Three Findings the Context Layer Surfaced
Sports venue catering contract — 4 suppliers, 1,200+ pages, 14-day deadline
Finding 1: Staffing Gap
vs
3 of 4
competitors at industry norm
Supplier assumed client would provide sales staff. Written in assumptions. Never flagged. Annual hidden cost: £200,000.
Finding 2: Growth Projections
12–15%
suppliers projected
vs
5–7%
post-pandemic sector norm
Two suppliers' business cases rested on growth 2x the sector baseline. Without the benchmark, both appeared credible.
Finding 3: Food Cost Percentages — Incomparable Without Standardisation
Percentages ranged 28%–35% across suppliers, but were calculated on entirely different bases. Direct comparison was meaningless until restated against a common framework.
Source: Context is Everything, sports venue catering contract analysis (2024)