FIVE MINUTES WITH ...
JAMES BUTCHER
I ’ m James Butcher , CEO at Supply Pilot . I am passionate about supplier engagement , which is achieved when companies work in collaboration with suppliers to accelerate change .
Q . PLEASE COULD YOU START BY INTRODUCING YOURSELF AND YOUR ROLE ?
» At Supply Pilot , our mission is to help companies transform the way they work with their suppliers to become more successful – with more sustainable products and brands at pace , and achieving measurable results within weeks , not years .
I have worked across the manufacturing industry , as well as many household name retailers , on best practice for many years , so I understand that much of what manufacturers do is driven by the requirements of the brands they manufacture for .
There is often a disconnect between brand and supplier – and this sparked a passion in me for improving supplier collaboration . When applied correctly , it is a win-win for both brand owner and supplier .
The opportunity to achieve benefits through collaboration with suppliers is often ignored or , at best , underestimated . Right now , brands need to be responding to environmental and social challenges , and they can do this best by focusing on their supply chain .
Effective supplier collaboration can empower suppliers to do more on time and , in turn , deliver accelerated results against brand and retailers ’ sustainability commitments , in addition to their commercial goals .
Supply Pilot ’ s proven process and cloud platform are perfectly suited to driving this type of transformation .
Q . HOW DID YOU FIND YOURSELF TO BE IN THE PROCUREMENT INDUSTRY ?
» I ’ d worked part-time for my dad ’ s engineering company from a young age , and I think that experience helped my engineering mindset and problemsolving skills , as well as encouraging an entrepreneurial spirit . My first role after graduating in engineering was as a software developer , which led me to becoming a solutions ’ consultant , implementing product control systems for the likes of Boots and Bayer . I spent an enjoyable 20 years dealing with data , lot and barcoding equipment in factories , working with global customers and partners on a wide range of projects – from aerospace to potato crisps – before moving into software control as the founder of Claricom .
20 January 2023