Monthly Archives: March 2014

The Attributes of effective contract management?

Tuesday, March 25th, 2014

Reading a cemetery contracting audit report – we really do love procurement here at Brian Farrington:) – can confirm that procurement principles apply in all situations where third party expenditure is involved. The audit comments are thought-provoking – here are 6 examples: 1.       “We found that due to the City’s weak contract management and oversight over […]

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Not another IT procurement disaster?- Part 2

Wednesday, March 19th, 2014

Our previous emphasis (read part 1 here) was on financial outcomes, which, of course, take place within the context of the contract. Typically, contracts are negotiated and, when signed, will be meticulously managed by whoever is accountable on the project team. In regard to the lump sum price, the contract specified, “no amounts whatsoever, other […]

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Occupational fraud: the tell-tale signs?

Tuesday, March 18th, 2014

There is an excellent report titled, ‘Report to the Nations on occupational fraud and abuse’ published by the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners. It is directly relevant to auditing and directing the engagement and management of your suppliers and contractors.  The “corruption scheme” category addresses  activities in which an employee misuses his or her influence in a business transaction […]

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Not Another IT Procurement Disaster?

Thursday, March 13th, 2014

This IT procurement involved replacing the existing integrated control system (ICS) and its computer components for the Montreal metro lines. The audit report argues that replacing the computer components was justified by their obsolescence. It would, from a risk point of view, be interesting to know what the supplier’s contractual obligations were for component obsolescence […]

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Contract Management failures again?

Friday, March 7th, 2014

We regularly encounter failures in contract management. The problems are not focused on any type of organisation or what they purchase. A report to the Montana Legislative, “Contract Management- Department of Military Affairs”, reference 11P-06 is enlightening. All contracts designate a contract liaison. This person serves as the department’s representative for the duration of the contract […]

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The Evolution of Risk Management?

Tuesday, March 4th, 2014

Procurement decisions have the potential to create serious risks for a buying organisation. Allianz, the global business insurer identified supply chain risk as the #1 challenge in 2014 for risk management professionals. Not a surprise with the changes in business structures of the leading Fortune 500 – their businesses are growing through extended supply chains, with plateauing or shrinking […]

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The Business World in One City? The International Festival for Business

Wednesday, February 26th, 2014

Brian Farrington Ltd are proud to announce that we are supporting the International Festival for Business this summer in Liverpool. “This is a great opportunity for all businesses involved to connect with other businesses (potentially clients, partners and suppliers) nationally and internationally. The Brian Farrington team have organised a number of events throughout the festival […]

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