Strategic Sourcing at the Frontlines: How Ecolog International Delivers Procurement Excellence Across Critical Environments
Operating at the intersection of logistics, infrastructure, and humanitarian support, Ecolog International delivers essential services in some of the world’s most challenging environments. From supplying food and non-food goods in remote regions to managing mission-critical logistics and championing supplier innovation, the company’s procurement function plays a vital role in enabling operational success on a global scale.
In this Executive Insight, we speak with leaders across Ecolog’s procurement organisation, including sector heads for food, non-food, logistics, and procurement excellence, to explore how the team drives value, ensures resilience, and aligns sourcing strategy with the company’s growth ambitions. From digitalisation and compliance to supplier diversity, sustainability, and future readiness, this feature highlights the integrated, agile, and impact-driven procurement model powering Ecolog’s global mission.
In this Executive Insight, we speak with leaders across Ecolog’s procurement team, including sector heads for food, non-food, logistics, and procurement excellence, to explore how the team creates value for clients by ensuring reliability, compliance, and efficiency at every stage of the sourcing process. From digitalisation and supplier innovation to sustainability and future readiness, this feature explores the integrated and impact-driven procurement model powering Ecolog’s global mission and empowering clients to operate with confidence and resilience in any environment.
Click below to access the digital version
Procurement’s Strategic Role in Ecolog’s Growth: Ecolog operates across complex and demanding environments, delivering integrated logistics, supply chain, and facility support services that enable critical missions and projects to succeed. How does procurement contribute to the company’s long-term vision and growth strategy, and what role does your team play in enabling this ambition?
Answers from: Gentian Arnori, Head of Procurement.
At Ecolog, Procurement plays a central strategic role, positioned between our Business Development teams across all verticals and our Operations Department. This positioning allows us to act as a key enabler of the company’s long-term vision. Our primary focus is to support Business Development by identifying, sourcing, and onboarding food, non-food, and logistics suppliers and partners across both new and existing geographies. These partnerships not only help us optimise operations and strengthen performance internally but also enhance the quality, reliability, and value we deliver to our clients worldwide.
We hold regular alignment meetings with Business Development teams, who share early insights into upcoming opportunities. This forward visibility enables us to plan proactively, prioritise effectively, and ensure our actions are both timely and strategic, doing not only things right, but the right things at the right time.
Thanks to the team’s deep operational experience and strong internal communication, we remain highly agile and responsive to changing business needs. Our alignment with Ecolog’s strategic direction is deliberate and continuous. As Head of Procurement, I also look beyond internal capacity and resources. Part of my responsibility is to identify any delivery gaps and close them through targeted outsourcing, ensuring we are always ready to support Ecolog’s ambitions at scale and speed.
Leading Procurement Strategy Across Ecolog: As Head of Procurement, how do you align Ecolog’s overall sourcing strategy with the organisation’s broader commercial and operational goals across its global footprint?
Our sourcing strategy is closely aligned with the nature of Ecolog’s ongoing projects, the clients we serve, and the new opportunities we intend to pursue. Understanding these drivers is fundamental to ensuring procurement remains tightly integrated with the company’s broader commercial and operational objectives.
We develop procurement plans that emphasise cost efficiency, supply chain resilience, and operational agility. Through close collaboration with our local and regional procurement teams, we are able to tailor sourcing decisions to match operational realities, deliver the best possible outcomes in each context
Several members of my team—myself included—bring a strong operational background to procurement. This experience gives us deep insight into Ecolog’s delivery capabilities, which is instrumental in identifying and onboarding strategic partners across a broad spectrum of outsourced activities. Beyond that, we actively support supplier development, helping our partners expand their service or product portfolios and deliver greater value to our clients.
Our operational insight not only improves procurement efficiency and effectiveness, but also plays a critical role in shaping the operating models of both current and future projects. It ensures that procurement is not just a support function, but a strategic contributor to how Ecolog delivers value on a global scale.
Governance, Compliance & Cross-Functional Collaboration: How do you ensure compliance, transparency, and alignment across teams when managing procurement in complex and highly regulated sectors like defence, mining, and energy?
