We work with organisations of all sizes across private, public and charity sectors, reviewing their purchasing and supply management practices and putting forward recommendations for significant short and long term sustainable cost reduction and efficiency improvements. We've also teamed up with several trade associations to provide cost savings to their members.
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Public Sector
We have worked with over 40 public funded bodies across both Central and Local Government. Here are two examples:
National Audit Office
We have successfully delivered three separate procurement projects for the National Audit Office (NAO), helping to improve Procurement processes and practices across Central and Local Government.
These projects included the design of a Procurement Audit Toolkit for exclusive use by NAO financial auditors across government (e.g. used by the NAO in their review of Procurement at the BBC, November 2007); and advising the NAO on two separate procurement studies relating to the Further Education College sector and the Culture, Media and Sport sector (see more detail below).
We recently secured a two month contract by the National Audit Office (NAO) to conduct a Procurement Efficiency Review inside four Non Departmental Public Bodies within the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). The review involved interviewing purchasing and finance staff and evaluating their process efficiencies both as stand alone organizations in their own right and as compared to the others in the review. We calculated the cost of processing an order from requisition through to invoice payment and finally recommended ways in which each organisation could reduce cost and achieve greater value for money by adopting improved procurement efficiency measures, such as joining purchasing consortia.
Download
NAO Report: "Procurement in the Culture, Media and Sport Sector" that we contributed to.
We secured a further contract with the NAO to work with their Value for Money Audit Study Team (Education and Skills) who were reviewing procurement across the FE College sector in England. Specifically, we advised on aspects of their methodology, participated in one of their case study visits and provided expert analysis of their emerging findings. As stated in their final report, "(the Buying Support Agency) have experience of assessing value for money in public sector procurement and of auditing procurement in further education colleges."
Visit Britain
VisitBritain - the national tourism agency - is responsible for marketing Britain worldwide and for developing England's visitor economy. It wanted to conduct a detailed examination of its' procurement practices in response to the recent focus and NAO report into procurement in the Culture, Media & Sport sector. Following a series of meetings with potential consultant organisations, VisitBritain engaged the Buying Support Agency to conduct an independent review with specific terms of reference. We were selected because of our direct involvement with the NAO review and our expertise in this area.
The review consisted of structured forms to gather operational and financial information coupled with a series of interviews with the relevant stakeholders. The detailed information gathered was then analysed using the same models and methodologies applied to the NAO review to draw a set of specific conclusions and recommendations. We provided VisitBritain with a detailed roadmap around procurement, balancing industry standard best practice with the special needs of a global organisation with complex and diverse procurement needs.
Partnering with top Accountancy Practices
Since 2002 the Buying Support Agency has been an external procurement advisor to both RSM Bentley Jennison and Tenon Group. In this time we have successfully delivered Procurement Consultancy Reviews and/or Best Value Audits at over thirty of their public sector clients - ranging from Universities, FE Colleges, Housing Associations, District Councils, the Police and Non Departmental Public Bodies. Whilst this has primarily been UK based, we have also conducted Procurement Projects to their clients in Bosnia.
Partnering with Trade Associations to provide procurement support as key member benefit
The BSA has established partnerships with over a dozen Trade Associations to deliver procurement support to their members, including offering free membership to our buying group, the BSA Consortium. Associations include the Institute of Directors, Forum of Private Business, CIPFA, AAT, BIFM, FAC, MTA, S&II, CEDA to name but a few. We would be happy to work with other trade associations in a similar way.
Private Sector
We have successfully delivered many procurement projects across both manufacturing and service sectors.
Engineering: £250m Railway Infrastructure Services
BSA were approached by a £250m turnover railway infrastructure services company that sought independent specialist support to review its procurement practices. BSA conducted a month long business-wide review across all divisions and levels of management, considering:
- strategies and policies
- spend controls
- their staff skills and resource
- IS systems
- tender and contract management
- supplier management
- what was being spent by whom and with which suppliers.
At the end of the review we delivered a prioritised action plan for significant cost reduction. We also recommended short-term operational changes and wrote a procurement manual tailored to their organisation. This means that the company can move forwards confidently armed with a route map to adopting best practice procurement practices that will ultimately deliver significant client benefit and shareholder value.
We have also delivered Best Practice Purchasing Training across their Senior Executive and Purchasing teams as part of their change programme.
Cost Category specific procurement support
Print Procurement: Prêt à Manger
We were asked by this well known sandwich retailer to review its print buying operation, resulting in significant cost savings.
Purchasing Best Practice Training Programme
Helphire Group PLC (Accident Management Specialist)
This FTSE 250 Client has recently received our 3-day Best Practice Purchasing Training programme. It involved a tailored workshop, with the third day taking place two weeks after the first two days, to enable delegates to take what they had learned back to the workplace. The third day then required delegates to present back problems set by the trainer at the end of day two. This reflective problem solving element made the training experience more practical and relevant to the delegates, making their learning experience much more valuable to the Client.
Bottom Line Cost Saving through the BSA Consortium
Jockey Club Racecourses
We've recently reduced their stationery and office supplies costs by an impressive 34%. We're also providing on-going print procurement support.
20% cost savings for £100m Building Supplies Company
One of our clients on the BSA Consortium is a UK based brick and timber merchant with annual turnover in excess of £100m. When they engaged in our services they were seeking some immediate cost savings in one area of their non-core expenditure, namely stationery and office supplies. Our initial price analysis showed them that they would save 20% from their total stationery/office supplies bills if they joined the BSA Consortium and so they joined immediately. They not only enjoy such savings from day one, they also have peace of mind in knowing that the Buying Support Agency is constantly monitoring supplier performance and price levels. Thus value is obtained in the short and long term by being a member of the BSA Consortium.
Leisure Group saves significant costs through BSA Consortium
A Kent-based client that manages several leisure centres has just saved 33% on a like-for-like basis for its stationery supplies, 21% for its catering supplies (non-food), 14% on its telecoms and 12% on its catering (food and drink) supplies, thanks to its membership of the BSA Consortium.