Asda have provided a great example of how digital technology can be effectively harnessed by procurement to reduce costs and improve sustainability. Asda's Sustain and Save Exchange is a collaborative platform for suppliers - to me it looks like a community of practice. It aims to share information, knowledge and learning, raise questions, post key documents, attend focused activities, spur new ideas and solve problems.
Set up in February 2012 there are claims of £13m of savings in sustainable innovations. 300 suppliers have joined so far, including, bakery, fish, poultry, chilled, frozen, and ethnic foods.
Collaborative knowledge sharing and problem solving of this type would have been inconceivable a few years ago but this is surely only scratching the surface. Why have so few organisations seized the opportunity?
Ironically, while the retail sector is starting to recognise the potential of social collaboration, the future of LGA's Khub hangs in the balance. The LGA, sadly, has never really been able to drive the original vision and drive of Steve Dale even though he delivered global collaboration. It was a personal sadness to me as I was, at one time, leading the Efficiency and Productivity Exchange which was providing evidence of benefits clearly before the retail sector tipped its toe in the water.
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