http://www.coretalent.co.uk/blog/blog/tools/blocks/blog_posts/rss?bID=22&cID=1&arHandle=Blog Area&tags=supply-chain Core Talent Blog http://www.coretalent.co.uk/blog/blog/efficiency-or-resilience-the-supply-chain-balancing-act/ As a provider of business change specialists to the supply chain and logistics sector many of the programmes of work which I have supported over the past few years have centred around building efficiencies into supply chains. Such initiatives have included globalisation, affording an organisation the ability to open up new overseas markets and indeed allowing access to more competitively priced materials or human resource. Supplier consolidation has enabled clients to take advantage of bulk buying and the cost advantages this brings. Also IT system implementations have been undertaken to enable greater accuracy and efficiency. Tue, 25 Sep 2012 11:09:00 BST http://www.coretalent.co.uk/blog/blog/manufacturing-leaning-back-to-the-uk-supply-base/ A recent survey by Barclays showed that almost two-thirds of British manufacturers - 61 per cent - source commodities and components from the UK, rather than abroad (39 per cent). The UK manufacturing: Supply chain insight study by Barclays found 53 per cent of the 200 manufacturers produced goods that are sold to a UK end user or used as components in UK production. Tue, 11 Sep 2012 13:10:00 BST http://www.coretalent.co.uk/blog/blog/oscar-pistorius-a-bad-loser/ After watching the 200m final and the post interview with Oscar, it amazed me how someone could lose supporters respect and cause controversy from one single comment! Wed, 05 Sep 2012 13:23:00 BST http://www.coretalent.co.uk/blog/blog/stress-busters-how-do-you-deal-with-stress-in-the-workplace/ In the past 18 months I seem to have done the two of the most stressful things a human can do out of choice – moving house (actually three times) and starting a new job. It wasn’t until moving for the third time that I realised, after having an argument with my mum and dropping a box full of expensive porcelain on the floor what I could have done to prevent this. Wed, 29 Aug 2012 11:24:00 BST http://www.coretalent.co.uk/blog/blog/how-to-be-the-usain-bolt-in-leadership-for-your-team/ What a great weekend it has been in the world of the Olympics, Great Britain & N. Ireland moving to 3rd on the medals table and the 100 metres men’s final being the 2nd fastest of all time! So how do you ensure that you are a gold standard leader like Usain Bolt. Eisenhower once said that - "You do not lead by hitting people over the head — that's assault, not leadership." So what makes a good leader? Wed, 08 Aug 2012 11:57:00 BST http://www.coretalent.co.uk/blog/blog/purchasing-and-supply-chain-can-the-high-cost-of-the-olympics-be/ Like almost everyone I have spoken to I have been glued to the Olympic coverage ever since the thrilling opening ceremony on 27th July. In amongst all the successes that the GB team are experiencing the debate around legacy and whether the games are good value for money has started. Tue, 07 Aug 2012 11:25:00 BST http://www.coretalent.co.uk/blog/blog/honesty-is-the-best-policy-when-theres-money-in-it/ The European Cup was to prove a tournament of what could have beens. What if Roy had longer with the squad in the build up? What if we had betrayed our rich heritage for losing penalty shoot outs? What if we could actually keep the ball for more than 2 consecutive passes? One of the biggest what if’s that England can perpetually apply to its footballing history is “What if we had a fully fit squad”. David Beckham was famously “cursed” by voodoo witchdoctors in the build up to the 2002 World Cup in Korea to a broken metatarsal, an injury that has continued to haunt English internationals every since. Tue, 31 Jul 2012 09:13:00 BST http://www.coretalent.co.uk/blog/blog/keep-on-running-hurdles-to-hitting-otif-targets-during-the-olymp/ On your marks...get set......GO....As 2012 has been the year of Royal celebrations, Bank Holidays and more importantly Great Britain’s year for sport, with a little event you might of heard of called the Olympics. The big question is how prepared are you for the potential hurdles that lie ahead as a business? Thu, 26 Jul 2012 10:54:00 BST http://www.coretalent.co.uk/blog/blog/not-had-any-feedback-blame-it-on-the-weather/ This may seem a typically British excuse for poor performance or service, but I’m going to attempt to blame our dreadful weather for delays in candidates receiving feedback. Fri, 20 Jul 2012 14:30:00 BST http://www.coretalent.co.uk/blog/blog/technology-changed-logistics-dynamic-of-uk/ 137 year old Wadworth’s Brewery is in the process of implementing the Paragon software system alongside a vehicle tracking supplied by Tom Tom. The maker of 6X, The Bishop’s Tipple and Henry’s IPA beers is installing Paragon’s transport optimisation technology to automate delivery planning to 700 own-pubs and free-trade establishments across southern and western England. Paragon is currently the market leader in transport optimisation with over 1,500 routing and scheduling systems installed in more than 33 countries. Mon, 02 Jul 2012 09:24:00 BST http://www.coretalent.co.uk/blog/blog/eastern-caviar-shows-greek-yoghurt-the-way-in-eurozone-crisis/ I was surprised to see whilst reading up on the Eurozone crisis that, other than the small landlocked tax haven of Luxembourg, it was the former Eastern Bloc nations of Estonia, Slovenia and Slovakia that came under the 60% national public debt levels of the Maastricht Treaty. Whilst debt-laden Greece and Italy topped this European ‘wall of shame’ their Eastern neighbours faired extremely well which must surely reflect not only lower government expenditure but also the shift in manufacturing