@Risk

In a move that’s being hailed as a “first” for big business, PepsiCo and Anheuser-Busch have agreed to jointly purchase certain indirect goods and services in the United States.

The agreement, announced Tuesday, does not apply to goods and services directly related to making the beverages the companies sell. Instead, it covers indirect items, such as information technology hardware, office supplies, travel and facilities services, transportation, and maintenance, repair and operating supplies.

A team of procurement experts for each company will focus on common areas of spending and negotiate purchases on behalf of both companies. As a result, each company will be able to purchase goods and services more efficiently at competitive prices. According to a press release, this new supply chain strategy will, in turn, improve profits.

While a joint purchasing agreement of this magnitude may be unprecedented, it strikes me as all part of a trend I’m seeing more and more: companies are turning to their supply chains to generate cost savings. (See this earlier post for a discussion about recent research on this topic.)

Surely, some suppliers will lose business because of this supply chain consolidation. Others, however, are undoubtedly going to take advantage of this opportunity to increase volume sold.