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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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...

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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.

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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.

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Five ways to navigate changes in procurement for MRO 

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

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Why embracing innovation opens up opportunities for your business

Three industry experts explore attitudes towards new technology and innovation and how these can help to solve common problems related to Indirect Procurement and the category of MRO supplies.

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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.

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Strategies for managing MRO  

MRO procurement is complex. Engineers who are based across multiple sites may be making thousands of low-value purchases, meaning agreeing upon and adhering to a single MRO purchasing strategy is difficult.

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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.

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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.

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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 their indirect procurement process through it's PurchasingManager™ system.

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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.

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The consolidated approach to MRO

As businesses from all industries look at ways to cut their operational expenditure, the need to make the MRO (maintenance repair and operations) procurement process more efficient has become increasingly important. One of the biggest weapons a procurement team has against excessive indirect spending (and the various soft costs incurred by having an inefficient process) is consolidating suppliers.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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?

"The long-term solution is for businesses to move away from reactive, unplanned maintenance and take that brave step towards predictive, planned maintenance", Mike England, Managing Director for Northern Europe, RS

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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.

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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. 

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Switching onto eProcurement

CIPS Sheena Donaldson explains why making the investment into a digital purchasing system helps reduce the risk within your organisation by providing transparency and helping reduce maverick spend.

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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.

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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.

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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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Supply Management - RS sponsored industrial procurement survey findings

A recent survey of procurement professionals conducted by RS Components via Management Insider magazine provides an interesting snapshot into the issues facing the profession. When asked what was the most important issue they faced, 43% of respondents stated that they wanted to “simplify the end-to-end procurement process” – the most common response received.

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The future of industry 4.0

The Internet of Things continues to grow and influence a greater number of businesses, this article takes an in-depth look at the practical uses for  the Internet of Things.

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Complexity conceals potential cost savings

This white paper outlines the three key methods of unravelling MRO complexity by focusing on involving all relevant stakeholders, analysing consumption data and accurately tracking any savings achieved.

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RS Components' 4th annual survey

RS Components is proud to sponsor this 4th annual survey to understand CIPS members’ needs in indirect procurement category of supplies for Maintenance, Repair & Operations (MRO). The understanding and insight from last year’s report has been read by over 5,000 people.

Your feedback is critical so we can continue to understand the trends and needs in MRO procurement and to share them with all CIPS members on cips.org/mro

The survey takes less than 10 minutes to complete.

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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.

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MRO 2020... and beyond

Connected Thinking gathers industry experts to identify the biggest disruptors to the MRO process.

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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.

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Managing assets

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

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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.

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Talking the talk

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

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Grow your MRO procurement network

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

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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?

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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.  

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How pricing solutions can improve MRO efficencies

This white paper examines why product discounts alone are not a sustainable method of achieving cost savings in MRO procurement. Instead, organisations should consider introducing a pricing solutions strategy, making use of data insights to create better deals and long-term savings.

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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.

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Cutting contamination out of food manufacturing

The single biggest fear of food and drink manufacturers is contamination, but by introducing thorough checks and making use of outside expertise, it’s a risk that can be managed.

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Two-way conversation

Head of Customer Experience Paula McKillen explains how customer feedback helps shape RS’s business strategy.

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The benefits of going global

When it comes to working with MRO suppliers, partnering with a company that has global reach brings critical advantages.

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Why data security is an essential investment

If data is the most important thing your organisation has, it would be crazy not to take effective measures to secure this asset.

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The Role of MRO In Business Effectiveness 

This report explains how MRO procurement can have an impact on the overall effectiveness of an organisation. By improving MRO efficiency a company can both cut its costs and improve its operational effectiveness by reducing downtime, speeding up repairs and ensuring deliveries are made on time.

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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.

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The secret of good internal communications 

According to a survey by global research firm ORC International, when it comes to employee engagement the UK lags well behind the rest of the world – in 18th place out of 20 countries. Only 37% of UK employees feel encouraged to be innovative and less than half (49%) feel valued at work. Kate Jones, Chair of the Institute of Internal Communication, explains why employee engagement is vital to business success.

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Five steps to increased productivity

Whether UK businesses see the decision of the British public to leave the EU as an opportunity or a disaster, one thing that is guaranteed over the next two years is uncertainty. Until a deal is finalised and the repercussions (good and bad) of Brexit are known, businesses both big and small will face a period of uneasiness.

Four business leaders share their expert advice on how to boost productivity.

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Putting the quality in quality management

Quality management is widely regarded as the umbrella name for three important elements of running a business – quality assurance, which provides customers with confidence in the overall quality of your products and services; quality control, which looks at fulfilling the required levels of quality; and quality improvement, where you look to continually improve the quality throughout your organisation.

Robert Gordon University’s Dr Lowellyne James outlines the key steps in achieving quality management across your business and in the supply chain.

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The real cost of MRO procurement

RS's Jarn Gill explains why understanding the hidden costs involved in indirect procurement is crucial to making significant savings.

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Collaboration is king

Collaboration within organisations - fuelled by advances in technology - is on the increase, but how can you encourage productive collaboration, both internally and externally?  Dr John Glen, director for customised executive development at Cranfield School of Management and CIPS Economist makes the point that most medium-to-large businesses have multiple divisions and that their success depends on how well these divisions work together.  

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Understanding the distinct nature of MRO costs

Many organisations overlook or underestimate MRO costs due to the complexity of the process. The report outlines why indirect costs are often missed compared with direct procurement, but suggests that MRO is actually very costly because it consumes a large amount of time and effort during the purchasing process. 

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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.

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Why consumption profiling is key to determining the best MRO procurement savings strategy

This white paper highlights the importance of data to an effective MRO strategy. Organisations are recommended to create a detailed consumption profile that shows the volume and frequency of products that are purchased. This information can be used to identify cost savings and efficiencies.

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The importance of Big Data in unlocking procurement savings

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Maximise MRO savings while hitting procurement KPIs

While a dedicated department handles most direct procurement, when it comes to MRO, the process usually involves multiple stakeholders.  This article discusses how a chane in strategy can lead to significant savings when it comes to setting KPIs for MRO procurement. 

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Three ways to reduce procurement complexity

Many organisations are dissuaded from attempting to make efficiencies in MRO procurement because of the process’s complexity. Here, we outline three ways to simplify MRO and make cost savings.

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Adapting to the future

Procurement, and business in general, never stands still. Because technology, culture and values continually evolve at a rapid pace, it’s more important than ever for organisations and their senior people to adapt to change and prepare for what is around the corner.

Nicola Robinson from the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS) looks at how organisations and their leaders can stay ahead of the curve and flourish.

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Putting customers before price 

Finding the right suppliers is crucial in any organisation and procurement teams need to know there are significant risks and cost implications if they choose the wrong one. RS industry sector manager Chris Cruise explains why procurement teams should put service levels before cost cutting.

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The future is eProcurement 

Procurement purchases can generally be split into two categories – traditional, paper-based requisitions, and electronic, or eProcurement, where organisations use a business-wide digital platform to procure goods.

RS’s Simon Roberts explains why eProcurement is a logical step for most organisations and what to consider when making the switch.

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