Stuart O'Brien, Author at Total Supply Chain Summit | Forum Events Ltd

Total Supply Chain Summit | Forum Events Ltd Total Supply Chain Summit | Forum Events Ltd Total Supply Chain Summit | Forum Events Ltd Total Supply Chain Summit | Forum Events Ltd Total Supply Chain Summit | Forum Events Ltd

Posts By :

Stuart O'Brien

Hubbub outlines challenges and opportunities for reusable food and drink packaging
By:

Environmental charity Hubbub has launched ‘Reuse Systems Unpacked’, a report uncovering the challenges and opportunities for reusable food and drink packaging systems.

The report, unveiled at The Royal Society of Arts in the presence of key players in the sector, provides recommendations on how reusable packaging systems can work and what needs to happen for such systems to be used by consumers and become mainstream.

The research was funded by Bunzl and involved in-depth interviews with 40 organisations and individuals in the sphere of reusable food and drink packaging, from start-ups and small-scale trials to big brands and events, as well as people in the fields of policy, academia and logistics, including Tesco, DEFRA, Just Eat and Abel & Cole.

Hubbub also commissioned polling across the UK to gather public opinion on the motivators and barriers to individuals engaging in reuse systems for food and drink packaging.

The survey of 3,000 people shows a clear public appetite to cut down on single-use plastics, with 67% of people saying they want to reduce the amount of single-use packaging they use when buying food and drink products.  73% think more needs to be done to make it easier to use reusable alternatives and 67% said they’d be open to borrowing and returning a reusable container for groceries.

The research also identified the main motivators and barriers to people using reusable packaging schemes for food and drink. Price is the main motivator with 2 out of 5 people saying that being able to use the reusable packaging scheme for no extra cost would encourage them. Earning rewards or discounts for using a scheme, as well as knowing that it reduces waste and is better for the environment than single use packaging, would encourage 38% of the public.

In terms of barriers, concerns that the packaging might not be clean or hygienic was mentioned by 38% of respondents, followed by thinking it might cost more money (31%) and having to carry or store the packaging until it can be returned (27%).

Key recommendations  

Hubbub has identified 10 key recommendations to help reuse systems set up and scale: 

  1. Convenience is key: minimise the friction points and fit into people’s current patterns of behaviour.
  2. Keep the price down: the price needs to be as close as possible to single-use.
  3. Choose the right incentives: they play an important role to encourage use and returns, but deposits can put people off and rewards can lead to over-complication.
  4. Integrate logistics: innovation is needed here, such as creating centralised logistics networks in cities, backhauling through existing systems and developing new washing processes.
  5. Be smart with packaging design: clever design is about more than aesthetics; it integrates tech, encourages returns and reduces the environmental footprint of packaging and transport.
  6. Understand the lifecycle analysis: a consistent process needs to be established to work out the environmental impact of reuse systems in a way that’s accurate and comparable.
  7. Collaborate: a system working across multiple brands, locations and platforms will be more convenient and less confusing for users.
  8. Consider the role of tech: tech can simplify payments, deposit refunds, rewards and tracking usage, but it can complicate the user journey and put off some audiences.
  9. Offer reassurance: the public have concerns around hygiene which can be addressed through a robust washing process supported by good communications.
  10. Support through policy: a range of potential policies, standards, incentives and subsidies would support the growth of reusable systems.

Alex Robinson, CEO of Hubbub, said: “To effectively tackle the issue of packaging waste, reuse must become mainstream. For this to happen, it’s crucial that companies across the food & drink industry, along with policymakers, work together and learn from each other. The ‘Reuse Systems Unpacked’ report is the first of its kind and brings together the findings from existing schemes and systems, along with insight into public attitudes towards reusable packaging. It’s clear the public are hungry for change. We hope this report helps to accelerate progress across the food and drink industry and drives us quickly towards a society where reusable food and drink packaging is the norm.”

James Pitcher, Head of Sustainability at Bunzl plc, said: “It’s been a long-held mantra of Bunzl that the life of packaging does not end at the point of sale and our ambition doesn’t either. We have been using our scale and unique position at the centre of the supply chain to work with our customers and suppliers to lead the industry towards a more sustainable approach to packaging. To move away from a linear mindset to a more circular one we need to understand the opportunities and challenges involved, which is why we’re pleased to have supported this work. The circular economy has to go mass market to be effective and research like this means we’ll understand what’s collectively required to reach a macro-solution sooner.”

Hubbub has extensive experience of encouraging reuse through a series of campaigns and partnerships including the recent launch of the Bring It Back Fund, a £1m fund in partnership with Starbucks to support reusable food and drink packaging systems.

