Litmus Partnership, the leading catering and facilities management consultancy, has extended its Purchasing Solutions division after a staggering 35% year-on-year increase in enquiries from businesses seeking specialist procurement expertise.
With over 25 years’ experience of working with facilities professionals and their service providers, Litmus has offered unrivalled procurement consultancy to thousands of businesses across an array of sectors including Foodservice, Healthcare, Education, Public Sector and Business & Industry.
As the division extends, Brian Wheatley has been appointed Head of Purchasing Solutions and talks about why an increasing number of businesses are seeking a more sophisticated purchasing solution.
Brian Wheatley says: “Businesses across the board, in all sectors, have had to adapt their procurement strategies to acclimatise to the changing landscape. We’re not just talking about Brexit, which understandably has evoked a level of nervousness, but wider issues that all have an impact.
“For example, there is growing concern around single-use plastics in the wake of campaigns such as Sky’s Ocean Rescue that unveiled that more than eight million tonnes of plastic is thrown away each year[1]. There is also a surge in plant-based eating, with more than 3.5 million British people identifying as vegan[2] and the UK market for meat-free foods now worth £572 million.[3]
“These are just some of the changes that have resulted in businesses seeking more specialist procurement expertise to ensure their purchasing strategy is fit for the future.”
Although Litmus Partnership has offered procurement consultancy for many years, the extended Purchasing Solutions division will see a re-engineered approach which isn’t simply about helping businesses buy at a better price.
Brian Wheatley continues: “We forensically analyse the businesses we consult with and look for ways to re-configure the purchasing process to make every facet more effective.
“We’re able to draw on our decades of experience and take an holistic view of any procurement infrastructure. With advancements in technology, we’re able to cut through masses of data and identify key figures needed to refine a procurement strategy. We can measure product pricing stability, bring control to improve margins and reduce costs across FM services – for example janitorial or utilities.”
With an unrivalled track record, Litmus has worked with many establishments including Foodquad, the collegiate purchasing collective of Oxford University; Absolute Taste, a global event and stadium management company; the House of Commons and the House of Lords; an array of clients within the independent school sector spending millions annually; and a billion dollar global media services organisation – to name a few.
Prior to his appointment at Litmus Partnership, Brian started his career as a qualified chef in the Army Catering Corps. He then moved into contract catering working in the healthcare and education sectors. From there Brian was with Purchasing Systems Ltd for 11 years, leaving as Regional Operations Manager, overseeing over 100 clients and advising on menu management, brand standards and value for money. Following this he became Operations Director at Acquire (which was later acquired by Compass), before joining Litmus Partnership in February 2019.
Brian Wheatley continues: “We’re looking forward to embarking on a number of successful projects and helping businesses achieve better value and ultimately improving their bottom line, through more succinct procurement processes.”
[1] Sky’s Ocean Rescue Campaign
[2] Compare the Market Survey, 2018
[3] Mintel, Meat-Free Foods, May 2017