We uphold strict governance frameworks that align with both industry regulations and our internal policies. These are reinforced by clear documentation protocols and thorough audit trails, ensuring that every procurement decision is both traceable and justifiable. All vendors are subject to rigorous vetting through established platforms like Thomson Reuters and TRACE to ensure compliance with global due diligence standards.
To further strengthen compliance and transparency, we are preparing to launch the Ecolog Vendor Portal. This digital platform will streamline supplier interactions by allowing vendors to register their details, upload certifications and relevant documents, submit invoices, and monitor payment status, all in one place.
Cross-functional collaboration is vital to maintaining consistency and shared accountability. Procurement works closely with Compliance, Legal, and Finance to align on risk assessments and ensure a mutual understanding of regulatory requirements. Systems such as SAP help centralise procurement data, automate approval workflows, and enhance visibility across all departments.
Regular training sessions conducted by the Compliance Department help embed ethical standards and keep all teams updated on regulatory changes. We also perform routine internal reviews and third-party audits to validate our approach and identify improvement opportunities. Our ISO 22000 certification, one of the highest global standards for Food Safety Management Systems, reflects our commitment to operational excellence, transparency, and the trust our clients place in us.
Securing Quality Food Supply in Remote Environments: Food sourcing is a critical and time-sensitive operation, especially in remote or emergency settings. How do you manage supplier networks to ensure quality, safety, and timeliness under pressure?
Answers from: Bekim Dauti, Head of Food Souring Sector.
At Ecolog, our food supplier network has been continuously developed over the past 15 years, since catering and food supply became a core part of our operations. This long-term approach has allowed us to build strong, reliable partnerships with vendors capable of performing under pressure, particularly in remote or emergency environments.
Ensuring quality, safety, and timely delivery starts with rigorous pre-screening and evaluation during the supplier selection stage. We only work with suppliers and producers who, at a minimum, hold valid and reputable food safety management certifications and operate under strict hygiene protocols. Open, ongoing communication with our suppliers is central to how we collaborate, and we regard them as partners in delivering on our service commitments.
Each supplier engagement is governed by a clearly defined contract outlining the full scope of work, to ensure mutual accountability and transparency. We conduct regular supplier audits that focus on both quality assurance and operational performance, helping us identify risks before they escalate.
To safeguard supply continuity, we actively implement supplier diversification strategies to avoid reliance on a single source. This ensures that even in cases of disruption, whether logistical, geopolitical, or environmental, we can pivot quickly to maintain uninterrupted service to our clients.
Sustainability and Innovation in Food Procurement: How is Ecolog embedding sustainability, traceability, or innovation in its food sourcing processes, particularly as global expectations around food systems continue to evolve?
At Ecolog, we take the evolving global expectations around food systems very seriously. As a signatory to the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), the world’s largest corporate sustainability initiative, we have integrated its Ten Principles into our strategies, policies, and procedures, including those relating to procurement and environmental stewardship.
Sustainability is embedded in how we select and work with suppliers. We actively seek to partner with vendors who share our environmental and social commitments, whether that’s operating in greencertified facilities, implementing carbon reduction initiatives, or using recyclable and biodegradable food-grade packaging materials.
Traceability and transparency are also key. We leverage digital technologies to build supply chains that are both transparent and responsible, providing visibility across the full lifecycle of goods. Where possible, we prioritise local sourcing, which reduces transportation-related emissions, strengthens regional supply networks, and improves the freshness and reliability of produce.
Through cross-sector collaboration and a proactive approach to sustainability, we are not only meeting stakeholder expectations but also helping shape a more resilient and ethical food supply model for the future.
Sourcing Complex Non-Food Goods & Services From construction materials to facility supplies, non-food sourcing at Ecolog is broad and complex. How do you manage category strategies and supplier partnerships to support mission-critical delivery?
Answers from: Romir Jakupi, Head of Non-Food Sourcing Sector.
Our approach always starts with the delivery location, as this defines the sourcing strategy. Supplying water in Somalia is very different from supplying fuel in Latvia, each commodity and region presents its own set of challenges and requires a tailored approach. For mission-critical items, we secure robust supply contracts and establish backup options to ensure continuity of service. For less critical goods, standard purchase orders may suffice.
Wherever possible, we prioritise local suppliers and actively support their integration into our supply chain. This not only enhances operational efficiency but also strengthens the communities where we operate. When dealing with scarce or highly specialised commodities, we negotiate long-term contracts to lock in prices and volumes, ensuring both cost stability and availability.
