RS

Maintaining continuity in MRO

You might expect the pandemic to have pushed business continuity planning for critical parts up the agenda in the 2021 Indirect Procurement survey. But it hasn’t. Why is this and what lessons can we learn?

Across the globe, supply chains have been disrupted, suppliers have gone out of business and stocks of critical parts have been limited due to the impact of COVID-19. Yet, in the 2021 Indirect Procurement report, produced by RS Components in partnership with the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS), continuity planning had barely increased in importance from last year.

Find out more

By following this link you will be redirected to a page owned by RS

How to future-proof your MRO supply chain 

COVID-19 has created supply-chain nightmares that no one foresaw. From closed borders to soaring freight costs, the pandemic has forced procurement professionals to rethink many assumptions that have driven supply-chain development in recent years.

Take just-in-time delivery, for example. The pandemic has ruthlessly exposed its vulnerability to supplier failures. But at the same time, the economic effects of the crisis mean buffer stocks are a luxury few can afford.

So, how can you future-proof your supply chain against the next crisis?

Find out more

By following this link you will be redirected to a page owned by RS

Take control of MRO spend

At a time of unprecedented upheaval, and almost existential crisis for global supply chains, procurement professionals are under more pressure than ever to reduce MRO spending.

Global supply chains have been upended by the pandemic. In the wake of the disruption, businesses need to inject them with more resilience. That means the diversification of supply chains is becoming a priority, with an increase in the demand for new, more local sources of goods and products.

Find out more

By following this link you will be redirected to a page owned by RS

2020 Indirect Procurement Report

This 4th annual whitepaper explores research commissioned by RS Components with members of the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS). The 2020 Indirect Procurement Report provides an in-depth look at the category for Maintenance, Repair & Operations (MRO), the impact of COVID-19, how the category is managed and the role of technology and sustainability. Expert opinion is provided giving analysis on what the findings mean for business.

Find out more

By following this link you will be redirected to a page owned by RS

Reframing MRO Procurement as a Strategic Enabler

Procurement professionals have been thrust into the spotlight by the COVID-19 pandemic. No longer focused on managing costs, procurement departments have been transformed into teams of strategic problem-solvers.

Peter Malpas, President for EMEA at RS Components, reflects on the findings of the fourth annual survey of the MRO sector conducted jointly by RS Components and the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS), to assess what those changes mean to the procurement profession.

Find out more

By following this link you will be redirected to a page owned by RS

Future-proofing MRO with digital technology

Technology to help drive efficiency, reduce long-term costs and avoid downtime is being adopted at a rapid pace in the sector. Here’s what you need to know.

Find out more

By following this link you will be redirected to a page owned by RS

One way to reduce the cost of MRO procurement is to automate the process. The impact of Covid-19 and the humanitarian effect for people, businesses and the economy will be long-lasting. Organisations have had to pivot to new business models dealing with both surges in demand on the one hand and the evaporation of orders on the other.

Read the rest of the article

By following this link you will be redirected to a page owned by RS

The frequency and time-consuming nature of MRO (maintenance, repair and operations) purchasing is a constant drain on organisations’ resources. MRO procurement tends to consist of high-volume, relatively low-value purchases, but while the products’ costs aren’t significant, the time taken by employees during the purchasing process is. For engineers, procurement professionals and others involved in the source-to-pay process, the time taken on MRO purchases could be better spent on other work.

Read the rest of the article

By following this link you will be redirected to a page owned by RS

COVID-19 has put unprecedented pressure on costs and operations. But how do you provide workplace essentials quickly while reducing costs and keeping your workforce safe? One answer is industrial vending, delivering everyday items close to the production line.

Read the rest of the article

By following this link you will be redirected to a page owned by RS

As the COVID-19 crisis has disrupted supply chains and caused sudden surges in demand, it has never been more important to have an effective MRO (maintenance, repair and operations) procurement tool that’s accessible to people on the frontline. In the rush to get an urgent part, corners can be cut – ad hoc and unapproved suppliers are used, hours lost trying to identify the right item, and quality can be sacrificed.

Read the rest of the article

By following this link you will be redirected to a page owned by RS

Individual purchases related to Maintenance, Repair & Operations are often low-value items, yet the overall process making those purchases can be twice as much as the actual product itself.

Read the rest of the article

By following this link you will be redirected to a page owned by RS

Take control of MRO spend

At a time of unprecedented upheaval, and almost existential crisis for global supply chains, procurement professionals are under more pressure than ever to reduce MRO spending.