For more information and to read the report, visit www.hubbub.org.uk/reuse-systems-unpacked.

The Government Food Strategy: More research, policies and further consultation needed
By:

The National Food Strategy published in the summer of 2021, was the first comprehensive review of the food system in 75 years, undertaken by an extensive panel of experts with detailed evidence-based recommendations. It resulted in the Government committing to release a White Paper to take forward or reject the suggestions it made.

The catering sector eagerly awaited its publication, with the hope that decisive inroads could be made into improving the health of the nation. The latest Government Food Strategy has now been published.

Here, two of the allmanhall team take a look: Tess Warnes BSc RD, company dietitian at allmanhall and Joe Evans, a non-executive director of allmanhall and current Chairman of the Environment Committee for The Country Land and Business Association. Together they address the recommendations, what this means for food supply, key take-outs and actions for caterers, and whether the latest report delivers on earlier promises and expectations…

A key theme of The National Food Strategy was to manage obesity and food poverty by equally addressing issues of diet and sustainability, with particular attention on a tax on sugar and salt and reducing meat consumption whilst increasing fruit and vegetable intake. The theme throughout the newly published Government Food Strategy Report appears to be a considerable lack of action, and instead references the need for more evidence and policies before committing to progress.

Tess Warnes BSc RD, company dietitian at allmanhall comments: “the main outcome seems to be the need for more research, policies and further consultation before any concrete actions can take place.

At allmanhall, we support catering teams with nutrition and dietetic improvements, so were hopeful that the Government would by now be in a position to implement some of the suggested changes. Instead, they seem to be shying away from any bold transformative recommendations, in particular issues around health and tackling obesity.”

Joe Evans, non-executive director of allmanhall and current Chairman of the Environment Committee for The Country Land and Business Association, goes on to critique the report from a farming and supply angle and whether it sufficiently addresses food security, balanced with sustainability.

“There is still significant thought required to address the acute challenges to supply chain resilience when it comes to farm producers, too. There are currently 9 main risks* to the UK food production supply chain. These need to be augmented with the very sensible and necessary drive towards Sustainable Farming practices.” The team at allmanhall go on to say they very much hope to see further evolutions of the Food Strategy to ensure a balanced approach.

So, what are the outcomes of the latest Food Strategy, and how far do they go to address the key issues of diet and sustainability?

The Government is suggesting further consultation is needed in a number of areas before any concrete actions can be undertaken;

  • Consult on the ambition for half of public sector expenditure to be spent on food produced locally or to higher environmental standards
  • Consult on how to improve on and expand animal welfare labelling
  • £270m to be invested across farming innovation to drive sustainable farming
  • Consult on food waste
  • Explore innovative feed additives that can reduce methane emissions
  • Launch a new partnership between public and private sector to provide consumers with more information about the food they eat while incentivising industry to produce healthier, more ethical and sustainable goods
  • Undertake trials to develop evidenced-based interventions to encourage healthier more sustainable diets
  • Enhanced monitoring regarding School Food Standards.

On the serious issues of obesity and food poverty, the responsibility has been handed over to be dealt with by the Health Disparities White Paper, which is currently due to be published later this year.

The report very much emphasises on the rising cost of living as a reason for not making any drastic changes, such as taxing sugar and salt. This had been a key recommendation from the National Food Strategy, but it has been completely ignored in this policy. We have seen how effective mandatory interventions can be, as evidenced by the UK’s Soft Drinks Industry Levy led to a 29% reduction in the average sugar content of soft drinks (2).

The UK has now the third highest rates of obesity in the G7. Almost three in ten of our adult population are obese (1) meaning bold actions are needed now. The report acknowledges the Junk Food Cycle, as described in the National Food Strategy, but then does not go on to action any suggested solutions. Instead, it focuses more on individuals taking responsibility for their health. As we have seen with the continuing rising rates of obesity it is unrealistic to expect a reduction in body weight solely through individual willpower (3).

Due to the number of people in food poverty, which will likely worsen due to the rising cost of food, it is concerning that the recommendation to extend the eligibility criteria for free school meals has been ignored. Analysis from Child Poverty Action Group suggests 1 in 3 school-age children in England living in poverty miss out on free school meals. (4)

There is very little reference to the recommendations to alter our diet profile by increasing fruit and veg by 30%, fibre by 50% and reducing HFHS foods by 25% and meat by 30%. There is no reference to reducing meat or diary at all, and instead a focus on using different farming methods to reduce methane, despite the National Food Strategy evidencing that we simply cannot reduce methane emissions to a safe level, nor free up the land we need for sequestering carbon, without reducing the amount of meat we eat (5).

