How Lean-Agile Procurement transforms procurement efficiency and innovation

How do you define 'good' in your procurement process? Guesswork has no place in strategic decision-making. The answer lies in benchmarking. It’s the practice of measuring your services, processes, and standards against the best in the industry or public sector. This turns vague goals into clear, measurable targets. Before you outsource a service, benchmarking gives you a concrete baseline to measure a contractor's performance, ensuring you get the value you were promised. Stop guessing and start knowing. Mastering concepts like this is key to making confident, data-driven decisions. https://lnkd.in/dUxmRGY5 #procurement #benchmarking #contractmanagement #publicprocurement #businesstips #strategicprocurement #supplychain

What’s a challenge or pain point that has been raised recently? That’s what we asked our teams in our recent survey. This post is part of our Procurement Insights series, drawn from real conversations happening every day. One pattern stood out. Customers are under pressure to keep up with change, but they don’t always have the capacity, clarity or confidence to do it. ⚖️ There’s confusion around what the Procurement Act means in practice ⏳ Not enough time 🧩 Not enough internal expertise 📉 And often, no clear plan for how to move forward It’s not that the challenges are new. It’s that they’re piling up faster than many teams can manage. This is where the right support can make the difference. Not just guidance, but action. Not just interpretation, but delivery. We act as an invested partner in your success, providing access to procurement consultants with extensive sector knowledge and experience Are you seeing the same pressure building in your organisation? Where is it showing up most? 📋 Download our free Procurement Act 2023 checklist: https://ow.ly/v4lw50WYTFc 💡 Need support beyond the checklist? Our consultancy team can help https://ow.ly/m0cc50WYTFe #ProcurementInsights #ProcurementAct #ProcurementSupport #PublicSector #Inprova #PfH #ProcurementStrategy #CommercialDelivery

💡 Procurement Savings Don’t Stop at Contract Award – They Start There In procurement, the “savings” conversation often focuses on the numbers we put in business cases. But real impact comes when those savings are protected, tracked, and delivered throughout the contract lifecycle. That’s where a savings tracker built into contract management becomes powerful. By working closely with finance, and service leads, procurement can: ✅ Streamline contracts to reduce duplication and hidden costs ✅ Build savings directly into contract KPIs and reporting ✅ Track benefits against actual spend – and make them visible ✅ Protect public money through transparency and accountability 🔎 Example: During an ICT contract renewal, collaboration with IT, finance, and end-users revealed overlapping software licences across departments. By consolidating these under a single agreement, we avoided unnecessary duplication and built a tracker to monitor usage vs. spend. This ensured savings weren’t just identified on paper but delivered year-on-year. This is procurement leadership in action: turning short-term wins into long-term value for communities. 👉 To fellow procurement leaders – how are you ensuring your savings don’t fade once the ink dries on the contract? #Procurement #PublicSector #Projectmanagement #ContractManagement #Savings

🚧 Struggling with procurement delays and rising costs? You’re not alone. Many businesses face the same challenge — delayed deliveries, rising supplier prices, and the ripple effect it has on entire projects. That’s why we focus on creating smarter procurement solutions: ✅ Faster turnaround on supplier quotes ✅ Transparent processes that cut hidden costs ✅ Reliable delivery that keeps projects moving Every delay avoided is money and time saved — and that’s the difference between a project that struggles and a project that succeeds. 💡 Let’s reimagine procurement as a driver of growth, not a stumbling block. #Procurement #SupplyChain #ProjectManagement #Efficiency #Innovation

Curious how much money your company could be leaving on the table through procurement inefficiencies? I built a Procurement ROI Estimator GPT to help leaders answer that question in plain English. Here’s how it works: It asks you simple, step-by-step questions about your current procurement setup It identifies inefficiencies like unmanaged contracts, too many suppliers, or untracked spend It estimates your ROI potential and highlights the areas where improvement would drive the most value You’ll walk away with: ✅ An estimated savings range tied to your company’s annual spend ✅ A quick read on your procurement maturity level ✅ Clear opportunities to reduce cost, mitigate risk, and improve efficiency Think of it as a quick diagnostic with actionable insights 📌 Try it here: https://lnkd.in/eM8T-eWX