Global supply chains have been upended by the pandemic. In the wake of the disruption, businesses need to inject them with more resilience. That means the diversification of supply chains is becoming a priority, with an increase in the demand for new, more local sources of goods and products.

Find out more

By following this link you will be redirected to a page owned by RS

Webinar: The 2020 Indirect Procurement Report: how procurement has adapted and thrived during the pandemic

Join this webinar as Peter Malpas, President for EMEA at RS components shares the key findings from its 2020 Indirect Procurement Report covering the state of mainenance, repair and operations (MRO) procurement. Expert opinion is provided explaining what the key findings mean for business and what improvements you should consider for your MRO strategy in order to drive your organisation.

Sign up to watch the webinar

By following this link you will be redirected to a page owned by Supply Management Insider.

The Industrial Internet of Things has the potential to bring dramatic cost reductions and improvements in safety and efficiency. But change happens fast, and businesses that don’t embrace the technology now risk becoming uncompetitive in the future.

Read the rest of the article

By following this link you will be redirected to a page owned by RS

Indirect purchasing costs are under more scrutiny than ever and the demands to keep expenditure down are constantly rising. Against this backdrop, procurement professionals need to find new ways to holistically manage costs and deliver value.

Read the rest of the article

By following this link you will be redirected to a page owned by RS

The art of continuous improvement in MRO

There’s an old adage that asks the question, how do you eat an elephant? The answer, as you may already know, is one mouthful at a time.

Sometimes the only way to make progress towards a goal is to break your objective into bite-sized pieces and get there one step at a time. That outlook was attributed with helping the British cycling team rise to global dominance in its sport. And it’s something that many industrial and manufacturing businesses may find beneficial too.

Read the rest of the article

By following this link you will be redirected to a page owned by RS

MRO in a fast-changing world

Nobody ever said being an MRO professional was easy. Things are getting tougher, with constant pressure on costs, the need to avoid downtime and new demands to be ethical as well. Here RS Components’ Peter Malpas offers a way forward to achieve your objectives in a rapidly changing world.

Read the rest of the article

By following this link you will be redirected to a page owned by RS

Empowering change in MRO procurement

Change is hard, and this can put businesses off doing things differently – but we shouldn’t let fear of failure stop us making the improvements that will take us into the future.

Read the rest of the article

By following this link you will be redirected to a page owned by RS

People, planet and profit: the 3 pillars of sustainable business

To say sustainability has become one the most discussed topics of recent times would be an understatement. Google it and more than one million results will come back – it is an issue of interest and concern to an incredibly diverse audience...

Read the rest of the article

By following this link you will be redirected to a page owned by RS

Webinar on demand: The Future of MRO - The Challenges and Opportunities for Indirect Procurement and MRO

Supply management is a complicated topic but also a route to a successful business. The challenges we see within the Indirect category for Maintenance, Repair & Operations (MRO) procurement are common across organisations of different sizes. Peter Malpas shares the key findings from our recent research commissioned by RS with CIPS members on the challenges MRO supplies. The topics of change and how to respond are explored.

Download the report

By following this link you will be redirected to a page owned by RS

Responding to Change

In spring 2019, 20 procurement experts gathered at the RS Components head office in the technology hub of London’s Pancras Square to discuss the RS Components and CIPS 2018 whitepaper, Indirect Procurement Report 2018: Drivers of Change & how to respond.

Download whitepaper

By following this link you will be redirected to a page owned by RS

Five ways to navigate changes in procurement for MRO 

How can you future proof the Indirect Procurement category of MRO supplies for your business?

Download whitepaper

By following this link you will be redirected to a page owned by RS

The pressures facing procurement professionals today

Procurement professionals are under pressure. This may come as no surprise, particularly for those working in the sector, but a recent survey among Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS) members has shed light on the extent of the current pressure for the complex Indirect procurement category for MRO supplies.

Download whitepaper

By following this link you will be redirected to a page owned by RS

What factors are driving change in procurement for MRO?  

Several factors are driving this change, from internal pressures to reduce costs to external factors such as Brexit. The survey, which forms the basis of the Indirect Procurement Report 2018: drivers of change and how to respond whitepaper by RS Components and CIPS, generated insight into drivers of change. factors.

Download whitepaper

By following this link you will be redirected to a page owned by RS

The Indirect Procurement Report 2018 - MRO - Drivers of Change  

The 2nd annual piece of CIPS & RS Components research on the challenges and opportunities for MRO supplies. The report looks at the latest view of procurement and supply chain professionals on the MRO category. Areas of focus are: pressures organisations face, managing inventory and supplier knowledge, stakeholder management, innovation and external factors.

