This Week's Top Five Stories in Supply Chain

Birdseye: Unlocking Supplier Value With Contract Management

For many teams, the signing of the contract marks the completion of a procurement cycle – but for Dominique Kindt, CEO and Founder, and Koen Vercauteren, Head of Product Management of WITH and its digital platform Birdseye, it is precisely where the real challenge of supply chain value realisation begins.

WITH was founded in Belgium in 2014 by a team with over 50 years of combined experience in strategic sourcing, vendor management and contract management consulting. By 2018, however, a pattern had emerged that would transform their understanding of supply chain operations.

"The key word is frustration," says Dominique.

"As consultants, we were typically involved in larger deal-making types of consulting. We were invited then four or five years later to renegotiate."

Inside Lidl GB’s Strategy to Slash Food Waste by 70%

Lidl GB's ambitious food waste reduction strategy is creating meaningful change for communities across Great Britain, with charitable partnerships at the heart of its sustainability efforts.

The retailer's expanded collaboration with organisations including Neighbourly and WRAP could demonstrate how corporate environmental goals can directly benefit those in need while protecting the planet.

As part of the Schwarz retail group, Lidl GB first established itself in 1994, with stores across England, Scotland and Wales. The company has more than 382,400 employees globally, operating around 12,600 stores and more than 230 logistics centres and warehouses in 31 countries.

Why Does Poor Procurement Impact Renewable Supply Chains?

In 2024, US$496.7bn was invested in renewables, but a new report from Ansarada warns that inefficient procurement could derail global net zero ambitions.

In 2025, global investments in renewable energy infrastructure were just shy of half a trillion dollars. According to new research from infrastructure procurement platform Ansarada, investments in renewables in 2024 shot up 49% from the previous year, hitting US$496.7bn worldwide.

Europe is currently leading the charge, commanding US$202.7bn across 1,035 transactions, which represents an 82% increase in value on the previous year. Of the energy sources, offshore wind was the standout performer, with investments surging 290% to US$89.8bn. This was headlined by the financial close of the 1.4 GW East Anglia Three project off the UK's east coast, which secured a £3.6bn (US$4.8bn) debt package backed by 24 international lenders.

1Exiger Supply Chain AI Platform in AWS Marketplace

Exiger, the leading supply chain AI company, has announced its supply chain and third-party risk intelligence platform is now accessible through AWS Marketplace.

1Exiger allows organisations to discover, try, test, buy, deploy and manage a wide range of software solutions, including pre-built AI agents and ready-to-integrate tools, from a single platform.

As global supply chains grow increasingly complex amid geopolitical and regulatory pressures, organisations are seeking real-time intelligence to manage risk at scale.

By making 1Exiger available on AWS Marketplace, Exiger is accelerating customer access to these capabilities, bypassing traditional, lengthy procurement processes.

XPO Fuels Boots’ Push to Decarbonise Logistics Network

XPO Logistics (XPO) will be Boots' new long-term logistics partner to support the integration of its supply chain, use new technologies to improve customer visibility and drive sustainable efficiencies.

XPO has been managing the primary transport distribution of products from two UK-based Boots Service Centres since March 2024, including the 279-acre site at Boots Headquarters in Beeston, Nottingham and another 30 miles across the East Midlands at Burton-on-Trent.

The new supply-chain operation facilitates the distribution of goods from both sites to Boots Cross Dock Centres at scale across the UK and Ireland.