Tough times make for tough decisions.   When crisis looms it can make sense to jettison all but the essential activities for survival.   But what does this...

There can’t be too many days in the typical British person’s lifetime when they wake up to find – as we did last week...

As the long hot summer of 2022 came to an end it would have been nice to think the difficulties of the last few...

Events of recent times have brought supply chain disruption into everyday conversation.  However, we could be fooled into thinking this is a new or...

Not so long-ago inflation was thought to be a thing of the past – conjuring images of a bygone age pre-dating the birth (or...

Background: The Bicycle Association (“the BA”) is the national trade body for the UK cycle industry.  It’s mission is to grow everyday cycling and...

Rising energy costs are affecting all businesses. Here we discuss various strategies, including 'hedging' and supply splitting, which can help to mitigate the...

It was ever thus.  As soon as we return from a summer where we’ve all tried to grab a break the business planning season is...

JMCL are delighted to be sponsoring the King’s Cup Gravel Festival 2021. The festival will host the inaugural British Gravel Championships and will take...

PRESS RELEASE:  MANCHESTER April 23rd 2021 Logistics & Transport providers required to collaborate on a sustainable solution to address issues raised by the rapid growth...

Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much Helen Keller There is much to be said for independent businesses right...

As business manages its way through the after-effects of a turbulent 2020, every financial plan will involve careful examination of threats and opportunities.   So why...

Almost half of businesses report having experienced a cyber-attack or breach in the last 12 months.   According to the UK Government’s own research, 39% of...

A year like 2020 can be seen as the perfect storm, a ‘blip’ and an inflection point.    What we’ve lived through during the COVID...

December 2019 seems a world away when I look back to writing Interesting Times? Just Get it Done! in the immediate aftermath of the General Election.   ...

We have talked before about creating value through transformation in Enlightened Approach – Business Perspective.    Technology transformation is a big undertaking and many are put...

The COVID crisis has meant that governments worldwide have had to make spending decisions at levels rarely seen in peace-time and to build infrastructure...

In previous articles on cost reduction we have covered the full spectrum of approaches from Quick Wins to Changing the Way You Do Business...

JMCL’s Malcolm Smith has significant experience & expertise in a wide range of challenging sectors as a both functional leader and consultant. This, together...

In our recent Focus on Costs Programme we examined the elements of a professional cost reduction programme – sharing the models, techniques and tactics...

The ‘Focus on Costs’ Programme came from our thinking on the way into the 2020 COVID-19 crisis. As the crisis struck during early March...

In recent weeks our series of articles on Recalibrating Costs for the “next normal” has focussed on Indirect costs i.e. those that aren’t directly...

Covid19 has turned many peoples working lives upside down.  What was once considered normal has completely changed in these unprecedented times. Nowhere is this more...

It is widely anticipated that – accelerated by the pandemic – flexible working will become the norm, and that employees will work significantly greater...

JMCL Consulting has been invited to talk at the major annual Procurement conference in the Middle East on Thursday 18th June.  This year, for obvious...

It is currently possible to make significant savings in MRO and add incredible value to your organisations by adopting the latest innovations from suppliers.  Do...

During our ‘Recalibrating Spend’ series we’ve been urging clients to examine their cost base, particularly in terms of what will be required for the...

The speed with which companies have adapted their business models to meet social distancing rules has been very impressive.  In a matter of weeks,...

Should Cost Modelling is a Valuable Tool – So, What Should PPE Cost? As a weapon in the armoury of Procurement professionals, Should Cost...

Today we are facing two business certainties and one highly likely scenario.  Firstly, it’s certain that the near-future business climate will continue to be tough....

It is not breaking news that oil prices have fallen circa 70% so far this year, and that in some cases barrels have traded...

There will be two waves of business closures once the current measures are relaxed. The first will be businesses with unsustainable cost bases which...

Today is the final article in this series aimed at helping organisations to Focus on the Bottom Line using a concept developed within JMCL which we...

Today we are concerned with the application of the Enlightened Approach across your business.  So far in this series we have focussed very much from a Procurement...

Over this series of articles, we have explored several key elements required for the delivery of an Enlightened Procurement programme, the simultaneous delivery of cost out...

So far, in this Programme, we’ve described how to segment and approach your cost base to drive savings and optimise supply chain resilience. In...

Yesterday we analysed the Strategic Security and Strategic Critical boxes (see Fig. 1 below.) Spend categories in these boxes are defined by relatively high...

Yesterday we looked at realising Tactical Longer- Term savings from third party costs using a spend segmentation framework called the Kraljic Matrix (see Fig.1...

Yesterday we looked at realising some quick win savings from third party costs (the spend) using a spend segmentation framework called the Kraljic Matrix...

Yesterday we introduced a simple tool for your organisation to address third-party costs and build resilience into your supply chains.   This tool, the Kraljic...

Yesterday we explained the necessity of really looking at your business’s cost base during this pandemic. Over a fortnight and in the spirit of pulling...

What’re the chances of Selling during a Pandemic? Who’s buying in these uncertain times anyway?  Unless you’re a key supplier to one of the...

How we buy has changed as much in the workplace as it has at home.   Access to seemingly unlimited information makes it possible to...

It’s not rocket science – once the big reductions in cost have been achieved, savings benefits diminish as major spend categories become properly sourced.   ...

I’m delighted that JMCL’s support the Tour of Cambridge (ToC) continues in 2020. We consider it a great fit with our Enlightened Procurement approach to...

Last month I talked about ‘creative dissatisfaction’ and it being a driver of positive improvement.  Does improvement necessarily need to be a binary choice of “Out with...

Coming back to work in the New Year it’s impossible not to feel that it’s time for a new start.    We’ve just had a...