from China. Tue, 26 Jun 2012 16:27:00 BST http://www.coretalent.co.uk/blog/blog/triumph-in-the-face-of-adversity-nissan-records-increase-in-sale/ Given all the negative press around the eurozone and the gloomy economic outlook it is easy to miss the success stories – and they don’t come much better than this. Tue, 19 Jun 2012 16:16:00 BST http://www.coretalent.co.uk/blog/blog/the-worlds-most-expensive-pizza/ Having spent the last five years recruiting Buyers, Purchasing Manager and Procurement specialists I have come across many people who have saved their employers vast sums of money and directly increased the bottom line. They don’t just find the cheapest product, ingredient or component, they also find the cheapest and best way to get this manufactured and supplied. Conversely, I have also met some who have sadly done the opposite. Thu, 24 May 2012 14:31:00 BST http://www.coretalent.co.uk/blog/blog/do-your-really-know-who-your-suppliers-are/ The aerospace industry is well known for being ultra quality-driven and there is a huge emphasis on supplier quality and supplier auditing. So it will come as a huge surprise to learn that vast numbers of counterfeit parts from China are finding their way into the US Military! Wed, 23 May 2012 13:46:00 BST http://www.coretalent.co.uk/blog/blog/its-all-for-charity/ I started working in Logistics when I was 21, 17 depressingly long years ago. The business in question was called Tibbett & Britten which later went on to form part of the now DHL Exel Supply Chain business. I was lucky enough to meet some truly inspiring and excellent managers during my time there, many of which I am still in touch with, and several who I would count amongst my close friends. Tue, 15 May 2012 09:09:00 BST http://www.coretalent.co.uk/blog/blog/march-sees-rise-in-uk-manufacturing-output/ Figures from the ONS have shown that manufacturing output has risen in March, despite the overall decrease in industrial output. Manufacturing output rose by 0.9%, after falling 1.1% in February. Thu, 10 May 2012 16:23:00 BST http://www.coretalent.co.uk/blog/blog/new-nissan-model-to-provide-jobs-in-the-north-east/ Japanese car manufacture Nissan has announced plans to make their new model at their plant in Sunderland in 2013. The new car model, unnamed as of yet, could create 225 jobs at the Sunderland plant and in 2014, could create a further 900 in the supply chain. Tue, 10 Apr 2012 16:15:46 BST http://www.coretalent.co.uk/blog/blog/is-there-still-the-clamour-to-source-from-china/ With Channel 4 currently screening a season of documentaries about China, there is no doubting how important China is to the UK from an economic and cultural point of view. You just have to read the label on your clothes or examine the goods in your home to understand how many products are produced by the Chinese. Tue, 20 Mar 2012 16:08:00 GMT http://www.coretalent.co.uk/blog/blog/strong-showing-for-exports-as-uk-continues-to-recover/ The manufacturing sector in the North West continues to make a major contribution to the UK’s economic recovery. The UK’s trade deficit was less than expected for January and one of the prime reasons for this is the success of exports to China, Russia and the USA. Of those exports, car exports were worth £531m more in January than in December 2011 (according to the BBC website). Tue, 13 Mar 2012 14:29:00 GMT http://www.coretalent.co.uk/blog/blog/more-good-news-for-the-car-industry-as-nissan-announces-new-mode/ As I get older I think I am getting more like my dad and turning into a grumpy old man. As I read the news that Nissan are about to create 2000 new jobs with a launch of a new model from their Sunderland plant my first reaction was ‘it will be a nightmare to recruit for those jobs.’ Tue, 06 Mar 2012 15:19:00 GMT http://www.coretalent.co.uk/blog/blog/growth-in-the-uk-service-sector-slows-but-the-us-sees-big-expans/ A survey has told how the UK's service sector grew in February, but not as quickly as had been expected. In contrast, the US service sector has expanded at its fastest rate since last February, with a rise in new orders pushing prices up. Mon, 05 Mar 2012 16:26:00 GMT http://www.coretalent.co.uk/blog/blog/no-slow-down-in-recruitment-as-financial-year-end-approaches/ As we approach the end of the fiscal year, many businesses will be turning their attention to budget for the new financial year. In such circumstances recruitment usually takes a back seat and we tend to see the activity taper away before another surge in April. Mon, 05 Mar 2012 10:59:00 GMT http://www.coretalent.co.uk/blog/blog/whats-more-important-what-you-buy-or-how-you-buy-it/ With rising unemployment figures, employers are now in a seemingly powerful position when it comes to recruitment. The perception is that regardless of the role, as an employer you can generally pick and choose the ideal candidate from the ideal background. Tue, 21 Feb 2012 09:34:00 GMT http://www.coretalent.co.uk/blog/blog/chinas-breach-boosts-buyer-benefits/ Buyers who purchase from aChina are set to benefit from lower prices and larger supplies of raw materials, after the country has been told to lift its export restrictions. Mon, 06 Feb 2012 16:29:00 GMT http://www.coretalent.co.uk/blog/blog/uk-manufacturing-brings-good-news/ Finally it’s February, and we can sigh a breath of relief that January and the post seasonal blues are well and truly behind us. The past 4 weeks we’ve been hit with nothing but doom and gloom, headlines of sinking ships and rising unemployment figures and talks of another recession, not to mention the side-ways rain. But alas, I bare good news, especially for those linked with Manufacturing, Purchasing and Supply Chain. Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:49:00 GMT