So where does this leave caterers? What can catering teams being doing now rather than waiting?

Tess Warnes BSc RD suggests that “with very little decided upon now, and so much hanging in the balance requiring further clarification, while we wait for further direction and policy from the Government, caterers can proactively start implementing some actions themselves.”

  • Introduction of meat free days
  • A ban on certain meats
  • One vegan or vegetarian option added to menu design
  • A minimum of two portions of vegetables per meal, already in line with existing school standards, widened into other sectors
  • Consider calling things on a menu ‘vegetable’ rather than ‘vegetarian’
  • Working with suppliers or procurement provider to understand the whole supply chain rather than just the last mile
  • Ask allmanhall about undertaking carbon impact assessment of menus
  • Address food waste in the catering operation – both sustainability and economically beneficial.

Finally, Warnes comments: “It’s incredibly frustrating that after all this time since the National Food Strategy was commissioned in 2019, we are not much further along with improving the health of the nation. Action is needed now to help reduce obesity and to create a sustainable food system. We will now await the publication of the health disparities white paper due out later this year in the hope that these issues are more thoroughly addressed.” Evans adds “It seems that the reality of conditions of farming are not currently conducive to also helping improve food security through increased domestic self-sufficiency.  This conflict needs to be addressed through the Government Food Strategy.”

*See allmanhall.co.uk/blog for details

References

  1. Bain analysis for the NFS. 1955 mean BMI interpolated from US historic BMI trends and UK BMI from 1977 onwards. Distribution before 1980 is directional using normal distributions around mean value and, therefore, is not an exact representation. Source: NHS Digital. (2018). Health Survey for England 2017 [NS]. NHS Digital. Available at:https://digital.nhs. uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/health-surveyfor-england/2017; Euromonitor. (2019); NHS Digital.(2019). National Child Measurement Programme; Gov.UK. (2018); Population Pyramid. (2019); Davey, R. (2003) The obesity epidemic: too much food for thought?; The trend of BMI values of US adults by centiles, birth cohorts 1882–1986, National Bureau of Economic Research, 2010.
  2. Scarborough, P. et al. (2020). Impact of the announcement and implementation of the UK Soft Drinks Industry Levy on sugar content, price, product size and number of available soft drinks in the UK, 2015–19: A controlled interrupted time series analysis. PLOS Medicine, 17(2), p.e1003025. Available at: https://journals.plos.org/ plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.1003025
  3. Adams, J. et al. (2016). Why Are Some Population Interventions for Diet and Obesity More Equitable and Effective Than Others? The Role of Individual Agency. PLOS Medicine, 13(4) .Available at: https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal. pmed.1001990
  4. Child Poverty Action Group. Accessed online June 22 https://cpag.org.uk/news-blogs/news-listings/800000-children-poverty-not-getting-free-school-meals?utm_source=Sustain&utm_campaign=e1d5c654a2-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2022_05_09_01_53_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_d2d28e0c33-e1d5c654a2-261693085
  5. National Food Strategy Independent Review. The Plan July 2021. Accesses online file:///C:/Users/Lara/Downloads/25585_1669_NFS_The_Plan_July21_S12_New-1%20(1).pdf

Driving supplier sustainability: In uncertain times, control the controllables
By:

By Mark Perera, CEO and Founder, Vizibl

I recently had the pleasure of giving a presentation at Procurement and Supply Chain Live at Tobacco Dock. Given it was my first in-person event since the pandemic shut everything down, it was a real buzz to be in front of an audience of my peers again, and great to hear the contributions of the other speakers.

Like many of those speakers, I chose to present on the considerable sustainability challenges facing those of us who work in procurement and supply chain in my talk ‘Procurement’s Carbon Crisis’.

Though our focus was similar, I noticed a considerable difference in the advice I gave versus what many others were counselling. There was a lot of talk about baselining, about data, and about constructing complex, long-winded frameworks before we can truly embark on making progress against our sustainability goals.

Here I’d like to share the opinions and insights I gave to the audience at Procurement and Supply Chain Live and offer an alternative route to improved supplier sustainability that takes into account a simple fact.

That fact? We are running out of time. Running out of time to baseline, time to pore over data, time to model the myriad consequences of every decision we could possibly take, and – most importantly – running out of time to act. Thankfully, there is another way.

The scale of the problem

Today’s world is facing uncertainty on an unprecedented scale. With trade wars, the invasion of Ukraine, supply chain shortages, socio-political upheaval, food shortages, rising energy prices, the increase in cost of living, and the aftermath of the pandemic, we’re experiencing disruption like never before.

