Leading supply-chain manager Achilles partnered with European Leaders in Procurement (ELP) to host a well-attended two day supply chain and procurement community conference which commenced today in London's West End. Over 120 delegates from across Europe and from as far away as Argentina and Nigeria met to discuss issues facing global practitioners.

In opening the conference, Achilles CEO Colin Maund noted that "Organisations can make even greater savings by bringing fresh suppliers into the network, rather than by merely applying new techniques from within the existing supplier community. There is a clear move to companies becoming more confident about collaboration with their peer group."

Steve New, a lecturer at Oxford's Saïd Business School, then addressed the delegates, noting that "Global corporate procurement is an extremely powerful force - perhaps greater than or equal to the force wielded by some governments."

Further presentations on sustainable procurement followed from DEFRA's Director of Purchasing and Supply, David Rabey, and an address from EDP's Procurement Director Luis Ferreira, on managing suppliers within a global company.

The conference continues tomorrow, with key presentations from Skanska, Network Rail and the University of Nottingham.