An Effective Procurement Work Plan is not just a schedule it’s a strategic roadmap that ensures procurement activities are aligned with business goals, deliver measurable value, mitigate risks, and remain compliant with governance frameworks. 🔑 Key Steps to Building an Effective Procurement Work Plan: 1️⃣ Understand organizational objectives & engage stakeholders. 2️⃣ Conduct spend analysis to identify priorities & opportunities. 3️⃣ Engage end-users early for accurate specifications & satisfaction. 4️⃣ Map procurement activities with milestones, risks & owners. 5️⃣ Ensure compliance with policies, thresholds & legislation. 6️⃣ Incorporate social value: sustainability, Net Zero, EDI, local suppliers. 7️⃣ Assign clear resources & responsibilities. 8️⃣ Define KPIs: cost savings, supplier performance, compliance. 9️⃣ Review & update regularly as a dynamic tool. 🔟 Integrate with broader organizational strategies. ✅ A well-structured Procurement Work Plan transforms procurement into a proactive, strategic enabler driving efficiency, compliance, and long-term value creation. #Procurement #SupplyChain #ProcurementExcellence #StrategicSourcing #BusinessTransformation #ValueCreation #Sustainability #ProcurementStrategy #EffectiveLeadership

One of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned in procurement came from the deal I walked away from. The numbers looked good, the supplier was eager, and the pressure to sign quickly was high. But something didn’t add up - delivery risks weren’t being addressed. Instead of forcing it through, I walked away. Months later, that supplier missed deadlines with another client. The project failed. Procurement isn’t just about chasing the “best deal.” It’s about knowing when the risks outweigh the savings. That takes patience, judgment, and the courage to say no. Sometimes, the most strategic move in procurement is the one you don’t make. Have you ever walked away from a deal that looked good on paper? What happened next? #StrategicSourcing #SupplierManagement #CostOptimization #ProjectExecution #OperationalExcellence #ProcurementStrategy #ProcurementConsulting

COLLABORATION IN CONTRACTING & PROCUREMENT: A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE🤝 Procurement isn’t just about cost — it’s about enabling value through partnerships. Yet, sometimes, contracts are treated as control tools instead of the foundations of collaboration. Sadly, most of us at one time or another are guilty.🙈 To drive better outcomes, we need to engage suppliers early, align on shared goals, and co-create contracts that reflect mutual accountability. Internally, breaking silos between Procurement, Legal, Finance, and Operations is key to ensuring agreements reflect real business needs. True collaboration requires a shift: from transactional to strategic, from risk-averse to value-focused. With today’s complex supply chains and rising ESG demands, this shift is no longer optional — it’s essential. The future of procurement lies in building trust, not just managing risk. Let’s stop negotiating from opposite sides of the table and start designing solutions together. 🤔 How is your organization fostering collaboration in procurement? #Procurement #ContractManagement #SupplierCollaboration #StrategicSourcing #BusinessPartnerships #ValueCreation

Freedom in procurement sounds great—but what’s the cost of flexibility without structure?    With the Procurement Act 2023, contracting authorities now have the freedom to design their own procurement processes (within certain parameters aligned with the Act) through the Competitive Flexible Procedure (CFP).    But with greater freedom comes greater risk.    Without a clear framework, flexibility can quickly turn into fragmentation.    That’s where Process Excellence comes in.    In our latest blog by Will Gibbs, we explore how PEX principles—agility, transparency, and continuous improvement—can transform procurement from a compliance exercise into a strategic enabler.    🔍 Real-world examples  📊 Data-driven insights  🛠️ Practical tools    Read the blog: https://lnkd.in/e_wGAZUm Ready to fully unlock the potential of PA2023? Reach out to Darren Blackburn.   #ProcurementAct2023 #ProcessExcellence #PublicSectorProcurement #CFP #StrategicProcurement #4CAssociates #Transformation #ValueDriven Darren Blackburn Will Gibbs Ross Hodgkins (MCIPS)

The Hidden Value of Contract Consolidation: Why Streamlined Procurement Professionals Are Reducing Their Supplier Base Here's the uncomfortable truth: maintaining the status quo with multiple suppliers delivering marginal value simply isn't an option anymore. In today's challenging economic climate, procurement professionals are under intense pressure to deliver more for less. Faced with demands for 15% spending cuts, many organisations are looking at contract extensions and incremental savings. The evidence is clear - while extending existing contracts might seem like the easier option, true value often lies in strategic consolidation efforts. Streamlined procurement professionals are consolidating their supplier base and using that focus to drive innovation, efficiency, and genuine partnership. The question isn't whether consolidation can deliver savings - it's whether your organisation is ready to move beyond tactical procurement toward strategic supplier portfolio management. The time for kicking procurement decisions down the road is over. The time for strategic consolidation is now. 🚀 #procurement #localgovernment #publicsector #bhn #Procurement #SupplierConsolidation #CostSavings #StrategicProcurement #ValueCreation