These crises are placing pressure on companies as they struggle to mitigate shocks to their businesses and handle the increased level of unpredictability affecting every area of their operations. This pressure and unpredictability will only increase as the climate crisis worsens – an issue that will inevitably touch every continent, every nation, every citizen, and every business.

Our behaviour, as people and as organisations, has already caused an enormous shift in our climate, with Met Office researchers predicting an even chance that the planet will exceed the 1.5˚C threshold during the next five years, if only temporarily at first. Without changing our behaviour, we have little hope of limiting this crisis, let alone averting it.

We are already 23% into the 2020s, and every 5 weeks we move 1% closer to the 2030 deadline. It’s clear we are not moving quickly enough to meet net zero by the end of the decade.

The importance of our value chains

As if the looming emissions deadline wasn’t scary enough, business leaders are facing a new challenge: the growing scrutiny of our impact beyond our own operations. Businesses, particularly large enterprise companies, are increasingly being held accountable for their end-to-end value chain emissions, and rightly so. No enterprise is an island, and the scrutiny of what goes on to enable our businesses outside our own four walls is growing.

The scrutiny is not unfounded. Today, 80% of most large enterprises’ greenhouse gas emissions sit in the upstream supply chain. Though these emissions sit outside of their direct control, the leaders of those companies are being tasked with using their power and influence to effect change in their supply base and bring supplier stakeholders on their sustainability journey.

Though decisive action is needed, no organisation can simply cull 30-40% of their suppliers if they are non-compliant without plunging themselves into further disarray as a result of lost products, services, and revenue. Thankfully, awareness has been growing of the alternative: working much more closely with supplier stakeholders, particularly the large emitters, to drive sustainability across the end-to-end value chain of large businesses.

Don’t wait for the perfect data set

Though it holds the key to improved alignment and engagement from supply base stakeholders, Supplier Collaboration isn’t easy, and there is a vast quantity of variables to grapple with in improving supplier sustainability credentials.

Organisations that we talk to frequently cite ‘analysis paralysis’ or ‘we don’t have the data’ as the reasons they’ve failed to take meaningful action with suppliers. Scope 3 is complex, the data is difficult to obtain, aggregate and normalise, and it can be hard to establish a robust baseline of supplier sustainability as it exists today.

In a world that values data-driven decision making (and as a data and tech nerd myself!), I get the urge to wait until the numbers come in. But we simply do not have the time to sit on our hands failing to make improvements until we can quantify our baseline.

The question we should ask ourselves instead is: if we do not have time to wait for perfect data, how do we make the best decisions without it?

Control the controllables: focus on what you do know

The process of improving supplier sustainability, particularly in regards to scope 3 emissions is usually one that I distil down to four steps:

  1. Constructing a rough estimate of value chain emissions (note: estimate – we don’t have the time for perfection)
  2. Prioritising your efforts according to scale and how much you can do to influence these emissions
  3. Seeking alignment with these suppliers over goals and targets
  4. Collaborating selectively to find green products and solutions

As I mentioned, many organisations will stall at step 1, convinced they don’t have enough to go on. But step 2 can be hugely helpful. I call this prioritisation step ‘controlling the controllable’. Put simply, we need to focus on what we do know.

I know for example, that most of my emissions sit in my supply chain. I am likely to have a good idea of what scope 3 category is largest (purchased goods and services), and which procurement categories my biggest emitters fall into. I know who those suppliers are, I know what products or services they provide me, and I know how much I spend with them.

Focusing on what I do know, that gives me a place to start. And it’s imperative that we do start.

Use a leading indicator

Another issue that organisations come up against with supplier sustainability is a second data-related quandary. Reliable emissions numbers or supplier sustainability scores from common frameworks are updated infrequently, and only provide a retrospective view of performance. This is because our ultimate goals (such as carbon emissions reduction in kilotons, as one example) are lagging indicators.

A key issue with lag metrics is that if we take the wrong route, it’s too late to go back and course correct when we get the data – which could be years out. What we need is a leading metric that measures our progress towards our goals and provides a reliable indicator of lag success.

Build active collaborative relationships

The leading indicator we use at Vizibl for supplier sustainability success is called ‘active, collaborative relationships’, or ACRs.

We know that success in supplier sustainability is determined by our ability to align our intentions and goals with suppliers, and work in close collaboration and partnership with them to effect change.

Active relationships are the defining characteristic of successful Supplier Collaboration. They denote relationships with productive activity such as ongoing projects, open opportunities, live initiatives, and up-and-running proofs of concept that are aimed at an ultimate shared strategic goal set out by buyer and supplier. This activity can be easily checked, its data is frequently updated, and successful collaborations around a strategic sustainability goal are predictive of success against that very goal.

