In Part 1, I spoke with Dave Wilson, one of the Lead Procurement Consultants at Touchstone Spend Management. We spoke about Dave’s career to date and how the CIPS (Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply) qualification has helped him in his role. In Part 2, Dave gives some specific examples of how his study of […]

This week I caught up with one of the Lead Procurement Consultants at Touchstone Spend Management, Dave Wilson. We talked about Dave’s career and experience in procurement, and focused specifically on how the knowledge Dave has acquired through his CIPS (Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply) training has benefited both him in his work as […]

Making a distinction between two similar sounding titles or terms can mark you out as pedantic. Sometimes, it comes after gaining a more clear understanding of what was previously considered much the same thing. In the case of procurement and purchasing, the difference in terminology often depends on the role of the person discussing the […]

Can software be good for your health? It’s great that business leaders are recognising the need to deliver targeted health initiatives to promote a productive, healthy and engaged workforce. Especially when it’s no secret that companies can struggle with the complex issues of low productivity and absenteeism – both having a direct impact on costs […]

From February 2018, the Touchstone Helpdesk is moving onto a new, cloud based Helpdesk system, FreshDesk. The functionality within the award winning Helpdesk system will ensure our clients continue to receive the same high quality service they have become accustomed to, even as our business continues to grow. Benefits include: Clients will be contacted over […]

I did it, I got sucked in, it was those bloody glossy brochures (I booked online and it still looked glossy!) Sun, pool, food, entertainment, luxury – everything you would ever want in a holiday, all neatly bundled together, the all-inclusive dream. One problem (or several) the food had been microwaved a week ago and […]

At the start of the series the Prisoner, starring Patrick McGoohan, we hear a dialogue What do you want? says Patrick The reply comes ‘Information’ Whose side are you on? Retorts Patrick That would be telling. We want information… information… information. According to Wikipedia, Information is that which informs[1], which reduces uncertainty. It is closely […]

We are delighted to announce that Touchstone Spend Management is on the move. After 15 great years at 1 Triton Square in NW1, we will be moving back to the City, to our new home at 46 Worship Street, London, EC2A 2EA. (A short walk from Liverpool Street, Old Street and Moorgate mainline and underground […]

In much the same way you won’t get fit just by joining the gym, you won’t make savings just by buying a P2P system – you need to use it! A couple of months ago a friend came to me and said he wanted to get fit (this time he means it). He is someone […]

The data you need and the importance of accuracy It is generally accepted that gaining insight into your business data provides massive benefits for an organisation. Awareness of Customer behaviour, cross selling opportunities, sales trends, KPIs etc. Often when a company implements a business intelligence (BI) strategy the focus is on sales and sales related […]