Are you seeking procurement leadership but lacking sufficient skills or budget?

Posted 9 April 2018 | | 0 Comments

For most small and mid-market UK Companies, times have been getting steadily tougher when it comes to keeping a lid on supply costs. The UK has recently experienced significant inflationary cost pressures on imported raw materials thanks in part to the weakened pound, and the threat of import customs tariff costs grows by the day. Even if this isn't directly impacting on your business, the chances are that it's hitting much of your supply base, which will be either looking to pass some of this extra cost onto you or taking the hit and suffering financially (which ultimately ups your own risk of supply chain failure). These increased costs and risks mean that it's vital that companies have highly experienced procurement professionals in place to protect profits and mitigate supply chain risks.

Adding to the pressure, the large corporate competitors are able to leverage their size for competitive advantage. They have highly skilled procurement teams, busy developing future strategies not just to keep a lid on costs but to seize new supply innovations to make their products or services even more appealing to customers; their suppliers (some of whom also supply your company) are attracted to supply them so as to maximise sales revenues directly, and indirectly through bolster their own marketing by citing these well-known companies as clients, thereby demonstrating their credibility to prospective new clients (who may currently be served by your company).

So how can your small or mid market company enjoy similar advantages of cost/risk management, supply chain innovation and maximising your attractiveness to suppliers and clients alike? There are two challenges. First, finding high quality procurement leaders. Just as the largest companies can attract the best suppliers, so they can attract the most talented procurement professionals. With UK unemployment at its lowest for decades, procurement skills shortages make it even harder to find good people. The second challenge is that the most effective procurement leaders don't come cheap and as a smaller company you may not have the budget to attract or keep them.

So on the one hand you have an urgent need to develop an effective procurement and supply chain function, but on the other you may struggle to develop the skills or find the necessary salary budget to make the necessary change. How do you solve this business challenge?

Buying Support Agency (BSA) can solve it. We have a ready-made team of passionate procurement leaders, all with 15+ years of operational and leadership experience. They've worked in the corporate world but want a more flexible work-life balance which is why they want to work with BSA as associates. This flexibility for them is also flexibility for your business - our team tend to work with a client for typically 4-5 days per month, delivering exceptional value to the client, who avoids the cost of having to pay for all the traditional costs of having a senior level member of staff on their books. Clients have complete flexibility and can therefore expand or reduce our resource as needed. As an additional value add, all associates bring to clients completely free access to our BSA Buying Group, which enables them to quickly cut your overhead costs whilst also tackling some of the more fundamental strategic issues facing your supply chain.

Want to know more? Call 0800 254 0344 today and we'll arrange a conversation without obligation.

by M Roper | 9 April 2018