The week that was: 8 Apr 08 - 15 Apr 08
A few weeks back in this column we commented on the renegades patrolling the paddy fields of Thailand in order to protect a crop that is becoming more valuable by the day. Now it seems that restaurants across the world could soon be forced to guard their rice supplies in a similar fashion, after a number of high profile chains revealed that shortages were causing a supply management nightmare that would have been unthinkable just 12 months ago. Of course, the price of rice is just one of a number of problems facing those involved in procurement in the food industry, although Procurement Leaders is sure there’s more than a grain of truth in speculation that the current crisis will ease in the second half of the year.
Quote of the week – “There's no point in coming to America and planning to be a small business," Tim Mason, chief executive of Fresh & Easy, explains to the world why Tesco’s foray into the US market is a marathon, not a sprint.
Procurement Leaders doffs its increasingly worn hat to Xerox – the document management company who was recognised by DiversityInc for a programme that sees it spend 32 per cent of its Tier 1 procurement spend with MWBE’s (that’s impressive enough without knowing what the rather lengthy acronym stands for but, for those of you who haven’t nodded off, it’s minority business enterprises and women’s business enterprises). Not content at stopping there, the survey also revealed that Xerox provides financial assistance for its MWBE’s – a model that other companies will surely look to copy.
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