Organic foods in catering – the Nordic perspective

Catering is beginning to be an important sales channel for organic foods in the Nordic countries. However implementing organic foods in today’s complex catering systems is far from easy. Therefore primary players in the fields of marketing and promotion or organic foods in catering have established a Nordic network. The Nordic network has been able to carry out a study on the perspectives in organic foods in catering through a grant from Nordic Industrial Fund and with the support from Danish Veterinary & Food Administration and Danish Technical University. The study has resulted in this report, which is prepared on the basis of interview meetings in the five Nordic capitals. The study has been carried out in close cooperation with partners in each of the Nordic countries

Applications of lean thinking: a briefing document

This report has been put together by the Health and Care Infrastructure Research and Innovation Centre (HaCIRIC) at the University of Salford for the Department of Health. The need for the report grew out of two main simple questions, o Is Lean applicable in sectors other than manufacturing? o Can the service delivery sector learn from the success of lean in manufacturing and realise the benefits of its implementation?The aim of the report is to list together examples of lean thinking as it is evidenced in the public and private service sector. Following a review of various sources a catalogue of evidence is put together in an organised manner which demonstrates that Lean principles and techniques, when applied rigorously and throughout an entire organization/unit, they can have a positive impact on productivity, cost, quality, and timely delivery of services

Relocalising the food chain: the role of creative public procurement

The conventional food chain presents a challenge to sustainable development, containing hidden costs such as health bills, environmental damage and economic costs to the rural economy. This report argues for the development of local food chains, which would bring the 'multiple dividend' of healthier diets, local markets for local producers, lower food miles and better understanding between producers and consumers. Barriers to the growth of local food chains include EU procurement regulations and UK local government legislation that prohibit explicit 'buy local' policies, health auditing conventions which neglect the health gains of nutritious food; catering cultures that are biased to a few large firms; tendering procedures that are too complex for small suppliers; and lack of logistical and marketing capacity on the part of local producers. Schools and hospitals should be the focus for a concerted local food campaign in the UK. A local food action plan is required to reform the regulatory regime, balance demand and supply, and make it easier for consumers, especially parents and children, to buy nutritious local food, including organic food

Choosing an organisational form: the case of collaborative procurement initiatives

This paper deals with different organisational forms of collaborative procurement and provides insight into when to use which form. Different forms from the literature are compared with empirical examples to give an overview of forms, which are then described in terms of strategy, skills and organisation. Whilst acknowledging variations, the paper distinguishes between two main forms: virtual networks and third-party organisations. Using empirical data and four theoretical perspectives (transaction cost economics, resource-based view, contingency theory, agency theory), the paper reflects on when which form can be used and presents an overall framework to help choose an organisational for

Healthcare Group Purchasing Organizations: Who’s Really Saving? An Empirical Investigation of Hospital Characteristics That Influence Supply Expense for Healthcare GPO Members

Healthcare Group Purchasing Organizations (HGPOs) can aggregate purchasing volume and leverage this power to influence supply and service expenses for its members. However, all HGPO members do not realize corresponding value across the board, which could be due to hospital characteristics that impact organizational structure positioning some members to better leverage the resources of the HGPO. This empirical investigation is a quantitative study that examines healthcare provider characteristics associated with influencing supply expense ratio (SER%) for HGPO members that employs the Economies of Scale Theory (EST) as a conceptual framework. EST suggests that increased size and output of the HGPO, decreases the operating cost per purchase venture thereby decreasing the purchase spend for the HGPO member. Utilization of HGPO contracts is a prime example of the EST and is expected to influence supply expense for its members, legitimizing the need to investigate other factors driving SER% and the differentiation seen amongst members. Prior research has shown that certain hospital characteristics can positively or negatively influence the operations and organizational structure of the hospital warranting the focus on this factor (Armansingham et al, 2008). Using two years of supply expense data for 2162 healthcare providers in the U.S, this study investigated whether specific HGPO member characteristics such as (demographic, descriptive, utilization and service-type designation.) can influence the members SER%. This model not only adds pragmatic findings concerning influencers of hospital expense for HGPO members, it also presents a reliable and replicable model for healthcare supply chain researchers and practitioners to further determine how the effective use of HGPOs can be maximized. The strategic design and implementation of this study will provide healthcare supply chain executives, healthcare policy and reform researchers and hospital administrators with new leads of research areas aimed at decreasing the problem of rising healthcare expenditures in the U.S

Defining the intelligent public sector construction client

Recent efforts and aspirations to transform the delivery of major capital programmes and projects in UK public sector construction by focussing on achievement of value for money, whole life asset management and sustainable procurement have led to the adoption of integrated procurement routes characterised by multiplicity of stakeholders with a diversity of differing and often competing requirements. A study of the challenges faced by the public sector to deliver present and future major capital programmes and projects gravitates to the role of the intelligent client, and concomitant skills and capabilities. The results of the multiple case studies research show that the challenges of this role are especially evident at the interface between the internal organisation and the external suppliers and advisors from the private sector. The research concludes that the intelligent client role requires an individual champion with a unique set of skills working in an environment of a supporting team and capable organisation

Provider diversity in the English NHS: a study of recent developments in four local health economies

Objectives: The overall objective of the research was to assess the impact of provider diversity on quality and innovation in the English NHS. The aims were to map the extent of diverse provider activity, identify the differences in performance between Third Sector Organisations (TSOs), for-profit private enterprises, and incumbent organisations within the NHS, and the factors that affect the entry and growth of new private and TSOs. Methods: Case studies of four Local Health Economies (LHEs). Data included: semi-structured interviews with 48 managerial and clinical staff from NHS organizations and providers from the private and Third Sector; some documentary evidence; a focus group with service users; and routine data from the Care Quality Commission and Companies House. Data collection was mainly between November 2008 and November 2009. Results: Involvement of diverse providers in the NHS is limited. Commissioners’ local strategies influence degrees of diversity. Barriers to the entry for TSOs include lack of economies of scale in the bidding process. Private providers have greater concern to improve patient pathways and patient experience, whereas TSOs deliver quality improvements by using a more holistic approach and a greater degree of community involvement. Entry of new providers drives NHS Trusts to respond by making improvements. Information sharing diminishes as competition intensifies. Conclusions: There is scope to increase the participation of diverse providers in the NHS, but care must be taken not to damage public accountability, overall productivity, equity and NHS providers (especially acute hospitals, which are likely to remain in the NHS) in the process