building robust supply chains through sustainable purchasing
building robust supply chains through sustainable purchasing
Practical solutions combining field experience, people-centered approaches and business insight to strenghten supplier relationships and purchasing practices.
Responsible Purchasing | Supplier Relationships | Human Rights | Traceability | Strategic Sourcing Intelligence
Practical solutions combining field experience, people-centered approaches and business insight to strenghten supplier relationships and purchasing practices.
Responsible Purchasing | Supplier Relationships | Human Rights | Traceability | Strategic Sourcing Intelligence
SERVICES
Responsible purchasing transformation
Responsible purchasing isn't a constraint, it's a compass.
We help you design meaningful performance frameworks and support in building the kind of vendor relationships where challenges are shared, solutions are co-created, and progress is real.
Typical support: purchasing strategies, supplier qualification, ESG integration, capacity building.
Supplier relationships, performance & governance
Stronger supplier relationships are built on collaboration, not only transactions.
We help you build purchasing strategies that are both robust and values-driven, grounded in the realities of your supply chain — not just compliant on paper.
Human rights in practice
Meaningful change starts with people, not checklists.
We help companies turn human rights expectations into practical action through field-based assessments, meaningful worker engagement and supplier capacity building. By listening first and working alongside suppliers, we help create practical improvements that benefit both people and business.
Strategic sourcing Intelligence
Empowering your teams with knowledge from the field
We help you anticipate geopolitical, economic and supply chain developments accross Asia, translating complex realties into practical business intelligence that supports purchasing strategies and informed decision-making.
Traceability & raw materials
Visibility creates better decisions.
We help you improve supply chain visibility by mapping suppliers, understanding raw material origins and identifying risks before they become business issues. Greater transparency supports stronger purchasing decisions, meaningful due diligence and long-term supply chain performance.
business cases
Business & ESG strategy set up
Location: Hong Kong
Industry: Industry/retail
Target
- Define stakes and business sustainability pillars to increase resilience.
- Increase teams engagement towards leadership vision to genuinely increase business practices.
Key success factors
- Leadership willingness to set up a differentiating & value-adding strategy.
- Ownership & participation of stakeholders in project definition & tools development.
Outcomes
- A materiality assessment to visualize key stakes (ESG) and their perception by a representative selection of key stakeholders (internal and external).
- A practical evaluation of governance & business practices.
- A bespore 5-year road map with concrete actions, in line with company's culture, vendors maturity & current business stakes.
Strategic sourcing intelligence & geopolitical monitoring
Location: China, India, South-East Asia
Industry: All
Target:
- Monitor geopolitical, economic and supply chain developments impacting sourcing decisions.
- Translate complex local news and market signals into actionable business insights for purchasing and leadership teams.
- Support strategic decision-making and risk anticipation.
Key success factors:
- Strong understanding of local business environments, cultures and political contexts across Asia.
- Ability to combine field experience, sourcing expertise and geopolitical analysis.
- Focus on practical implications rather than information overload.
- Consistent monitoring of both local and international sources.
Outcomes:
- Quaterly executive briefings highlighting key developments in China, India and Asia
- Early identification of sourcing, logistics, regulatory and supplier-related risks.
- Better-informed purchasing and sourcing decisions.
Human rights assessment & capacity building
Location: Asia, Europe
Industry: All industries
Target:
- Support & animate vendors’ leadership progress to own and make positive changes for the long run.
- Empower workers and giving them a voice to work in improving their conditions.
Key success factors:
- A realistic, people-oriented and pragmatic approach to company's cuture (beyond compliance).
- Rewarding vendors' transparency with constructive dialogues and the production of tangible recommendations, within realistic timelines.
- The engagement of the purchasing team in supporting the changes.
Outcomes:
- Vendor recognition, acceptance and gradual alignment with basic compliance and business impact.
- Positive changes for workers in terms of safety & working environment.
- Increased cooperation and strengthened relationships.
Vendor performance assessment
Location: Hong Kong
Industry: Retail & Manufacturing
Target
- Assess and monitor performance of over 100 vendors throughout 3 product categories.
- Drive vendor strategy both short-term and long-term.
Key success factors
- Active participation of all teams involved in vendors selection to define realistic KPIs in line with their targets & values.
- Promoted a continuous improvement approach which suits to both vendors and procurement teams.
- Co-build both technical and qualitative criteria, including practical social/environmental, to assess and drive performance.
Outcomes
- Production of practical and visual scorecards & mapping tools.
- Enhanced communication & collaboration with vendors on newly developed KPI s and business requirements.
- Volumes consolidation on high-performing and strategic vendors.
Traceability/ raw materials projects
Location: China
Industry: Textile
Target:
- Secure raw material supply: its quality and availability in the mid-term.
- Identify and support the value chain actors in their challenges
- Ensure the respect of fundamentals in terms of social, environmental and animal welfare practices throughout the entire chain.
Key success factors:
- Strong collaboration with Rank-1 partner and definition of common objectives to address the chain.
- Integration of the complexity of the supply chain and its related cultural & human challenges,
Outcomes:
- Identification of key actors involved in the value chain and their challenges
- Creation of a bespoke charter and framework,.
- Partnership strengthening with rank 1 supplier and collaborative work
Awareness training on health, safety & human rights in supply chains
Location: on-site or online. China, India, South-East Asia, Europe
Industry: all
Target:
- Develop awareness on key social issues: from root causes to impact on the whole supply chain performance.
- Shift mindsets: from a control-oriented approach to a more collaborative one.
- Practically reconcile business performance with human stakes to increase robustness & sustainbility. .
Key success factors:
- Being open to suppliers biggest challenges on human topcs to learn how to address and dialogue about them.
- Create space to discuss sensitive topics openly and build pragmatic responses together.
Outcomes:
- A more holistic management of the performance covering human stakes along the supply chain.
- More accute observation skills for buyers when visiting their suppliers – health, safety and workforce topics
Partners
Thank you for trusting Mind Up
BIO
Marjorie Hobin
Founder
My passion for China and Asia dates back to 25 years ago, when I embarked upon her journey of studying Mandarin. After graduating in 2006 from EM Lyon in France and the Sun Yat Sen University in Taiwan, I moved to Shanghai in 2006.
Whilst working with the Saint-Gobain Asia Sourcing Office,
I developed an in-depth and extensive knowledge of both operational sourcing and strategic purchasing, managed global purchasing and sourcing projects and oversaw the B2B marketing and operational functions of the business.
In 2013, turning a long-life dream of exploration and writing into reality, I travelled the world for a year.
Returning to China , I founded Mind Up Consulting early 2015 and became a SA8000-qualified social auditor. Since then, combining my expertise in procurement, sustainability and manufacturing with a deep passion for people and cultures, I work on anchoring long-term performance in organisations through pragmatism, care and shared-value creation solutions.
I currently live in Thailand with my family.
