Business Problem
With good gross margins across all product lines, senior management was looking for ways to improve the operating margins to enhance profitability. The difficulty lay in finding a good place to start.
Resolution
An analysis of the vendor master data revealed inconsistent payment terms and lack of vendor consolidation. A vendor management and procurement strategy was devised to reduce the number of vendors, negotiate consistently favorable terms, and simplify the procurement process for end users. The leverage with the smaller pool of vendors delivered a significant reduction in operating costs, thereby improving the operating margins.
Benefit
First year cost savings were over $5 million. The project was completed in 36 weeks, followed by ongoing operational activities for vendor management.