An organisation running multiple emissions reduction projects with a cohort of strategic sustainability suppliers, centred around alignment of objectives and expected outcomes, with clear success criteria, would be an organisation with many active relationships. Correspondingly, it is also an organisation which is much more likely to deliver against its lag metric.

Just get started

Whatever your environmental sustainability lag metric, whether it’s net zero by 2030, a percentage reduction across all three emissions scopes, or reducing virgin plastics from your products, is one that we cannot afford to fail at. Though it can feel like we’re “flying blind” to take action without the data, three things are clear:

–        We are facing unprecedented disruption as a result of climate change, and we are running out of time to avert or limit its effects

–        Getting the data in is time-consuming and complex, and we cannot afford to do nothing while we wait to run the numbers

–        We can make robust decisions without the data based on what we already know, and as a result we can begin taking action to control the controllables, today.

Building active, collaborative relationships with stakeholders in our supply chain is the best way to control the controllables and make concrete progress against our collective looming deadline.

Do you specialise in Supply Chain Software? We want to hear from you!
By:

Each month on Supply Chain Briefing we’ll be shining the spotlight on a different part of the logistics market – and in July we’ll be focussing on Supply Chain Software.

It’s all part of our ‘Recommended’ editorial feature, designed to help supply chain industry buyers find the best products and services available today.

So, if you specialise in Supply Chain Software and would like to be included as part of this exciting new shop window, we’d love to hear from you – for more info, contact Nick Stannard on n.stannard@forumevents.co.uk.

Our features list in full:-

Jul – Supply Chain Software
Aug – Logistics & Operations Management
Sept – Labelling & Packaging
Oct – 3PL & 4PL
Nov – Order Fulfilment
Dec – Transport Planning & Load Optimisation

Modi’s vision for India ‘makes economic powerhouse crucial partner’ for Britain
By:

UK Trade Secretary, Anne-Marie Trevelyan, is meeting with India’s trade chief, Piyush Goyal, on Friday for the fourth round of talks on a trade deal between both countries.

This is a matter of urgency for the government, as officials rush to get the agreement over the line by October 24.

India is predicted to grow at the fastest rate this year – beating the likes of China – with an expected 7.3% increase in GDP. With publicly traded companies doubling in profit, alongside exports reaching a record high, India’s booming success has largely been credited to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s promise to the nation in 2019 to double the size of the economy by 2024. This would lift the country into a $5 trillion (or more) club alongside the US, China and Japan.

The UK–India investment relationship between is already worth £24bn and supports more than half a million jobs across the UK, however this looks set to grow exponentially after the FTA is secured.

As countries worldwide begin to reconsider trade relationships, Modi’s vision for India has made him a crucial figure in bridging the West and East for mutually beneficial purposes. This intent is particularly clear in the UK-India trade talks which are in their latter stages and have become a top priority for both sides, especially given what the countries stand to gain from the agreement. This would also mark a huge victory for Boris Johnson post-Brexit, and add some much-needed fuel to a wavering UK economy.

Britain’s stunted growth in the tech sector specifically is clearly disrupting the economy as a whole, with research from JPIN, the largest bilateral investment bank across the UK and India, finding that 25% of the UK workforce state that the absence of tech talent in their business is stunting their growth.

Further to this, 36% of the workforce cite a lack of skilled talent more generally as the biggest factor holding back their firm. As Britain continues to navigate the current economic situation, the prime minister has made it clear India presents a massive opportunity to help the country return to its days of being the world’s leading digital hub.

Dubbed as Asia’s Silicon Valley, India’s $3 trillion economy – home to 25% of the world’s engineers – will assist the UK with strengthening cyber security, science, tech innovation, and education. India’s young and dynamic population of 1.39m people is set to assist with bolstering Britain’s digitalisation plans in the next few decades. Recently, the largest ever delegation of UK universities met with India’s key and central government officials to scout for New Education Policy (NEP) aligned collaborations. Further to this, the UK government recently introduced the High Potential Individual (HPI) visa scheme in an attempt to future-proof the country by creating sound building blocks for the skilled sectors.

Nayan Gala, founder of JPIN, said: “India is one of the world’s largest economies and presents huge potential as a key partner for trade and investment for the UK. India is a 21st century powerhouse and therefore, establishing a solid relationship with the UK in trade, technology and security could be significantly beneficial for both parties. The significance of the relationship between both parties cannot be underestimated.

