PROCUREMENT OPTIMIZATION BLOG

The following poem was written by Martin Blake, Competition Lead Manager at the Ministry of Justice in London, and originally appeared in Supply Management.

12 December 2013 | Martin Blake

’Twas the night before Christmas
And all through the house
Not a creature was stirring
Not even a mouse

But look further afield
To the North Pole in essence
Where you’ll find sweet little elves
Making sweet little presents

But nobody thinks
(For they have little cause)
That life’s just not that simple
For old Santa Claus

Yes, Christmas is coming
The goose is getting fat
But for our jolly old Santa
He worries much more than that

For he has to ensure
364 days of each year
That his procurement practice is best
To get the best gear…

…For making the gifts
For the good girls and boys
All the CDs, the videos
And the thousands of toys

With this in mind
Your brain’s probably a-whirring
When you think of the supply chains
That must be occurring

Of course, making the toys
I’d agree is a must,
But think what else Santa needs
For a moment think, just

For the toys he needs wood,
He needs nails, he needs glue
He knows they may break
Without a good dose of UHU

The elves they need food,
They need drink, they must feast
Santa needs a good caterer
And an off-licence at least

Elves with fluffy shoes
And hats that go tingle,
While the reindeer need bells
With which they can jingle

Ah,
Dasher and Dancer, Prancer and Vixen
Comet and Cupid, Donner and Blitzen
All who need straw for their food and their bed,
And for guiding old Santa, a good A-Z

And let’s not forget Rudolph
With his red shiny nose,
Who’ll need double-A batteries
To ensure that it glows

Good supplier management
Of course, is a must
Especially for the one
That provides pixie dust…

…For without that dust
The reindeers can’t fly
Nor pull Santa and sleigh
Through the clear moonlit sky

So with good cheer for all
In procurement, raise a cup
Wish each other ‘Merry Christmas’
And let Santa put his feet up.

Good supplier management
Of course, is a must
Especially for the one
That provides pixie dust…

…For without that dust
The reindeers can’t fly
Nor pull Santa and sleigh
Through the clear moonlit sky

So with good cheer for all
In procurement, raise a cup
Wish each other ‘Merry Christmas’
And let Santa put his feet up.

Martin Blake is Competition Lead Manager (London) at the Ministry of Justice. Martin’s poem originally appeared in Supply Management.