“We absolutely accept that self-monitoring is not helping to instil trust, and so we would like to see an end to it, in place of it a more robust, third-party system.”
It would not be surprising if the above quotation were attributed to a senior procurement executive demanding more transparent governance within their supply chain.
Much as it makes sense for any supplier to provide performance reports for the obligatory QBRs (quarterly business reviews), suppliers should not be the regulators of their own data. Especially when it comes to financial reporting.
Over the last 20+ years, the move from in-house provision to outsourcing has taken control and visibility of this data away from the client. This is particularly true in our area of specialism; print procurement.
Improving effectiveness and efficiency has quite rightly been a focus, but at what cost?
To ensure the most effective and efficient print procurement model for any business, it is critical to have an accurate, granular and real-time data supply.
This process of review should not wait for the end of the contract ‘bun fight’. If I had a pound for every RFQ (Request for Quotation) that resorted to the anachronistic ‘basket of goods’…
At theSPC, we recommend all procurement teams demand scope-specific, decoupled and taxonomically stringent data from their print supply chain.
Taking control of your data in this manner is easily done. Tech platforms that can be owned and managed by the buyer or procurement team directly are widely available.
The outcome of taking control of the data provides your teams with the agility to architect the data. Governance is in place, not assumed. Control is back in your court.
Without this governance in place, the student is marking their own homework.
Let’s go back to the quote at the start of this piece.
It is attributed to David Henderson, CEO of the industry body Water UK.
If anyone has watched Channel 4’s excellent ‘Dirty Business’ docudrama, you will know what a horrible mess was made with the model of ‘operator self-monitoring‘ within the water industry.
Even if you haven’t watched it, I don’t think you’ll need three guesses at the outcome.
If print procurement is to be subject to governance that delivers transparency and hidden value, this process starts with visibility, regulation, and control over spend data.
Without a “more robust, third-party system”, procurement runs the risk of landing upstream of a certain creek with no sign of a paddle.
Steve Baynes, Partner, theSPC
We spend our time across the marketing operations industry with a special focus on print. This means our clients have access to the latest industry insights, to ensure they are strategically enabled and supported by the best supply chains to maximise their return on investment.
Interested how we can give you greater insight? Book in for a print or contract performance review here.
