Ninian Wilson , Global Supply Chain Director & CEO of Vodafone Procurement Company , on why problems are an opportunity to create competitive advantage
VODAFONE PROCUREMENT COMPANY
Ninian Wilson , Global Supply Chain Director & CEO of Vodafone Procurement Company , on why problems are an opportunity to create competitive advantage
Vodafone was among the first organisations to see procurement as something more than a mere cost control centre – eleven years before the supply chain shocks of the pandemic prompted organisations the world over to follow suit .
It was back in 2008 that Vodafone established Vodafone Procurement Company ( VPC ) in Luxembourg , aiming to service the procurement needs of all Vodafone entities across the group . The motive for the move was to bring the company ’ s scale to bear .
“ Prior to VPC , Vodafone ’ s supplier partners had to negotiate with every single operating company and tell them that they had the best procurement deal on the planet ,” says Ninian Wilson , who is both CEO of VPC and also Vodafone Director of Supply Chain Management . “ They don ' t do that anymore . Now , they negotiate once for our suppliers , and we hold the price books for the whole company .”
Today , Ninian Wilson and his team manage a spend of around € 24bn across the company , and , as well as marshalling spending with suppliers worldwide , it supports the needs of its operating companies and group functions , in addition to selling procurement services to third parties . www . vodafone . com 5