Latest news with #RichardHowells
Leader Live
7 hours ago
- Business
- Leader Live
Mold: The Olive Tree deli announces 'emotional' closure
The Olive Tree shared the 'heart-breaking' decision to social media this morning, leaving customers devastated by the news. Owner Richard Howells said: "This is a post I've been dreading, but I knew one day would have to do. Our final trading day will be Saturday 5th July. "The decision is very raw and emotional at this stage, but if I'm being honest, it was something we were planning to do at some point this year - we've just brought it a little forward. "It is very much head and heart pulling in different directions. The Olive Tree, High St Mold (Image: Google Maps) "To avoid any rumours or gossip that may be floating around (as we in the shop have been made aware of), the reason for our departure is simple. "Our 10 year lease expires later this year and I did not feel like I had the energy or drive to commit to another extended period of time - especially as I work full time elsewhere. "Once that decision was made it was a question of when and after careful consideration we felt doing this now before we were committed to planning and executing Christmas seemed the most sensible option." (Image: The Olive Tree) The shop opened in May 2016 after Richard's long career in Sainsbury's focusing on food safety compliance. A love and passion for food and engagement inspired the venture to go his own way. The Olive Tree specialises in oils, vinegars, cheese, authentic meats, pastries and coffee, to name a few. Products are locally sourced. The building and business will still belong to the team for the months to come, with 'extended' cheese and wine evenings in the pipeline. Regional Award for Wales for the best Delicatessen in the Farm Shop and Deli Trade Show in 2019 (Image: The Olive Tree) Richard adds: "I will say my goodbyes in the next few weeks, but until then, pop in and see us while you can. Bring any bottles for refill (oils & Vinegars) and enjoy our beautiful products. "We have had big deliveries on cheese, olives and charcuterie over the last few days so there's plenty of reasons to visit. "We would love to see everybody one last time before the doors close. This period of change affects everybody at the Olive Tree." Customers were quick to express their sadness over the decision, with one individual stating: "A big loss to the town but you've done such an amazing job and can't believe it's been 10-years. Here's to new beginnings." MOST READ Another said: "End of an era for Mold and the start of a new one for you. We will never forget your kindness during Covid bringing treats to our door five years ago. "Sure it will be an emotional time for you all and your customers too. You've been such a big part of the community over the last 10 years and your presence will be sorely missed." The final official 'Cheese and Wine' evening at the venue will be held on July 4 with all the details on the team's social media pages.
Forbes
15-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
How COOs Can Build Smarter, Sustainable Supply Chains
COOs must harness data, AI, and collaborative platforms to gain end-to-end visibility across their supply chains, ensure regulatory compliance, and establish sustainable operations that can adapt and thrive. By Thamara Ramirez-Walker and Natasha Pergl, SAP The role of the Chief Operating Officer (COO) as a guardian of efficiency and cost control has matured. Today, COOs are at the epicenter of transformation, tasked with steering their organizations through a maze of new global regulations and tariffs. The landscape has shifted, and with it, the COO's role has expanded from operational oversight to strategic leadership, requiring them to build resilient, responsible, and future-ready supply chains. Against this backdrop, COOs must harness data, AI, and collaborative platforms to gain end-to-end visibility across their supply chains, ensure regulatory compliance, and establish sustainable operations that can adapt and thrive. Global industry trends and regulatory shifts are rapidly reshaping supply chains. The founder of SAP's The Future of Supply Chain podcast, Richard Howells, shared that these shifts are forcing COOs to now incorporate sustainability KPIs and deliver not just compliance, but trust, transparency, and long-term value too. Legislation like the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) demands transparency and traceability far beyond tier-1 suppliers. Additionally, companies in scope for the EU's Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) must now provide visibility into Scope 3 emissions, covering emissions across the value chain. Jessika Castañon, Deloitte Supply Chain lead, reports that navigating complex and evolving regulatory requirements is one of the biggest challenges her customers are facing. But if compliance is playing not-to-lose, transparency of supply chains is playing-to-win. End-to-end visibility and control benefits companies by protecting and strengthening brand reputation, maintaining customer loyalty, and offering opportunities to identify and reduce waste and emissions. Businesses that are successful in this endeavor don't treat sustainability as a separate function but embed it at the core of their operations. To effectively achieve this, COOs need reliable, real-time data across their supply chains. Challenges lie in identifying which data to collect, ensuring its accuracy, and integrating it into decision-making. COOs must turn insights into meaningful outcomes. After all, insights mean nothing if they are not acted upon. To meet their new mandate and future-proof operations, COOs should focus on a few critical priorities: 1. Redesigning Supply Chains for Resilience Today's COOs must look beyond cost and efficiency to build adaptive, future-ready supply chains. 2. Turning Scope 3 Emissions into Actionable Insights Scope 3 emissions remain the biggest blind spot—and risk—for operations leaders. 'Having visibility across the supply chain is one of the biggest challenges COOs face,' says Richard Howells. Identifying emissions hotspots by product, material, and supplier tier enables targeted decarbonization and more informed capital allocation. 3. Digitizing for Speed, Clarity, and Compliance Technology isn't just a tool—it's a strategic enabler. COOs must champion digital platforms that integrate operational, sustainability, and financial data into one source of truth. 4. Embedding Cross-Functional and Supplier Collaboration No COO can deliver transformation in isolation. Driving alignment across finance, procurement, manufacturing, and compliance functions is foundational. Catena-X provides a compelling example of collaborative, insight-driven action. It involves major players in the automotive supply chain together with technology leaders like SAP. By working collectively, these organizations are achieving traceability of parts, calculating component-level emissions, and minimizing waste throughout the production process. This kind of cross-industry collaboration proves that with the right tools and mindset, sustainable transformation is not only possible, it's already happening. Technology is essential to the execution of these priorities, which is why SAP is investing heavily in sustainability solutions that empower COOs to drive measurable change across their operations. COOs and supply chain managers are already using applications including SAP Sustainability Data Exchange (SDX), SAP Sustainability Footprint Management (SFM), and SAP Responsible Design and Production (RDP), which combine with advanced data services like SAP Business Data Cloud and have embedded AI capabilities to facilitate data collection, sharing and utilization. Another standout software helping companies account for both financial and sustainability metrics in tandem is SAP Green Ledger. It allows organizations to move from estimated emissions averages to actual, providing auditable environmental data for decision-making and reporting. Together, these tools help integrate real-time financial, operational, and ESG data to give a 360-degree view of supply chain performance. They empower COOs at every step of the supply chain. Their AI capabilities act to enhance productivity, automate ESG reporting, and uncover opportunities for efficiency and innovation. Sustainability is no longer a standalone agenda—it's a core operating principle that must be embedded across every part of the business. COOs and supply chain leaders must act today to build the resilient, transparent, and sustainable supply chains of tomorrow. By investing in robust data collection and management, embracing AI-driven insights, and fostering deep collaboration, they can stay ahead of regulatory demands, reduce environmental impact, and unlock long-term business value. Whether it's through solutions designed to anticipate regulatory deadlines or tools like SAP Sustainability Footprint Management, SAP is helping COOs turn insight into action—enabling faster, smarter decisions across the entire supply chain. Find out how business leaders are moving from insight to action using SAP's Business Suite integration and AI-powered sustainability tools to unlock efficiencies and build resilient, responsible, and future-ready supply chains by signing up for SAP Sapphire 2025 events in May taking place in Orlando, Madrid and virtually. In addition, tune into our SAP Expert Series for Sustainability webinar to hear topic experts from SAP and Deloitte discuss their guidance on how to achieve a sustainable supply chain, and check out the SAP Sustainable Supply Chain product page.