“It’s clear that closing the trade deal is a top priority for the government, and there appears to be fewer stumbling blocks as we edge closer to the finish line. India is goods and resource-wealthy, growing exponentially, and will be the centre of world trade in the coming decades. Therefore, building a trade and technology relationship here is particularly important to allow the UK to benefit from the immense growth India is already experiencing.

“In what looks to be the final round of discussions, we are likely to see a continued focus on alleviating Britain’s pressure in the tech and programming sector. The discussion will also look to ways that the deal could help with small businesses in both countries, especially because the levelling-up agenda is such as pressing matter for the UK government. These talks will look to future-proof the economy, and it’s fantastic to see that it’s slowly coming to fruition.”

Supply chain crisis sees 85% of businesses move to ‘just in case’ model
By:

Almost every UK organisation admits their supply chain needs improving, and over half (58%) think their supply chain needs a lot/significant improvement.

That’s according to research from SAP, which says that in response, 84% of UK businesses are planning to move on from the 50-year-old ‘just in time’ supply chain model, which prioritised costs above all else when selecting suppliers, to a ‘just in case’ approach. 

The findings from the “Tomorrow’s Supply Chain: Disruption Around Every Corner” report highlights that since the start of the pandemic, supply chain issues have been disastrous for organisations in the UK. 66% of businesses have experienced delays in production of goods/delivery of services, 64% have seen revenues decrease and 58% have experienced a loss of customers.

Given this outlook, it perhaps comes as little to no surprise that almost a quarter (23%) of businesses expect supply chain issues to last until Summer 2023.  

Earlier this year, the UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak said: “The supply chain crisis felt by so many businesses could in fact provide an impetus for companies to improve productivity, and thus ensuring higher wages are not cancelled out by rising inflation”.  

But the picture for UK businesses tells a different story. For many businesses, increasing the price of their products/services isn’t an option to cover increases in supply chain costs. Instead staff will bear the brunt of any cost rise as 68% expect wage/recruitment freezes and 61% plan job cuts. 

SAP says UK businesses are looking to the government for supply chain recommendations, but they are torn over the advantages and disadvantages of deglobalisation: 

  • 60% of businesses want increased government collaboration with industry  
  • Over half said the government should monitor the UK’s supply chain itself and invest where necessary (56%) and there is demand for increased industrial policy and trade policy (54%) 
  • The majority (72%) of UK businesses think deglobalising the UK’s supply chains would be disastrous to economic growth but over half (56%) plan to prioritise UK-based supply chain solutions. 

Michiel Verhoeven, Managing Director SAP UK & Ireland, said: “The challenges and uncertainty facing so many UK businesses has meant that, for the majority of consumers, the days of wandering into a supermarket and seeing full shelves of produce now seem like a distant memory. 

“Where once supply chain management was mostly about cutting costs, businesses are faced with the challenge of staying ahead of consumer demand, while improving resilience, cutting carbon emissions, reducing staff churn and keeping costs down. Years of political, social and economic uncertainty, on top of a global pandemic, have exacerbated challenges with the UK’s current supply chain models. Whatever future external factors disrupt the movement of goods/ services, our on-demand consumer culture is only going to increase. Overnight shipping is considered late, with hourly tracking updates expected. A novel approach is needed to meet this demand.”  

Global logistics, consulting and manufacturing organisation, Unipart Group, recently announced a deepened partnership with SAP to deliver supply chain resilience and bring to life its extensive expertise in forecasting, Machine Learning, sensors and data & analytics.  

Commenting on the report findings, Unipart Logistics Managing Director, Ian Truesdale, said: “Although deglobalisation and other structural changes to supply chains like re-shoring may help UK economic growth, the changes and hence opportunities are more complex. We are seeing that growth can be increased further by developing a much more sophisticated approach to understanding patterns of demand and the impact of those changes along the supply chain to manage risks and prevent shortages.  

“It’s why we are re-engineering our processes and streamlining our data to focus on process design and governance, operational execution and data & analytics. In doing so we, aim to have the ability to forecast, optimise and simulate supply chains to provide greater agility and resilience,” he added.  

Elsewhere, findings from the study show that UK businesses are exploring various other avenues to improve their supply chains, in particular adopting new technology and implementing new contingency measures: 

  • 70% plan to adopt new technology to help overcome challenges in the next 1-2 years 
  • 51% plan to find new environmentally friendly supply chain solutions 

Michiel concluded: “It is exciting to see so many organisations are realising the importance of investing in advancing technologies to innovate and that are planning to adopt new environmentally supply chain solutions. Resilient supply chains must be sustainable, not only in terms of the environment, but sustainable against developments in technology and infrastructure in the UK and abroad. For decades, supply chain management has focussed on cost – where keeping them lean and fast has been the priority. This is different from being agile and resilient. With the end of ‘just in time’ models, businesses have to start putting the same expectations on their supply chain as they do on their wider business, structuring themselves to be ‘just in case’, so that when disaster occurs, they can adapt. Those who don’t make this change are in for a very tough 18 months.” 

