has drastically altered consumer behaviour. These changes have radically affected supply chain strategy.The reduction in stock heading to the high street …
Supply chains form the basis of a successful business and companies need to ensure they have a contingency plan should something go wrong. Often an event affecting a select number of suppliers can severely delay the production process of an entire company or even industry. Recently, a factory fire in a small town in Germany caused great concern within the …
An uncertain economic climate has resulted in businesses focusing heavily on reducing costs, often at the detriment of risk and supply management. Is now the time to begin investing the trend? Companies which make the shift away from short term cost reduction tactics can secure important supply inputs before suppliers begin to see the change in market dynamics. Those who …
Although not readily associated with industrial production, British luxury brands are poised to play an important role in the revival of British manufacturing. With the British luxury industry on course to grow 8.5 per cent this year and a multitude of factors combining to make manufacturing abroad less attractive, many brands have turned their attention back to the UK. Speaking …
With the cost of manufacturing goods in China increasing, is it time for companies to move their factories elsewhere?A survey of more than 200 Hong Kong based manufacturers, carried out by Standard Chartered, revealed that local salaries have risen by an average of 10% this year. Foxconn Technology Group, one of the manufacturers behind Apple’s iPad, estimated that it had …
Given volatile supply chains, commodity prices and currency rates, how are CFOs protecting revenues and profits? On Christmas Eve 2008, Zavvi, Britain’s largest independent music retailer, went bust. But this wasn’t a failure of falling sales and missing profits, indeed revenue was up 10% earlier in the year despite the recession. No, Zavvi went into administration due to a lack …
