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2017 Procurement Research

What concerns have Irish SMEs about Brexit, Trump, Blockchain etc ?
The 2017 Arvo Procurement research was developed to collate responses from Irish SMEs to clarify the impact from Trump policies, technological advances such as Blockchain, plus the true fallout from Brexit. Ratings agency Moody’s recently sounded a warning note about the threats to the Irish economy from Brexit and the Trump administration, particularly as Ireland was the “European country most exposed” to the two factors. The agency says the changing international environment are “key risks” for Ireland’s otherwise improving circumstances, while Brexit could be more disruptive to Ireland than initially thought (due to the hard exit outcome currently being negotiated).

 

With regards the survey findings;

  1. 100% of the Irish SMEs think that their insurance costs will increase in 2017, what about you?
  2. 26% of the Irish SMEs think that Brexit will increase currency costs and so impact their business
  3. While the top “2017 Priorities” for Irish SMEs are revenue growth and profit growth.;

The majority of Businesses surveyed during this research;

    1. Do not have a procurement function or role within their companies
    2. Do not have a budget for procurement systems and training
    3. While tasks relating to “banking and payments or documentation, order process” are potentials to automate today.

 

To review the complete report, please use this download link: http://bit.ly/2msMirM

 

 

As always please feel free to contact us if you have any queries about this survey and any procurement challenges or opportunities within your business.

Reduce Lighting Costs by 90%

Are you bombarded with LED Lighting Sales Reps? Are you confused by LUX Levels, Lumen Outputs, Carbon Credits, LED RoI/Savings etc?

We can help.

We have worked numerous clients over the past 6 years, undertaking detailed Lighting Audits, comparing the marketplace on your behalf to save you time, money and hassle. The service specifics and investment for our Lighting Audits are as follows while we welcome any queries you may have about reducing your Lighting Costs;

Full technical lighting audit – fixed price of €495* (per site)

 

  1. Walk down of site to gather technical information on the existing lighting system.
  2. Manage professional tender to lighting suppliers for energy efficient lighting quotes.
  3. Presenting Lighting Audit Report & Recommendation i.e technical findings, cost benefit analysis, ROI e.t.c.

 

Thereafter, on go-ahead with an LED Proposal, we are available at a daily rate too;

  1. Apply for Carbon Credit rebate (to reduce your costs)
  2. Sourcing appropriate Electrician (if required)
  3. Project Management the Lighting installation
  4. Verify Lighting installation & provide final report

 

In case you did not know, the benefits to light-emitting diode (LED) are;

  1. Reduce Lighting Costs (by up to 60%)
  2. 5 Year Warranty
  3. No Maintenance Costs
  4. Improve Light Output
  5. Lighting can be financed over time, funded from your future savings and carbon credits, ensuring minimal-to-no CAPEX requirement.

As always feel free to contact us if you have any queries relating to the above.

*Price excludes VAT & travel costs (which may apply)

5 Tips when Sourcing Excellent Accountancy Services

Effectively sourcing Professional Services and particularly Accountancy, requires vast purchasing expertise. Through our sister company, supply.ie, we are lucky enough to have some of Ireland’s friendliest Accountants on-board. So when we asked them for advice they would give to clients when sourcing Accountancy/ Professional Services, this was the response;

  1. Check and make sure the Accountant is registered and fully qualified via the CPA, ACCA or ACA

  2. Ensure you have a dedicated contact person and if you are not happy with the service, an appropriate complaints procedure should exist.

  3. When you get a quote, ensure it includes a breakdown i.e. does it include Bookkeeping, VAT returns, Payroll, Tax Returns and Financial Accounts or does the price only cover one particular aspect of the accounts such as the VAT returns.

  4. Identify (and negotiate) the payments terms as quickly as possible.

  5. Check to see when was the practise established. Take note of their Profile and existing clients

Finally, as when sourcing all service providers and suppliers, ensure your tender/request responses seek expertise, integrity and honesty. Or, have you any other considerations to add to this list when sourcing Accountancy services?

Sourcing Facilities Management (FM) Considerations

According to the International Facility Management Association (IFMA), facility management is “a profession that encompasses multiple disciplines to ensure functionality of the built environment by integrating people, place, processes and technology.”

This mainly encompasses providing services related to Security, Emergency Response, Project Management, Health & Safety, Cleaning, Landscaping, Fire safety, Maintenance systems, Help desk, Asset management, Waste management, Reception, Car Parking, Pest control, Property Management and even Business continuity planning (to name a few). As with all purchasing, the success of a FM engagement depends largely on effective procurement planning and management which affects the outsourcing decisions, service bundling and the type of relationship required.

 

Therefore, the FM considerations to consider are;

  1. To outsource or not? DIY, direct employment or outsource? Surprisingly some buyers do not give this point sufficient attention. It is vital to analyse your requirements fully before deciding to outsource or not.
  2. Service bundling: Single services or bundled? Due to the myriad of FM services outlined above, it is imperative to decide whether some/all can be bundled. This undoubtedly will affect the number of FM service providers, contracts, relationships etc.
  3. Location: Single location or multi-site? If this is single-site, there is very little to consider with this point. However, if you have multiple sites do you require multiple providers? Would local, regional or national suppliers provide the optimum service?
  4. Type of relationship: Management or Partnering? This decision will be facilitated by firstly accounting for the previous considerations. Thereafter, your resources and expertise will dictate whether you manage this FM provider or collaborate fully with a strategic partner.

 

It is understandable that there is a strong correlation between each of these considerations while varying external elements affect these also e.g. the number of available service providers, the range of services available and the size/scale of these service providers. Finally, as when sourcing all vendors, ensure your tender/request responses seek expertise, experience , integrity and honesty. Have you any other considerations to add to this list when sourcing Facility Management services?

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