Where it all began
In 2015, a couple of courageous procurement officers at Bath and North East Somerset Council, asked EM to help them revolutionise the way food was procured for their local authority-led catering service. The service was already a Food For Life Bronze caterer delivering meals to 60 schools. The brief? Deliver the local food strategy: Improve the quantity and choice of fresh, local and sustainable produce on the school menu whilst delivering value and reducing spend overall.
Together, we conceived a more dynamic form of procurement that met rigorous procurement regulations but delivered a step-change in SME-inclusivity, brought about enhanced service to kitchens and enabled sustainable menu innovation. EM undertook a root and branch review of the way food was procured, fulfilled and delivered to each school kitchen in order to improve the school cook's experience of ordering and receiving deliveries into their kitchen.
As the Technology & Management agent to the council, EM's capabilities spanned a wide range of requirements. Examples of this included project management, assisting farmers who were tendering for the first time, delivering complete consolidated orders on time, delivering regulation-compliant procurement process support for both the local authority and suppliers, ensuring accreditations and certifications were in place, delivering customer service support and communication/marketing material to highlight the impact of the innovation to local politicians, staff, pupils and parents. Our in-house technology development team developed and maintained the platform to make it all come together in a fully integrated way for each user - procurer, producer, supplier, logistics team member, catering manager, and end-customer (the cook).
The pilot successfully delivered the ingredients for over 2.3million meals over 2 years. It cut supply chain carbon emissions. SME Primary Food Producers contracted directly with public sector for the first time. Digital inclusion in school kitchens was improved. Food waste was reduced. Transparency of supply chain and hence economic, environmental and social sustainability of food procured was enhanced. The service won a Silver Food For Life Award. Purchase value improved and overall food spend fell.
Together, we conceived a more dynamic form of procurement that met rigorous procurement regulations but delivered a step-change in SME-inclusivity, brought about enhanced service to kitchens and enabled sustainable menu innovation. EM undertook a root and branch review of the way food was procured, fulfilled and delivered to each school kitchen in order to improve the school cook's experience of ordering and receiving deliveries into their kitchen.
As the Technology & Management agent to the council, EM's capabilities spanned a wide range of requirements. Examples of this included project management, assisting farmers who were tendering for the first time, delivering complete consolidated orders on time, delivering regulation-compliant procurement process support for both the local authority and suppliers, ensuring accreditations and certifications were in place, delivering customer service support and communication/marketing material to highlight the impact of the innovation to local politicians, staff, pupils and parents. Our in-house technology development team developed and maintained the platform to make it all come together in a fully integrated way for each user - procurer, producer, supplier, logistics team member, catering manager, and end-customer (the cook).
The pilot successfully delivered the ingredients for over 2.3million meals over 2 years. It cut supply chain carbon emissions. SME Primary Food Producers contracted directly with public sector for the first time. Digital inclusion in school kitchens was improved. Food waste was reduced. Transparency of supply chain and hence economic, environmental and social sustainability of food procured was enhanced. The service won a Silver Food For Life Award. Purchase value improved and overall food spend fell.
The Tech & Management Scope
Under an agency agreement, the council procured EM's services for the pilot across five capabilities:
Project Consultancy
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Procurement & Category
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Logistics & Operations
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In-House Technology Development
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Finance, CashFlow & Billing
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