If we were completely satisfied, nothing would change.   There’d be no need for progress.  The lack of something we desire stimulates progress, it’s a basic human...

Even in the short time between thinking about this article and writing it, things have changed dramatically.   The only constant of recent times would seem...

It’s that time of year again when we break for the festive period and people take stock and consider where they are going. Last...

One of the funniest things I’ve heard in a while came from a very unexpected source – accountants not being known for their sense...

It never ceases to amaze me how difficult it can be to get hold of simple, valuable information which – when put to good...

A few weeks ago I turned on the radio and heard an all too familiar story of migrant workers churning out products for a...

When I first thought about an award that recognised suppliers who offered a sustainable product or service that was commercially viable I had envisaged...

JMCL Consulting was honoured to be invited to run a workshop at the eWorld Procurement and Supply event in London last week. The conference, which took...

Over 8, 000 cyclists took part in this, the 5th edition of the festival.  The ToC is the exclusive UK qualifying event for the UCI...

I’m delighted to announce that the winner of our first JMCL ‘Get Lit’ Award is WildHearts Office.  It’s apt that the award goes to a...

It’s very simple: Savings increase profits by 100% ; Revenue growth increases profits by 5-10%  Savings increase cash immediately (see below); Revenue growth is...

Back in December I not only made a New Year’s resolution, I made my commitment to keeping it public.   I resolved to create...

Sometimes opportunities align to combine both business and pleasure.  I’m delighted to have the opportunity for JMCL to support the Tour of Cambridge (ToC)....

Myths, Rackets and Distortions The circular economy and its challenges is a topic I return to regularly – indeed I’ve made a resolution to...

“Do Not Pass – By Order of the Peaky F***ing Blinders” I was rambling in a remote part of the Peak District recently when...

The term ‘Greenwash’ entered the Concise Oxford English Dictionary in 1999, but it’s probably been around a lot longer.   The definition is: ‘Disinformation disseminated...

Blast Away the Greenwash – Get Enlightened JMCL Consulting is honoured to have been invited to speak at the eWorld Procurement Supply event in...

As the technology underpinning Bitcoin, Blockchain has led many to associate it purely with the world of cryptocurrencies. Blockchain as a technology is actually...

I’m told that New Year resolutions are old-hat.  But at the same time we need goals and horizons to strive for.  I’m also told...

Last December, it could be argued that I took the easy option and reviewed other people’s predictions.   This year I thought I’d take...

If we really have passed Peak Stuff , it is now incumbent on producers of product and service to offer more. Offering more, meeting very human...

“In the Western World, we’ve probably hit Peak Stuff.” – Steve Howard, IKEA   “people sacrifice too much life to get more stuff.” “happiness...

Hearing that these are tough times for the High Street is not new, but it’s no less shocking hearing news of bankruptcy, receivership and...

“A butterfly flaps its wings somewhere and the wind changes, and a warm front hits a cold front off the coast of western Africa...

A common misconception is that procurement is only for businesses “in trouble” or businesses which have plateaued, won’t grow and need to improve profits...

The benefits of the business community getting involved with charities and social enterprises have been well documented. Research shows that companies are viewed more...

We think that this initiative is fantastic and are very happy to be able to help in any way that we can. Merseyside Police...

I was invited to be a Dragon for The Princes Trust recently, judging investments for fund raising ideas. This one is brilliant, demonstrating Simplicity, a...

We work with a lot of growing businesses to improve their bottom line. This month we’ve invited a guest – Mike McKenzie of McKenzie...

“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” George Bernard Shaw   I was reminded of some wonderful...

We periodically publish guides on various aspects of procurement practice. We hope that you find them useful and valuable. In Whose Interest? Getting The...

The last 12 months has seen an unprecedented upsurge in what the public expect from businesses in addressing social and cultural challenges. Expectations –...

I was delighted to be able to take my place at Andy Burnham’s landmark Manchester Green Summit on 21 March. The event brought together...

The person chairing at a recent meeting kicked it off with an unexpected question. “How are you feeling and what have you done today?”  It was enough...

“I am very cautious of people who are absolutely right, especially when they are vehemently so.” ― Michael Palin, Diaries 1969-1979: The Python Years...

It has been almost impossible to miss the discussion and debate about Cryptocurrency in the last 3 months. For a brief time either side...

Show me how a person is rewarded and I will predict their actions. Maybe it’s a coincidence that as I write this article the...

We all like a nice surprise, but nobody likes a shock and avoiding shocks from suppliers should be a central principle when selecting and...

I’m always struck by the number of articles at the turn of each year making predictions for the coming 12 months.  This year I...

2017 has been an exciting year for many reasons. An early sign of the year-end is watching the BBC Sports Personality of the Year....

This article comes from Malcolm Smith, JMCL Consultant. Blue Ocean Strategy was a seminal work that came out of INSEAD in 2004.  Written by...

A deeper understanding of the business, suppliers and end-customers can – with some suppliers – lead to not just better management of day-to-day transactions,...

“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”. What have the words of George Santayana got to do with supplier relationships.?...

“Knowing me, knowing you” – creating the strategies for successful supplier relationships. Every successful business has its specialties, the things it does best. They...

Is procurement about putting dogma before dynamism? There are perceptions that procurement is process and compliance driven,  slow to respond to change, and too...

In scientific terms, a black box is a device, or a system, with inputs and outputs, but where its internal workings are concealed. It...

Compliance is demanding on small businesses. The onus is on them to clearly demonstrate that they are working to the correct guidelines around such...

Bad reputations can be costly, and businesses are waking up to the importance of reputation management.

What is the price of trust to your reputation and your brand? Put it another way, what is the cost of the loss of...