� NORTHVOLT Selected as a strategic lead supplier by Volkswagen , Northvolt secures a US $ 14bn battery cell order , heping Volkswagen rapidly expand their fleet of electric vehicles .

AN INDUSTRY FIRST FOR PROCUREMENT SOLUTIONS

Is B2B ecommerce the future for procurement ? US based Mirakl and PunchOut2Go certainly believe this to be the case . Marking an industry first for the sector , the two organisations have developed a comprehensive B2B enterprise marketplace solution for procurement .

What does the platform provide its users ? By seamlessly integrating eProcurement and enterprise resource planning ( ERP ) platforms , Mirakl and PunchOut2Go can provide increased access to B2B digital buyers and improve purchase experiences .

What ’ s driving B2B ecommerce ? In 2020 , B2B ecommerce adoption accelerated by 10 years in just a few months . This acceleration has strengthened the expectation for a digital-first experience . According to McKinsey , 90 per cent of B2B decision-makers expect the dominance of digital sales to continue post-COVID-19 . With this in mind , it is said that online marketplaces that can be easily integrated into eProcurement ( like Mirakl and PunchOut2Go ’ s joint solution ) will soon become the new leaders .

� NATIONWIDE BUILDING SOCIETY Nationwide Building Society adopts EcoVadis ’ sustainability rating system to further drive their commitment to human rights , the environment , and sustainable procurement .

� OFGEM Ofgem discovers 18 energy suppliers not adhering to price protection rules resulting in £ 10.4mn refunds and redress payments being issued .

� RENESAS ELECTRONICS A blaze tore through a factory of the Japanese chip manufacturer just weeks after it was hit by an earthquake . It is one of the car industry ’ s biggest chip suppliers and will not reach full output again until June .

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