If the ProcureAlign opportunity assessment identifies cost savings or improvement potential, Procure Align would engage on a project or two to see if we can reduce your company’s expenses.  Perhaps you have just a few key supplier relationships to evaluate, or are looking at a large one-time buy like a software package, capital equipment, or a new office lease.  Regardless of the situation, partnering with Procure Align can be short term or long term, depending on the project.  We are here to support our clients, as needed and when needed.  Procure Align’s market intelligence, negotiation skills, and direct support can help ensure you get these critical deals done the right way, with the right terms, and at the right price.

In our experience the greatest client returns come from taking the time to thoughtfully evaluate and strategically source all material-level categories of direct and indirect spend. Projects like a bill of materials “should cost”, or, conducting a series of sourcing events around services expenditures can be weighty initiatives; however, these projects often yield biggest dividends for our clients.  In these types of engagements, Procure Align works collaboratively with our clients in all phases, from scoping to execution and the client always retains control of the key decisions such as supplier selection.

Procure AlignProcure Align has experience in identifying and setting up new factories as well as moving production, both domestically and globally.  We can advise on and support efforts including:

New factory or OEM selection (domestic and global)

• Sourcing
• Pre-qualification
• Selection
• Qualification
• Implementation

Long-term OEM supply agreements: pricing, lead-times, incoterms, SLAs, quality, etc.

Capital equipment sourcing and buying, in-country (ex. tooling)

End to end project management for production shifts and/or new factory start-ups

New factory selection and/or production moves can be some of the most disruptive activities that a business undertakes….  Why go it alone?  Let Procure Align assist you in this mission-critical effort.   

Outsourcing often carries a negative connotation; however, world-class companies know that focusing on what they’re good at (and outsourcing what they’re not) can be a key contributor to an organization’s sustainability.  Our experience ranges from opportunity evaluation to business case development, selection of the outsourced provider and implementation for both enabling business functions and production and support services.  We know the challenges and risks associated with outsourcing and are well-positioned help you evaluate and implement these strategic initiatives.      

Low cost country sourcing for components or finished goods can have transformative impacts to margins and enterprise profitability.  That said, low cost country sourcing also brings incremental risk in: quality, intellectual property protection, loss of agility, delivery lead-time, etc.  Having supported initiatives for businesses in varied industries, Procure Align has broad experience in low cost country sourcing; we’ve developed and partnered with component suppliers in Asia, Eastern Europe, and other regions.  Leverage our contacts, reach, understanding of local customs and norms, and knowledge of issues like taxes and trade to help you determine if low cost country sourcing is right for you and your business.

While single sourcing events can produce immediate, often large cost savings wins, the long-term benefits of strategic procurement are driven primarily by category and commodity management; by developing and executing a well-designed category or commodity plan.  These strategic plans should be thorough, leadership supported, iterative, and require detailed knowledge of both the enterprise and the supply market.  Procure Align has deep experience in direct category and commodity management; our flexible model allows us to engage with clients in several ways:

• Augmenting client staff, acting as the Category or Commodity Manager
• Creating the strategic plan and facilitating client implementation
• Teaching and training this process to in-house procurement functions            

The Procure Align team has worked on literally hundreds of projects across all major spend categories – why not leverage our experience in creating your strategic plans for key spend categories and critical commodity areas?       

The success of the enterprise is often directly tied to the ability of the underlying supplier network or supply chain, to deliver quality goods and services on time and within budget.  That said, too many business owners and leaders fail to practice effective vendor management.  Oftentimes supplier relationships are put on cruise control – quality, delivery, and pricing gains fade, supplier health and viability go unchecked, and service levels deteriorate.  Long-term relationships can get “stale”, with suppliers that become complacent or entitled.  Procure Align can help you establish an effective, leading practice-based vendor management program within your organization that: 

• Re-defines, or “re-sets” roles and responsibilities
• Establishes a plan and cadence for supplier communications  
• Includes mutually developed and agreed improvements in service levels, quality, productivity, innovation
• Allows for operational review of key processes (billing, quality, etc.) and ongoing due diligence
• Creates a channel and set of procedures for issue tracking, dispute resolution, and dispute escalation

World-class firms realize the iterative and incremental value of effective vendor management; Procure Align can work with you and your team to customize and implement the right vendor management program for your firm.      

Whether you are a high-growth company that has reached critical mass, or, an established firm looking for sustained operational improvement, Procure Align is the right shop to help you stand up your own strategic procurement function.  Procure Align -established strategic procurement departments are up and running at several organizations, including a mid-size consumer goods company and a global nonprofit.  We have the experience, knowledge, and tools to help build your strategic procurement team from the ground up:

• Business case, fit for purpose, including: ROI, value proposition, leadership buy-in
• Operating model, tools, processes, and procedures
• Multi-year strategic plan (“waves”)
• Reporting, metrics, and key performance indicators
• Staffing: job descriptions, success measures, hiring assistance and talent reviews  

If you’ve determined that it may be time to invest in a strategic procurement function, let our demonstrated experience and lessons learned help you build out this capability the right way, the first time.    

Transformations are, by definition, dramatic in form.  The shift from operational procurement to strategic procurement often involves significant change for people, process, and other business functions.  To execute this transformation well requires specialized knowledge, skill, and a little finesse.  Procure Align has hands-on experience in full transformation efforts at small / mid-size firms, with experience leading these projects through key stages:

• Case for change
• Gap analysis: “as is” to “should be”
• Solutioning (if needed): requirements gathering, sourcing, selection
• Implementation
• Change management 

Procure Align has led transformation efforts at small and medium sized enterprises; we’ve seen the benefits of these initiatives and have the know-how to help you succeed in this journey.  

For clients with an in-house strategic procurement team, Procure Align can be a valued resource in benchmarking performance, systems, processes, and talent.  Our work keeps us engaged with industry trends and leading practices; a Procure Align functional assessment will compare your procurement department to leading practices and identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and risks.  From there SPP will create and deliver a plan to close the gaps, which could include:

• Curating, creating, and delivering customized training to meet your staff’s learning and development needs.
• Creating or upgrading your team’s tools, templates, and polices (ex. RFP templates, legal documents, scorecards, etc.)
• Recommendations on operating model and staffing
• Recommendations on solutions and systems       

If you’ve made the commitment to resource a strategic procurement team, why not also commit to evaluating performance and continuous improvement?  Let Procure Align show you how.