Performance in 2007
By the end of 2007, 74.4 per cent of our worldwide spend on raw materials and packaging had been covered by the Supplier Code. This figure represents the value of goods that were purchased on a central level. Over time, as the implementation process continues and local buying activities are aligned with the requirements of the Supplier Code, this figure will rise. For goods other than raw materials and packaging we do not at present have data that are sufficiently reliable for publication. We will continue to work on data reliability and will publish figures on this over time.
Ninety-seven percent of Group suppliers have responded that they meet our requirements. This figure is not the desired 100 per cent for two reasons. First, when we acquire new breweries, we automatically inherit existing purchasing agreements. It takes some time to finalise the procedures that are in place to grant these new suppliers a preferred supplier status. Secondly, a small number of suppliers for legal reasons have indicated that they cannot issue a formal compliance statement. However, no single supplier has indicated that it fails to meet our requirements. The 40 audits (representing 15.8 per cent of the Group supplier base) that we performed among Group suppliers in 2007, confirmed this statement.