USA
Marriott International Procurement .
“ In 2010 , I was moved to the US in order to find a way to coordinate procurement by making sure that North America and the rest of the world could work together . That ’ s where we developed a global approach , resulting in a much efficient structure .”
A challenge came with the realisation that running a business within a domestic market is very different than running the same business internationally . The United States is self-contained , making logistical operations relatively simple , but the introduction of an additional 100 + nations significantly complicates matters .
“ That ’ s where it was more challenging , to unify the process ,” Masson explains . “ But the positive side is that once it is achieved , you have a much better overview of what you ’ re doing , and can harmonise better for increased benefits to the customers , the hotels , and the owners . For instance , a lot of products are manufactured overseas . If you only do procurement in America , you don ’ t have access to the major manufacturing facilities in the world – you mainly work through distributors .
“ One of the outcomes of this global focus was that Marriott strengthened access and contracting expertise . While there are a lot of challenges , there are much greater benefits in becoming more coordinated .”
People power This system only works with a stable team of talented individuals . Masson acquires staff who are willing to undertake the kind of fast-paced tasks required by a mammoth organisation like Marriott , and these are people who end up staying with the renowned business for many years . Marriott has divided the globe in continents . Each of them have a Continent Procurement Organisation reporting to Masson and to the concerned Continent Operation Leader . Each continent is divided into clusters , meaning a group of hotels in a country , city , state , or region . Masson identifies the best possible procurement leader within this cluster to negotiate contracts .
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