Procurement in managed living is increasingly being treated as a core part of the resident experience rather than a back-office buying function. In an interview with Clean India Journal, Dr. Priya Malhotra, vice-president for procurement and supply chain at Stanza Living, argued that the quality of housekeeping supplies, linen, laundry services and everyday consumables has a direct bearing on hygiene, safety and comfort in professionally run accommodation.
That shift reflects a...
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broader change across hospitality and managed accommodation. Residents now expect a more consistent, hotel-like standard, and operators are responding by using procurement to support service quality across multiple properties. According to Dr. Malhotra, the challenge is not simply to buy at the lowest price, but to create a framework that delivers dependable performance, better lifecycle value and a more predictable experience for residents.
Standardisation has become central to that effort. In a geographically spread portfolio, operators need approved specifications, clear standard operating procedures and centralised buying policies, while still leaving room for site-level flexibility. Product selection, Dr. Malhotra said, has to take into account quality, safety, logistics, scalability, supplier reliability and after-sales support. For chemicals and cleaning products, effectiveness and surface compatibility matter as much as user safety and environmental impact. For linen, durability, comfort, wash life and replacement cycles are key.
Industry thinking is moving in the same direction. In hotel procurement, sustainability is now increasingly linked to local sourcing, reduced transport emissions and support for nearby suppliers. Some operators are even setting explicit local sourcing targets for the next few years, reflecting how procurement is now used not only to control cost but also to strengthen brand value and environmental credentials. That mirrors a wider hospitality trend in which sourcing decisions are now connected to guest or resident expectations as much as operational efficiency.
Cost control remains important, but the emphasis has shifted towards total value. Dr. Malhotra said the most effective procurement teams look beyond the invoice price to total cost of ownership, weighing durability, maintenance requirements, service reliability and the long-term effect on assets. Strategic supplier relationships, longer contracts, volume consolidation and better demand planning can all help reduce waste and improve purchasing outcomes without weakening service standards.
Sustainability is becoming a defining feature of that model. Dr. Malhotra said modern procurement must incorporate eco-friendly products, resource-efficient processes and ethical sourcing. That can include biodegradable cleaning chemicals, less single-use plastic, responsibly manufactured products, reusable consumables where possible and vendors that can demonstrate environmental compliance. Waste reduction, inventory discipline and recycling programmes also help lower the environmental burden while improving efficiency.
Technology is accelerating the change. Integrated procurement platforms, enterprise resource planning systems, digital vendor management and inventory analytics now give operators real-time visibility over stock, supplier performance and consumption patterns. Automation can shorten procurement cycles, reduce manual errors and improve compliance, while predictive analytics can support demand forecasting and prevent stock-outs or excess inventory. Digital dashboards, meanwhile, make it easier to monitor service consistency across a distributed property network.
The role of suppliers is also evolving. In Dr. Malhotra’s view, strategic partners do far more than fill orders: they contribute innovation, technical expertise and process improvement, while adapting to changing operational needs. That stands in contrast to purely transactional vendors, which are judged mainly on fulfilment. Across hospitality, suppliers are increasingly expected to show transparency, financial resilience, compliance and a willingness to collaborate.
There is also a growing expectation that procurement will support broader ESG goals. Industry commentary suggests that procurement is now central to how properties are financed, built and operated, particularly as sustainability moves from aspiration to governance issue. In Europe, for example, rules such as the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive and the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive are pushing supply chains under greater scrutiny, making responsible sourcing more of a requirement than a choice.
For managed living in India, that points to a more strategic future. Procurement will increasingly shape resilience, resident satisfaction and brand reputation, while also influencing how operators respond to sustainability pressure and digital transformation. As Dr. Malhotra put it, procurement is no longer just a support function; it is becoming a business capability that affects performance across the entire operating model.
Source: Noah Wire Services