By combining flexibility, local engagement, and strategic long-term planning, we are able to maintain reliable delivery standards in even the most complex and remote environments, ultimately ensuring our clients’ operations continue seamlessly under any conditions.
Digitalisation and Supplier Performance in Non-Food: How are you using data, digital tools, or supplier scorecards to track and improve performance in your non-food sourcing categories?
We rely heavily on data-driven tools to monitor and enhance supplier performance across our nonfood sourcing activities. Broadly issuing price requests allows us to benchmark offers across the market and ensure competitiveness. Market fluctuations are quickly reflected in the data, enabling us to evaluate whether suppliers are aligning with expectations.
Using SAP, we generate performance dashboards that highlight trends and flag areas requiring intervention or additional support. Every order is closely tracked against its contractual terms, with detailed records maintained whenever issues arise. At the same time, structured supplier scorecards offer a transparent, consistent record of performance across key metrics.
This integrated approach, blending pricing data, performance trends, and qualitative observations, enables us to identify underperformance, drive corrective actions, and reward suppliers who consistently deliver high standards. It’s a practical and proactive way to ensure that our supplier partnerships contribute meaningfully to operational success.
Navigating Logistics in Challenging Geographies: What are the biggest challenges you face in managing logistics across Ecolog’s diverse and often remote operating environments, and how do you overcome them?
One of the biggest challenges in managing logistics across Ecolog’s diverse and remote environments is dealing with the unexpected. Many of the locations where we operate have limited infrastructure, complex regulatory landscapes, or security and climate conditions that can disrupt supply chains. Moving essential supplies to a base in Africa is very different from supporting operations in Europe or the Middle East, each geography presents its own set of realities.
We overcome these challenges through flexibility, strategic partnerships, and a highly experienced team. Flexibility allows us to adapt quickly when conditions change. Long-term relationships with trusted local and international logistics providers ensure we have both reach and resilience on the ground. Most importantly, our teams are trained to anticipate disruptions and make fast, pragmatic decisions to keep operations running smoothly.
Ultimately, it’s about combining thorough preparation with the ability to problem-solve under pressure. That’s what enables us to deliver consistently and maintain the reliability our clients depend on, no matter how difficult or unpredictable the environment may be.
Enhancing Supply Chain Visibility and Responsiveness: What technologies or strategies is Ecolog investing in to increase end-to-end visibility and responsiveness across the logistics chain?
Answers from: Cene Jancevski, Head of Logistics Sector.
At Ecolog, enhancing end-to-end visibility and responsiveness means combining the right digital tools with our team’s operational expertise. We take a multi-platform approach to cover every aspect of the supply chain. For temperature-sensitive cargo, we use TempTale monitoring, while platforms like Captain Peter by Maersk and CMA CGM’s eBusiness solution provide real-time transparency for ocean freight and cold chain capacity.
We also leverage multiple booking platforms to streamline the planning and movement of goods, and we use the IATA TACT system to ensure compliance and efficiency in air freight operations. On the ground, when required, we deploy dedicated GPS tracking systems for local trucking to ensure full visibility in the last mile. By integrating these platforms, we avoid a one-size-fits-all model. Instead, we tailor the right tools to the specific context, giving us the agility to respond quickly, uphold accountability, and offer our clients full confidence that their cargo is monitored and protected at every stage of the journey.
Defining Procurement Excellence at Ecolog: What does “procurement excellence” mean at Ecolog, and how are you supporting standardisation, innovation, and capability-building across global teams?
Answers from: Leutrim Mehmedi, Head of Procurement Excellence Center.
At Ecolog, procurement excellence means establishing a solid foundation for flexible, resilient, innovation-driven, and sustainable procurement across diverse geographies. The Procurement Excellence Center plays a central role in this effort, continually evolving to support multiple clients
with varying product and service needs, all tailored through a wide network of regional suppliers.
Standardisation is critical, especially in industries that operate across remote and varied environments. Our teams ensure that processes such as quotation management, data integration, utilisation, and reporting are managed in a unified and proactive format. This consistency allows us to replicate and deliver services efficiently across different regions using trusted supplier networks.
