Baseline
Building on the work undertaken in the Scoping phase, we produce a line-level baseline for each and every category, audited and signed-off by Finance.
This:
- acts as a marker for the category;
- manages the expectations of the supply chain we’re engaging;
- is used to audit the subsequent savings down to the penny
At market
We use a suite of e-Procurement tools to engage the market and analyse opportunities, including e-RFX and various e-Auction capability. But that’s not where the story ends. We know you’ll have some long-standing relationships with suppliers, so we tailor our negotiation strategy to suit. There’s no ‘one size fits all’ or a standard, cold Procurement process. It’s all about engagement, communication and empathy.
Opportunity assessment
Once received, we analyse any opportunities and produce a recommendation. It’s not just based on cost and certainly not reducing a specification. Quite the opposite – we only ever recommend a solution that’s fit for purpose, respects your brand and your customer offer, and balances the need for lower costs without proposition compromise. When all is said and done, it’s your decision.
Recommendation and contract award
We use our suite of Heads of Terms and Contract documentation, combined with your own Terms and Conditions, to create equitable, balanced contracts; neither heavily favouring the supplier, nor cold and punitive. After all, this is the paperwork that embodies a relationship and should work for both parties.
Audit
Following a successful supplier contract award, we work with Finance and Operations to create the necessary implementation plans and next steps to make sure that any change happens smoothly. We also create robust ‘End Packs’ which capture the process we’ve gone through, the changes and the subsequent savings, to create an audit trail that’s transparent and auditable.