Download whitepaper

By following this link you will be redirected to a page owned by RS

Process Cost Calculator

The supply chain for indirect materials is complex. Understanding the process costs related to what you’re sourcing and purchasing will enable you to continuously improve and give greater visibility of your total costs. Process costs can be twice the amount spent on products and typically the average process cost for an order is around £80. We’ve developed a process cost calculator to help provide guidance to CIPS members.

Download 

By following this link you will be redirected to a page owned by RS

How do you cut MRO costs 

In our article ‘What is MRO procurement?’, we explained the importance of indirect procurement costs and how, with this type of purchase, the average organisation spends £2 on process costs to every £1 spent on the actual product. While the product cost is still worth considering, organisations that focus solely on cost are missing the big picture and they may actually end up spending much more money on their process than they save by finding or negotiating a cheaper product.

Find out more

By following this link you will be redirected to a page owned by RS

MRO in focus

Recent research  conducted by RS and the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS) provided a snapshot of the major issues and trends that procurement professionals have noticed regarding indirect procurement.

Find out more

By following this link you will be redirected to a page owned by RS

Making change easy

RS’s Mike England explains how MRO suppliers can play a key role in evolving your MRO procurement strategy to keep up with changing trends and technology.

Find out more

By following this link you will be redirected to a page owned by RS

Why changing your MRO strategy will benefit your bottom line

Indirect procurement, and the processes connected to MRO purchases, is changing – what will these changes mean, and how will they impact long-term costs?

Find out more

By following this link you will be redirected to a page owned by RS

MRO procurement is changing. Don’t get left behind

With rapidly evolving technology set to dramatically impact the indirect procurement supply chain, procurement teams need to stay ahead of the curve to avoid drifting into obscurity

Blockbuster, MySpace, Kodak, Blackberry – names that were once at the forefront of their respective industries that didn’t move with the times and have stagnated or, in Blockbuster’s case, disappeared altogether. The common theme among these businesses was a failure to adapt to change – whether it was changing customer demands or new technology changing the marketplace.

Find out more

By following this link you will be redirected to a page owned by RS

Preparing for change:  The evolution of MRO Procurement

In this white paper RS & CIPS analyse research conducted with procurement professionals on the challenges of indirect procurement and MRO supplies. Expert opinion is provided explaining what the findings mean for business and how MRO strategies are going to need to adapt to change in a rapidly evolving environment. 

Find out more

By following this link you will be redirected to a page owned by RS

The Robots are Coming ... Embrace it

As UK manufacturing begins to embrace the fourth industrial revolution, robots are set to play a key role in improving productivity across the sector.

Find out more

By following this link you will be redirected to a page owned by RS

Knowledge Economy

Embracing social media:  This anecdotal evidence is not the only sign things are changing, that procurement professionals are, albeit slowly, beginning to embrace social media and digital technologies to improve procurement processes, collaboration, risk and exception management, R&D, innovation and CPD.

Find out more

By following this link you will be redirected to a page owned by RS

Why safety is the number one priority in Manufacturing

Workplace accidents can be devastating to manufacturers, so a sensible safety strategy and collaborative relationship with suppliers is essential

Find out more

By following this link you will be redirected to a page owned by RS

Taking the pain out of exporting

Sending MRO parts and tools outside the UK can be difficult, both in terms of logistics and compliance. But by working with a global supplier it’s possible to outsource the complexity.

Find out more

By following this link you will be redirected to a page owned by RS

De-risking the global supply chain

Supply chain risk is an incredibly important area of business – this is because most companies have global supply chains that they rely on to transport products to and from other parts of the world. RS’s Charlie Jenkinson reveals the biggest risks and explains how working with the right supplier can help businesses to avoid them.

Find out more

By following this link you will be redirected to a page owned by RS

Removing hidden costs from the NHS

A glance at any daily newspaper will tell you that the NHS is under severe budgetary pressure, often with tensions between employees and the government as a collective solution to paying for the nation's long-term healthcare is sought. With most NHS trusts facing a funding deficit, there is an urgent need for cost efficiencies.

Find out more

By following this link you will be redirected to a page owned by RS

Responding to change

Connected Thinking gathered procurement professionals to discuss changes within MRO and reveal the importance of relationships and trust in managing change successfully.

Find out more

By following this link you will be redirected to a page owned by RS

Putting behavioural procurement into practice

Behavioural procurement expert David Loseby explains why understanding emotions and biases could be the key to stakeholder management in procurement for MRO supplies.