Ultimately, the Procurement Excellence Center serves as a vital link between client requirements, regulatory compliance, sustainability objectives, product cost management, and long-term organisational growth, ensuring procurement remains both a strategic driver and an enabler of value.
Measuring Value Beyond Cost: How do you define and measure procurement success beyond savings, such as value creation, risk mitigation, sustainability, and supplier innovation?
At Ecolog, procurement success extends far beyond cost savings, especially given the complexity and scale of the projects we support. Our primary objective is to create long-term value through layered partnerships with suppliers. This includes co-developing solutions, fostering mutual innovation, and integrating both teams into the research and product design process. These collaborative efforts consistently prove to be both sustainable and commercially rewarding.
We also address risk mitigation by replicating proven sourcing methods across multiple regions, strengthening supply chain resilience amid global uncertainty and economic volatility. In this way, procurement functions as a strategic enabler of innovation, continuity, and lasting impact, not just a driver of cost efficiency.
Future Trends and Advice for the Next Generation Looking ahead, what key trends do you believe will shape the future of procurement, logistics, and global sourcing? And what advice would you give to professionals aspiring to build a career in this dynamic and high-impact industry?
Supply chain functions are not only here to stay, they are becoming more central to organisational success than ever before. However, they must continuously evolve to keep pace with rapid technological and digital transformation. Advancements such as real-time translation powered by
AI will streamline cross-regional communication, while procurement teams will benefit from broader access to data, research, and highly tailored solutions from manufacturers and service providers.
That said, technology alone is not the solution. To truly unlock its value, organisations must foster a culture of continuous learning, empowering procurement professionals to embrace new tools, adopt agile mindsets, and integrate innovation into daily decision-making.
For those entering or advancing in this field, procurement offers an exceptional career path that blends strategic thinking, operational delivery, and supplier collaboration. The skills gained are widely transferable, whether you grow within the profession or apply them across other areas of business.
The future belongs to those who remain curious, adaptable, and committed to mastering this evolving landscape. Procurement isn’t just about sourcing, it’s about shaping resilient, forward-looking supply chains that drive sustainable progress across industries.
In Association with:
Akomar Logistics delivers personalised freight forwarding and logistics solutions with a strong focus on flexibility, reliability, and customer care. Operating across ocean, air, and road freight, as well as customs and project logistics, Akomar blends modern systems with a hands-on, people-driven approach. The team’s expertise and attention to detail ensure efficient, transparent, and tailored service from start to finish. More than just moving goods, Akomar builds long-term partnerships, combining impact with attention.
Alconet Containers, based in the Port of Rotterdam, is a global leader in the buying, selling, and servicing of shipping containers. They offer both new and used units, along with container-related products and services such as storage, modification, repair, and transport. With a commitment to quality and flexibility, Alconet partners with customers worldwide to provide tailored and reliable container solutions for logistics, infrastructure, and supply chain needs.
Kudumija, founded in 1989, is a market leader in Southeast Europe specialising in manufacturing professional tents, halls, and aluminium-frame structures. With over 110,000 m² of installations across Europe and a skilled team of more than 90, Kudumija delivers solutions for events, industrial storage, and infrastructure applications. Renowned for quality and reliability, they partner internationally and serve clients through modular, versatile, and weather-resistant designs.
Carnes Félix is a leading Spanish meat processor and wholesaler, specializing in beef, pork, poultry, and lamb for both domestic and international markets. With over 40 years of experience, they manage state-of-the-art refrigerated storage facilities, advanced processing lines, and strict food safety systems—including Halal-certified operations. Their operations span Europe and key global meat markets, all while maintaining a commitment to quality, reliability, and tailored customer service.
Global RTS designs, manufactures, rents, and sells mobile structures for commercial, industrial, event, military, and humanitarian use. They specialise in tents, halls, awnings, and modular systems offering full services including transport, installation, dismantling, repair, and cleaning. With flexible solutions and comprehensive support, they serve clients across sectors with efficiency and reliability.
DDM Solutions specializes in premium cleaning and packaging products for professional use across industries. Their portfolio includes cleaning chemicals, hygiene supplies, packaging materials, equipment, waste management, and personal protective gear. Committed to quality and innovation, they serve businesses with reliable, high-performance products and tailor-made solutions to meet strict standards and operational needs.