Meet with the industry at November’s Total Supply Chain Summit
By:

As an industry professional you’re invited to attend our upcoming Total Supply Chain Summit, which is taking place on 7th & 8th November at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Manchester Airport. 

Unlike large expo’s, this intimate, hassle-free event allows you to build beneficial business relationships with suppliers that match your current project/business requirements. No hard sell, just a chance to meet 1-2-1 and explore your options.

It is entirely free for you to attend – book here.

7th & 8th November  – Radisson Blu Hotel, Manchester Airport

Your free pass includes;

– A corporate “speed-dating” itinerary of one-to-one meetings with solution providers
– A seat at our industry seminar sessions (live attendance only)*
– Overnight accommodation, all meals and refreshments throughout
– An invitation to our evening dinner, with entertainment 
– Networking breaks to make new connections in your field

Register for your FREE delegate place here.

If you have any questions then you can contact me here – h.stratton@forumevents.co.uk.

Supply chain management & planning solutions – 2022 buying trends revealed
By:

CRM, 3PL and Demand Planning top the list of services the UK’s leading supply chain professionals are sourcing in 2022.

The findings have been revealed following the recent Total Supply Chain Summit and are based on delegate requirements at the first of two events to take place in 2022.

Delegates registering to attend were asked which areas they needed to invest in during 2022 and beyond.

CRM, 3PL and Demand Planning top the list of requirements, followed by EDI, Forecasting and Integrated Business Planning.

% of delegates at the Total Supply Chain Summit sourcing certain products & solutions (Top 10):

  • CRM
  • 3PL
  • Demand Planning
  • EDI (Electronic Data Interchange)
  • Forecasting
  • Integrated Business Planning
  • Network Optimisation
  • Operations Management
  • Order Fulfilment
  • Road Haulage Operators

To find out more about the Total Supply Chain Summit, which next takes place on November 7th & 8th, visit https://totalsupplychainsummit.co.uk.

Could AI-generated inventions soon be patented in the UK?
By:

With the rapid advancements in artificial intelligence technology, how are AI-generated inventions recognised when it comes to patents? Innovation funding and Patent Box experts ABGI UK look into where inventions created by AI systems currently stand in regards to intellectual property, and how potential changes will affect UK businesses…

As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly advanced, how is AI-generated innovation considered when it comes to intellectual property?

The issue is more pertinent than ever following the case earlier this year of Thaler v Comptroller General of Patents, Trade Marks and Designs. After Dr Stephem Thaler submitted two patents naming his AI machine “DABUS” as the inventor, the UK Intellectual Property Office withdrew the patents, citing that the machine did not meet the necessary criteria for an inventor. When taken to the UK Court of Appeal, the Court backed the IPO’s decision.

So why does the issue of AI in relation to patents continue to be a point of contention?

IPO Consultation is Launched: Can Artificial Intelligence Hold Ownership of New Patents?

In the conclusion of the case, the Court acknowledged that the law on inventorship continues to change and the Court remains open to further development. The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) subsequently launched a consultation into the issue on the 29th of October, stating  that “Artificial intelligence (AI) is playing an increasing role in both technical innovation and artistic creativity. Patents and copyright must provide the right incentives to AI development and innovation, while continuing to promote human creativity and innovation.” In other words, the government recognises that patent limitations on AI-generated inventions could hinder UK businesses and individuals, and is reviewing their treatment of AI in copyright and patents legislation to seek a balanced solution.

How Long Until the UK Names an AI System as Inventor on a Patent?

Concurrent to the investigation into patent protection for AI-devised inventions, the National AI Strategy was published this September, making the government’s ambition to become a global leader in artificial intelligence clear.

With the government keen to push AI and machine learning across UK industry sectors, the legal framework surrounding intellectual property rights such as patents could need to be adjusted to suit the changing scenario and reflect that the concept of “creations of the mind” may no longer apply exclusively to the inventions of humans.

Countries such as South Africa have recently granted successful patents to artificial intelligence systems; the recent IPO consultation confirms that the UK is determined not to be left behind in the technological race, and therefore changes to the UK Patents Act 1977 may occur sooner rather than later.

How Might This Change Impact Innovative UK Businesses?

One of the main ways in which a change in UK regulation regarding AI-held patents would positively impact UK businesses would be in regards to Patent Box eligibility.

