Purchasing Consultants, We undertake business to business professional services by way of Procurement Consultancy to boost your profit and increase competitive advantage without compromising onquality.

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Procurement Consultancy. Not just any old administrative buying operation any more. Move on to making Procurement play a vital contribution to profitability and competitive advantage. We have the expertise to help. A page for Purchasing Management CONSULTANCY has been made a dirty word by the media recently. But is there any organisation alive that is absolutely perfect, never needing to consider taking on additional expertise? (Me-thinks Sir Phillip Green would have something to say after examining the dire state of Whitehall procurement?) Maybe we should now be calling ourselves something like "Procurement Efficiency Expertise Partners" or "Purchasing Trouble Shooters" but what is in a name, improving purchasing efficiency to boost the bottom line is what it is all about. We can take a carefully look at the strengths and weaknesses of your procurement operation by beginning with the production of an independent audit as a precursor to making improvement recommendations. LET'S TALK - contact us. REALITY CHECK The recession is forcing organisations, both in the private and public sectors, become more efficient. Procurement can make an enormous contribution and we are in business to help drive down costs without sacrificing quality. Sure we charge a fee for our expertise but the savings potential usually far outweighs the costs. Let's talk - contact us MANAGEMENT, quite rightly, would like their procurement function to make a positive, ever increasing contribution to bottom line performance. Unlike the sales function the buying operation should have a relatively low overhead cost. So every extra pound saved will transfer more or less intact into a profit boost.The problem usually is - How do you accurately measure purchasing performance? Because without accurate measurements it is impossible to even start to move the function into being an entrepreneurial, dynamic high level business unit. An introduction to our consultancy approach can be found in my book - Purchasing Performance, Measuring, Marketing & selling the Purchasing function. MEASURING Traditionally the profession as a whole has not been very good at measuring it’s own performance and if you cannot measure a function how can you begin to improve it?.  When undertaking consultancy work it is a constant source of surprise that when buyers are asked how much their spend is per annum they often struggle to come up with an answer. Surprising because most buyers will readily acknowledge that without having figures available on HOW MUCH (Total spend) ON WHAT (Products or services purchased - spend by product grouping) WITH WHO (Spend by product with each supplier) it is impossible to even begin to assess the contribution that the function is making to the organisation. In the commercial world the major aim of purchasing should be to contribute to increasing both profit and competitive advantage. Translated into public sector parlance these major aims are to stretch budgets further, or under spend budgets, coupled with continuous improvement in the quality of the goods and services obtained. TYPICAL SCENARIO A client had a Print & Direct Mail spend that, although considerable, was not considerd sufficient to justify the employment of a specialist buyer. There was a concern about the friction between the creative and buying side of the business leading to suppliers operating a divide and rule policy by baffling all and sundry with technical jargon. Was the organisation obtaining the best value and quality for their money? We helped them by a/ Undertaking an independent audit of both the types of the work they required and the suitability of their suppliers to undertake it. b/ Testing existing suppliers against the wider market place in terms of quality and cost. c/ Showing buyers how to use proven cost analysis techniques for print and direct mail. d/ Recommending practical training courses to fill skills gaps. e/ Producing a Procurement Procedure Manual listing, amongst other things, clear divisions of responsibilities and accountabilities. f/ Producing ongoing measures of performance criteria to asses progress in terms of both quality and cost. Let's talk about how we can make it work for you For more information about our Consultancy Services - Telephone, text and email contact (strictly for business customers only) email info@buyingskills.co.uk Phone and text 07973 800062 Mail - Buying Skills (Attn of Derek Roylance, Head of Consultancy) St Lawrence Park Chepstow Monmouthshire, NP16 6DP, UK. As well as procurement consultancy & training Derek Roylance, the proprietor of Buying Skills, is also involved in providing business to business Purchasing services such as a/ Writing articles and books pertaining to buying, b/ Purchasing Mentoring, c/ Presentations & talks on buying, d/ Purchasing FRAUD prevention - if you think buyer bribery only occurs in third world countries - think again e/ Creation of effective strategy & policy THE ESSENTIAL PROCUREMENT BOOK FOR BUYING PROFESSIONALS PURCHASING PERFORMANCE MEASURING, MARKETING & SELLING THE PURCHASING FUNCTION A Book by Derek Roylance, MCIPS, MIP3. Published by Gower Press For more information or to purchase click on either book cover Amazon or the Publisher Right away we must declare an interest because the book was written by Derek Roylance, the proprietor of this web site. The book has been written for Purchasing Managers, Procurement specialists and career Buyers. For more information or to buy direct from the Publisher or Amazon please click on the appropriate book cover above. To browse an extract go to Purchasing Performance. As well as Amazon and the Publisher you can also buy the book from CIPS (The Chartered Institute of Purchasing & Supply). So shop around to get yourself the best deal. Reviews 'The practical advice provided throughout this book is presented in a no-frills, snappy style that ensures the essential information is not lost in a clutter of unnecessary detail. ...This is an excellent volume that in every sense is a handbook for procurement specialists and beginners alike.' Economic Outlook and Business Review (Dec 06) 'An ideal guide for any buyer that aspires to be a procurement manager. It goes beyond the mere process manual and explains purchasing’s role at the heart of a successful organisation. I particularly approve of the way that Roylance stressed the need for purchasing to act as an example of good practice in business ethics. It distills a lifetime of experience in purchasing into an easily digestible read full of wisdom.' Trevor Kitching, Director, ACS Supply Chain Consultancy Ltd 'Written in Roylance's humorously dictatorial style, the book condenses a year's worth of instruction into one handy volume. It covers everything you need to know and consider when engaging your internal customers on procurement's offer to your company. ...Well done.' Supply Management (CIPS Members magazine)'. Contents Introduction; The management role; The profit and loss measurement system; Measuring and improving buyer performance; Measuring supplier performance; Marketing theory; Presentation and selling skills; The practical application of marketing and sales theory; Market research questionnaire - sample questions; Reverse marketing; Body language (non verbal communication); Technology comes to our aid; Ethics; Conclusions; Appendices; Index; etc. Useful reference links for purchasing professionals Horizon Supply Chain Associates Ltd Helping financial and professional service organizations become more profitable through better purchasing PSL Consulting Solutions Limited Practical consulting advice and project management solutions for the purchasing and supply community Purchasing Job Board Specialist recruitment site exclusively focused on purchasing jobs ACS Supply Chain Consultancy Our aim is to add value to interesting projects. Over 20 years experience in procurement & supply chain consultancy CIPS The Chartered Institute of Purchasing & Supply. A global leading body for purchasing & supply chain management. Return to Home page