How would you define “red tape”?   One description is the “bureaucratic practice of hair splitting or foot dragging, blamed by its practitioners on the system that forces them to follow prescribed procedures to the letter”. The term has been incorrectly used more recently when the industry discusses the ever increasing role of procurement in the selection of marketing services providers. It is becoming a common label to challenge the activities of procurement and compliance services as a barrier to achieving client objectives.  However, what is the risk of cutting the “red tape”? There are real cost implications in taking short cuts to due process. The involvement of…