Morrisons Appoints Altius To Assure Supply Chain Compliance

Online, June 26, 2013 (Newswire.com) - Food retailer Morrisons has appointed Altius Vendor Assessment to manage contractor assessment, compliance and accreditation on behalf of the group.

With 500 stores, 7 major distribution centres and 19 production facilities, Morrisons required a central system for monitoring the health and safety credentials and competences of hundreds of contractors undertaking work across its national estate.

It selected the Altius online supplier accreditation and management system to provide a consistent, evidence-based approach to checking the competences of suppliers - from health and safety compliance through to financial health, insurance cover and other commercial risk factors.

Phil Taylor, Head of Group Health and Safety for Morrisons, said: "The Altius system provides assurance that our contractors meet the high professional standards we require, thereby minimising risk and liability for both parties. It's a live assessment process, so we gain a continuous picture of supplier competence and financial health, with all their certification and evidence available to view online.

"We examined a number of assessment providers, but Altius were able to tailor their assessment to our needs and accommodate updates and new requirements, as required. They also provide support and advice to our contractors to help them improve their systems and processes. We receive weekly reports on contractors, but can use the system at any time to gain visibility of our supply chain."

Priya Kudhail, Buyer for Morrisons added: "The Altius Assured Vendors network is very useful for identifying new suppliers who are pre-qualified and can meet our criteria. The live financial data is also helpful as we can continuously check credit scores of contractors and set up alerts to avoid financial risk."

Gary Plant, Managing Director of Altius Vendor Assessment said: "We're delighted to support Morrisons in improving levels of supplier assurance. Our flexible system tailors assessment to the actual work that the contractor undertakes and the risk they present, which reduces the burden on suppliers and captures only essential information. In the event of a serious problem arising from work undertaken, our clients are able to prove due diligence in their selection process and in managing the works."

The Altius system is used by other national organisations eager to improve their supply chain management and reduce risk and liability. These include Selfridges, Trust Inns, Airbus, QuestGates, Punch Taverns, SGP Property and Facilities Management, Arcadia Group and Wolseley.

Altius is a member of Safety Schemes in Procurement (SSIP) and also provides consultancy and advice on supplier management to organisations such as the Rail Safety and Standards Board.

Further information http://www.altiusva.com