STRATEGIC SOURCING
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More than
300 cocoa varieties in Nestlé’ s core collection cocoa varieties analysed to establish the core collection
Advanced sourcing management systems now improve decision-making by giving procurement teams a continuously updated view of supplier dynamics and market conditions. Rather than relying on static spend cubes or periodic reviews, modern digital-first platforms consolidate real-time demand shifts, supplier risk indicators and cost drivers into one environment.
This approach mirrors Nestlé’ s forward-looking source-to-settle strategy. By establishing what Jeroen Dijkman, Head of the Nestlé Institute of Agricultural Sciences, describes as a“ Noah’ s Ark of cocoa diversity”, the company is building resilience into its supply chain years before potential disruptions materialise.
The 96-variety core collection enables researchers to identify plants with desirable traits such as climate resilience, disease tolerance and higher yield, ensuring the long-term viability of the primary source.
Orchestrating the supply ecosystem Robert Fuhrmann, Global Lead for Sourcing and Procurement at Accenture, says that such transformations require structured frameworks.“ Every sourcing transformation begins with a moment of clarity,” Robert notes.“ That instant when the noise of spend data, supplier dynamics and emerging risks finally forms a pattern.”
Breaking down data silos One persistent challenge in strategic sourcing is the fragmentation of data across legacy systems. Historically, platforms were built to support transactional efficiency, not the end-toend strategy and supplier collaboration required for modern sourcing. When analytics and execution run in separate systems, teams waste valuable time reconciling data instead of acting on it.
Modern, integrated systems can now surface supplier concentration risks, pinpoint inflation-exposed materials, or highlight unexpected volume variances, all before they materially impact operations.
procurementmag. com
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