Find out more

By following this link you will be redirected to a page owned by RS

Managing assets

Why the ‘make do and mend’ approach for managing assets needs to be replaced with a strategic maintenance policy.

Find out more

By following this link you will be redirected to a page owned by RS

The new shop floor

Is the UK set for ‘smart manufacturing’? Connected Thinking visited Siemens’ UK factory to find out more about the shift towards Industry 4.0.

Find out more

By following this link you will be redirected to a page owned by RS

Talking the talk

With its complex purchase-to-pay process and multiple stakeholders, MRO procurement requires outstanding people skills.

Find out more

By following this link you will be redirected to a page owned by RS

Grow your MRO procurement network

Our panel of procurement experts share their secrets for achieving stakeholder alignment on your indirect purchasing approach. 

Find out more

By following this link you will be redirected to a page owned by RS

Take aim at your MRO mavericks

 Off-contract indirect spend by stakeholders is the bane of the procurement team. How can you boost compliance and clip the wings of MRO procurement mavericks?

Find out more

By following this link you will be redirected to a page owned by RS

Five ways MRO procurement is set to change

 What are the biggest disruptors revolutionising the indirect procurement process and what are the main drivers of this change?  How will they impact MRO procurement for orgainsations?  In our whitepaper we list the five most significant developments impacting the indirect procurement process.  

Find out more

By following this link you will be redirected to a page owned by RS

Why ethical procurement matters

CIPS’ Emma Scott explains the importance of an ethical procurement policy and how to ensure your organisation stays on the right side of the law.

Find out more

By following this link you will be redirected to a page owned by RS

Power Dynamics in MRO procurement 

Successfully implementing an improved MRO strategy requires the right mix of procurement talent to fit an organisation's stakeholders.  

Interview with Pauline King from Procurious – article about the nuances affecting a shift in attitude towards better indirect procurement practices, impact on MRO.

Find out more

By following this link you will be redirected to a page owned by RS

Seven ways to ride out economic upheaval

This article outlines the key steps your organisation can take to stay strong during times of economic and political uncertainty.

Find out more

By following this link you will be redirected to a page owned by RS

 Ending inefficient, costly procurement processes

In a busy hospital, 24/7 operational reliability can be a matter of life and death. It’s unsurprising then that spares and replacement parts are ordered in high volumes. Having full visibility and control of those orders can deliver a range of benefits, something that underpinned the strategy RS Components put in place for King’s College Hospital in London.

Find out more

By following this link you will be redirected to a page owned by RS

  A healthy approach to MRO purchasing

The UK arm of this diagnostic imaging and healthcare equipment business is looked after by around 250 field engineers. While a manufacturing plant is likely to have its own dedicated stores area and personnel, field engineers have no central facility to rely on.

Find out more

By following this link you will be redirected to a page owned by RS

  Cutting the MRO costs of a confectionery giant

In this case study, read all about how RS helped a leading confectionery manufacturer achieve significant cost savings in the indirect procurement process through it's PurchasingManager™ solution.

Find out more

By following this link you will be redirected to a page owned by RS

  Packing in savings with smarter processes

In this case study, packaging innovation and design business, Berry Superfos Blackburn, has seen service go up and costs come down thanks to RS ConnectPoint™ and RS PurchasingManager™

Find out more

By following this link you will be redirected to a page owned by RS 

  Kitting efficiency 

RS Component’s kitting service has enabled a leading power company to complete a significant maintenance project on time and on budget.

Find out more

By following this link you will be redirected to a page owned by RS - x

  Cutting costs with eProcurement

Find out how this car manufacturing giant reduced inefficiencies and process costs with help from RS and their eProcurement solutions.

Find out more

By following this link you will be redirected to a page owned by RS

  Vendor managed inventory reducing process costs

A leading water company in the utilities sector has seen a 70% reduction in process costs since adopting RS Component’s innovative ScanStock solution.

Find out more

By following this link you will be redirected to a page owned by RS

  Taking the pain out of inventory management

Find out how a business approached their inventory management issues and found the real value of using RS's innovative ScanStock solution to manage fast-moving, low value MRO parts and consumables.

Find out more

By following this link you will be redirected to a page owned by RS

  Reducing downtime with vendor-managed inventories

PP Control & Automation has seen delays and downtime eliminated since adopting RS’s innovative ScanStock solution for their MRO supplies.

Find out more

By following this link you will be redirected to a page owned by RS

Use of these links will take you away from the CIPS website to internet sites maintained by third-parties. You assume sole responsibility for the use of all third-party links. CIPS provides these links as a convenience and accepts no responsibility for content, errors, omissions, or inaccuracies.