The Covid years have shown that “nothing will be the same again” and this couldn’t ring truer than in the procurement sector where supply issues and rising prices continue to be the biggest challenge.
“It would be a pity if people didn’t understand that nothing will be the same again. We need to learn to adapt to accept the challenges which will be continuous,” says Eusebio.
And with 28 years of experience at Vassallo Group he has learnt that “you cannot take past performance for granted anymore. The disruptions in the supply chain created by Covid showed there is no guarantee that a supplier can deliver as agreed”.
Keeping a very good relationship with all your vendors is key but a plan B is necessary to mitigate for possible shortfalls. “We keep good relationships and open communication with all stakeholders. We try to diversify our procurement as much as possible and channel it through different sources.”
He stressed the importance of being “dynamic” in adapting to changing circumstances. “These will be challenging times for procurement, for supply chains and for logistics in general. Covid was a big learning curve and we rely on our creativity and resilience in coming up with alternative solutions to ensure no disruption to our supply chain.”
He credited his hard-working, dedicated and highly motivated team for pulling through challenging times. “I am very proud of the Procurement Team. You cannot do procurement unless you have full commitment and harmony within your team.”