The Patent Box regime was introduced in reaction to the relatively low number of patent applications submitted in the UK annually compared to many other countries, providing an incentive for UK companies to formalise the IP generated from UK-based R&D and commercialise their IP, repatriating the economic benefits back into the UK.

Aiming to increase the level of patenting of UK-developed IP and ensure that new and existing patents are developed in, manufactured and sold from the UK, the UK’s patent box regime is among the most favourable in the world. Profits earned from patents and intellectual property rights under the Patent Box regime benefit from a reduced tax rate of just 10%; with the imminent increase in the standard corporation tax rate in the UK from 19% to 25% in 2023, the tax advantage of Patent Box becomes even more significant.

If the change in legislation regarding AI-generated patents comes into effect, IP-protected AI innovation will also be eligible for Patent Box, creating the potential for huge savings on profits generated from AI-generated inventions.

UK companies should ensure all their intellectual property is structured to take advantage of Patent Box with immediate effect, including investigating AI creations for a potential shift in patent legislation – but what does this involve?

Get Ready For Change and Plan Ahead

  • Make sure you conduct IP reviews at regular intervals. For each element of IP considered for protection, establish a cost/benefit comparison to decide whether or not it’s worth protecting.
  • Review your R&D plans to establish whether any of your products, services or processes could be patented to receive the benefit of the Patent Box regime both now and in the case of a future reform.
  • Educate everyone involved in R&D about the importance of IP protection and the risks related to data leakage.
  • Keep a laboratory notebook recording R&D progress to prove precedence in the case of competing patent cases.
  • Look into Patent Box eligibility even if your patent is pending. Companies with pending patent applications can also qualify retrospectively for the 10% rate once the patent is granted, but the Company has to elect into the Scheme for the accounting period in which profits are generated. If companies are submitting patent applications to the UK IPO and inform the IPO that they are intending using the Patent Box scheme to improve the business benefits of the commercialisation, some patent attorneys believe the IPO will give the application preferential treatment and speed up the patent grant process – so by no means dismiss the idea of Patent Box eligibility until your patent is approved as it could mean missing out on enormous tax reductions.

How Can UK Businesses Elect into the Patent Box Scheme?

The idea behind Patent Box is simple enough, but electing into the scheme can be complex.

Getting advice from a specialist can ensure you’re making the most of the scheme, helping to provide clarity on areas such as the impact of your existing R&D on the calculation of relevant IP income, how to best manage tax benefits when combining R&D tax relief and Patent Box schemes, or on legislative changes and their impact on current or future patent box claims. Receiving guidance here will help identify key areas where new patent applications are needed and provide a clear patent strategy for the business moving forward in regards to areas of potential change such as patents from AI-generated innovation.

Phase Eight looks to ensure ethical supply chain
By:

Fashion brand Phase Eight has partnered with Segura to strengthen its commitment and approach to ethical trade.

Segura’s solution will enable Phase Eight to modernise and improve the quality of its supply chain management, supporting its aim to embed full transparency throughout all tiers in its supply chain.

As part of the TFG London family, Phae Eight is aligned to the Group sustainability strategy which is based on UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, ETI Base Code and uses the ETI Human Rights Due Diligence Framework to improve the working conditions for the people in its supply chains.

As an established collaborator since 2019, the TFG London Group have partnered with Segura to support the development of the platform, recognising that the first step to enabling a successful ethical trade programme and decent work is transparency.

Segura’s threefold management platform allows Phase Eight to contain all supplier processes within one system that enriches supplier data and tracks updates in real-time, enhances how purchase orders are issued, embedding traceability into the linked trims and labelling requirements, and hosts a compliance suite that enables audits, corrective action plans, policy requirements and communications to be streamlined and automated.

Justin Hampshire, Group Managing Director at TFG Brands (London) Limited said: “As a purpose-led business that aims to put people and the planet first, it is important to us to continue to protect the human rights of those who help make and sell our products and services. We take our responsibilities seriously; when we champion higher standards and practices, we can have a real impact on the lives of millions of people across our value chain.”*

Francesca Mangano, Head of CSR and Sustainability at TFG Brands (London), said: “We understand it’s the nature of supply chains to be continuously evolving, but it’s crucial to us to ensure we partner with suppliers who share our values.  Our aim for 2022 is to focus on continuing to map our supply base beyond our second tier and the Segura platform will allow us to do this.”

Peter Needle, Founder & President at Segura, added: “We were delighted to partner with Phase Eight who share our belief in the importance of building ethical and sustainable businesses. We will continue to support Phase Eight with their evolving corporate sustainability targets.”