SUCCESS STORY
7:1 ROI in six months
Accelerating procurement value for a UK utilities company
- Extending a trusted relationship to deliver a high-impact Buy Desk pilot
Outcomes
7:1 Return on Investment
10x faster response times
Exceeded SLA targets through streamlined process
strategic capacity released
Enabled category managers to focus on high-value activity
Improved supplier performance
Applied competitive rigour to lower-value spend
BACKGROUND
the challenge
The procurement team was being pulled away from strategic activity by a growing volume of lower-value, lower-risk requests. Frameworks were under-utilised as mini-competitions were often bypassed due to time and capacity constraints. Manual processes, fragmented handovers and the absence of automated routing meant opportunities for cost savings and supplier performance improvement were being missed.
SOLUTION
To address this, 4C and EBIT set up a Buy Desk to channel transactional spend through a disciplined, centralised process:
- Defined the Buy Desk model, scope and operating principles
- Implemented the service in just two weeks as a proof-of-concept
- Managed lower-value procurement activity end-to-end, running competitive tenders and negotiations
- Actively engaged stakeholders to ensure purchasing aligned with business needs
Without their support, we would be forced, through bandwidth and prioritisation, to agree to pricing and contracts without competitive rigour or scrutiny.
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