Phase 2 · Strategy & Planning · From Idea to Executable Plan
Procurement Process Optimisation
A procurement process with unnecessary steps does not just waste time. It drives people to bypass it entirely — and maverick spend is always more expensive than the process it avoided.
Procurement process optimisation is the systematic review and redesign of the procure-to-pay workflow to remove unnecessary steps, reduce cycle times, eliminate duplication, and make the compliant path easier than the non-compliant one. We map the current process, identify where it is creating friction, and design the leaner, faster, better-controlled version that the business will actually follow.
The Pain We Solve
You may recognise yourself in one of these.
Three audience scenarios · because the same service produces a different transformation depending on where you are in the business journey.
Scenario 1
The business where people buy outside the procurement process because the process is too slow
The procurement process is theoretically in place but practically ignored. Business units raise emergency purchases, use personal credit cards, or go directly to suppliers because the official route takes too long. The process is controlling nothing.
Scenario 2
The procurement team with a backlog of purchase orders that is affecting business operations
The process has too many approval steps, too much manual handling, and too many opportunities for delay. The queue is growing and the stakeholders are frustrated — some have stopped using the process entirely.
Scenario 3
The growing business that has never designed its procurement process — it just evolved
The process is a collection of historical workarounds that nobody designed. Different departments follow different variants. The controls are inconsistent, the data is incomplete, and nobody can explain why it works the way it does.
The Impact It Creates
The Moment You Will Feel the Difference.
Purchase order cycle time reduced through elimination of unnecessary steps
Compliant buying path made easier than the non-compliant alternative
Maverick spend reduced as the process friction that caused it is removed
Procurement team capacity released from administrative processing to strategic work
What You Receive
The Specific Deliverables.
Tangible outputs · documented, dated, and yours to keep.
- Current state process map with friction point and delay analysis
- Lean process redesign — optimised workflow with rationale for each step
- Approval authority matrix redesign
- Quick-win implementation plan — changes deliverable within 30 days
- Process documentation and user guide
- Measurement framework — cycle time, compliance rate, and cost per transaction
The Outcome
Where You Will Be on the Other Side.
The procurement process works with the business rather than against it — fast enough to be used, controlled enough to be trusted, and simple enough that bypassing it is harder than following it.
Primary Focus
Redesigning the procure-to-pay process to reduce cycle time, improve compliance, and remove the friction that drives maverick spend.
KPI Measurement
- Average purchase order cycle time
- Procurement compliance rate
- Maverick spend as % of total
- Process touchpoints per transaction
- Stakeholder satisfaction with procurement process
Investment & ROI
Pricing Engineered Around the Value You Create.
Every engagement is sized against the value we believe we can create with you · the fee is always a fraction of the outcome. Four tiers · so the investment matches your stage of business.
Tier 1
Foundations
£5,000 – £15,000
Right for
Pre-startup, startup, and micro-business founders ready to build on evidence rather than instinct.
Typical Value Created
£100K+ in sharper resource allocation and avoided strategic missteps
Engagement
4 – 8 weeks
Target Return
5 – 10× ROI
within 12 – 18 months
Tier 2
Acceleration
£15,000 – £50,000
Right for
Growing SMEs and established small businesses ready to scale a working model into the next revenue band.
Typical Value Created
£500K – £3M in faster execution and pipeline acceleration
Engagement
8 – 16 weeks
Target Return
5 – 10× ROI
within 12 – 18 months
Tier 3
Transformation
£50,000 – £250,000
Right for
Medium enterprises and scale-stage businesses ready to commit to a multi-quarter, organisation-wide shift.
Typical Value Created
£2M – £20M in strategic value through repositioning, model redesign, and growth-system installation
Engagement
3 – 9 months
Target Return
5 – 10× ROI
within 12 – 18 months
Tier 4
Enterprise
£250,000 – £2M+
Right for
Large enterprises, global operators, and complex organisations ready for a multi-year strategic partnership.
Typical Value Created
£10M+ in major strategic initiatives, capital deployment efficiency, and competitive repositioning
Engagement
12 months and onward
Target Return
5 – 10× ROI
within 12 – 18 months
Why We Price This Way
Every engagement is sized around the value we believe we can create with you. The fee is always a fraction of the outcome · typically 10 – 20% of the expected first-year return.
This is how we make sure pricing aligns with results. The conversation is never “what does this cost?” · it is always “what is this worth to your business?” We answer that together in the first call, transparently, and decide the right tier from there.
If we cannot articulate a credible 5–10× return for your specific situation, we will tell you in the first call. That honesty is part of why our clients trust us with the work that matters most.
Why This Conversation Matters
“The best procurement process is the one people actually follow. We design the version that earns that compliance — not by enforcing it but by making it the path of least resistance.”
A 90-minute structured strategy session · produces a usable roadmap whether you engage further or not.
More in Phase 2