Procurement optimisation for private equity
Maximising EBITDA growth and exit value through professional procurement: Procurement optimisation is the quickest and most effective lever for immediately increasing the profitability of portfolio companies. We identify untapped return potential, professionalise the procurement organisation, and achieve measurable cost reductions โ for significant value enhancement in the shortest possible time.
Portfolio Value Enhancement: Strategic Procurement Optimisation for Private Equity
In the holding phase, every percentage point of margin counts. While revenue increases are often time-consuming and fraught with risks, optimising direct and indirect costs has an immediate impact on results. We support PE firms and management teams in developing procurement from an administrative function into a strategic value driver. We focus on a pragmatic โhands-onโ approach that not only delivers concepts but also guarantees implementation right down to the P&L.
Key Facts about our Expertise:
- Quick EBITDA effects: Realising quick wins within the first 3 to 6 months.
- Transparency & Reporting: Building valid spend analyses as a basis for management decisions.
- Professionalisation: Transformation of purchasing through the implementation of modern processes and digital tools.
- Portfolio Synergies: Bundling requirements across different portfolio companies to achieve economies of scale.
- Enhancing exit readiness: Creating a scalable and transparent cost structure that maximises enterprise value upon divestment.
Private Equity Value Appreciation
Private Equity: Doubling the Enterprise Value of Your Portfolio Companies
With approximately 50% of revenue share, purchasing represents the most significant earnings factor in companies. If it is possible to Purchasing costs om 8% to reduce, the company result can be increased by up to 50% in a short time. With an average leverage share of approx. 50%, the company value can thus be doubled within 12 months through purchasing optimisation measures.
Investment companies are keen to use Kloepfel Consulting's services because these value-creation effects for the portfolio are important to them. Furthermore, private equity firms appreciate Kloepfel Consulting's 100% success-based fee model. If we don't save money, we don't earn a fee. We regularly provide support during due diligence with analyses on the evaluation of savings potential in procurement and supply chain. If the company is acquired, we guarantee the realisation of the analysed potential in the form of a joint project. In this way, our industry teams quickly recover large parts of the purchase price in the form of increased earnings.
Excellent as BEST ADVISORS โ 11th time in a row
Example Project Outcome (anonymised)
Processed material groups, among others.
Logistics, including courier services, IT, telecommunications, printer management, energy (electricity, gas), auditing, tax consulting, insurance, office supplies, personnel services, printed materials
Example Project Scorecard
Project volume: 80 million Euros
Managed volume: โฌ40 million
Project Team: 2 Consultants
Project duration: 8 months
Satisfied customers
โWe enjoy working with Kloepfel Consulting. Sustainable and comprehensive optimisations in the material share increase the value of our holdings.โ
โKloepfel Consulting impresses with fast and sustainably effective measures to increase company value.โ
โThe project result achieved together of over โฌ800,000 within the first 7 months has far exceeded our expectations and confirmed that we have found the absolute right partner in Kloepfel Consulting.โ
โThe result achieved of over โฌ1 million after just eleven months pleasantly surprised us and convinced us of your performance.โ
Would you like to learn more about the private equity sector, or do you have other questions about KLOEPFEL Consulting?
Convincing
References
Toys R Us
Toys R Us is a retail chain of toy stores from the United States. In 1986, Toys R Us was also founded in Germany and has since become one of the largest toy retailers in the country. There are now more than 60 branches in Germany.
Grimme
โThroughout the entire project duration, they achieved a minimisation of procurement costs of approximately โฌ2.5 million.โ โ Klemens Kalverkamp (Management). Founded in 1861, Grimme Landmaschinenfabrik GmbH & Co. KG is a world-leading manufacturer of potato technology based in Damme (Lower Saxony). Since 2003, the company has also produced machinery for sugar beet harvesting and vegetable cultivation and employs over 1,450 people worldwide.
Mulag
โNot only the total sum of directly implemented savings, but also the further potentials that we can implement through our purchasing in the near future, are remarkable.โ โ P. Esser (Management). MULAG is one of the leading German manufacturers of vehicles for the airport apron with an extensive product range of airport tractors, conveyor belt vehicles, container transporters and special vehicles. Furthermore, MULAG sees itself as a leading manufacturer of mowers with the most extensive product range for DaimlerChrysler Unimog and other system carriers.
ZKW
Commercial Councillor Karl Zizala founded ZKW in Vienna in 1938. The brand name is derived from the initials of his name in conjunction with the โWโ for the Austrian capital. ZKW has been pioneering for decades: they provide the best possible lighting systems for the automotive sector at all times and use the expertise of their competence centres for new solutions and setting standards.
Doc Morris
As an โonline pharmacy,โ DocMorris supplies its customers with medicines and accessories. An extensive drug catalogue contains all the necessary medications and allows customers a convenient ordering process via the internet. Furthermore, DocMorris offers services in the form of online pharmaceutical advice. The company was founded in 2000 by Jacques Waterval and Ralf Dรคinghaus and is now one of the leading mail-order companies in the pharmaceutical industry. There are several sites in Germany and also in the Netherlands. For several years, DocMorris has been transitioning from a prosperous drug dealer to a digital health advisor.
Leoni
LEONI AG is a globally active provider of products, solutions, and services for energy and data management in the automotive industry. The company develops and produces intelligent cable systems, wiring harness solutions, and innovative technologies that make modern vehicles more efficient, safer, and more connected. With many years of experience, an international presence, and a clear focus on sustainability, LEONI accompanies the automotive industry on the path to a connected, electric future.
Applied Materials
Applied Materials is driving the future of electronics and renewable energy with innovative materials and technologies. The company stands for progress, precision, and sustainable solutions that make our world smarter.
ARGO-HYTOS Gruppe
The ARGO-HYTOS Group is a component and system supplier in the field of mobile machinery and general mechanical engineering. The corporate group has an international network of production companies and sales organisations. Today's ARGO-HYTOS Group evolved from the former Argo GmbH for Precision Mechanics, which was founded by Herbert Kienzle in Stuttgart in 1947. ARGO-HYTOS now employs over 1,400 people and has over 70 years of experience in control and regulation technology as well as filtration in mobile and industrial hydraulics. In addition to Germany, the company also produces in the Czech Republic, Poland, India and China.
Zollern
Zollern stands for over 300 years of industrial history. With innovative strength and precision, the company manufactures high-quality components for the most demanding applications worldwide.
Grammer
โAt the beginning of the project, I was very doubtful about its purpose. However, the way you involved our internal departments in the project led to wide acceptance of your work.โ โ Tuna Arinci. The company develops and produces innovative driver and passenger seats, as well as components and systems for car interiors. The Seating Systems segment encompasses the business areas of truck and offroad seats, as well as rail and bus seats. With over 9,000 employees in 21 consolidated companies, Grammer is represented in 17 countries worldwide.
Our industry expertise
Automotive
Retail
Mechanical and Plant Engineering
FAQ: Key Questions for Procurement Optimisation for Private Equity
Why is procurement the most important lever for PE investors?
As material and service costs often make up the largest part of total expenditure, every euro saved in procurement flows directly into EBITDA. With an assumed exit multiple of 10x, a saving of โฌ100,000 immediately leads to an increase in enterprise value of โฌ1 million.
How quickly can initial savings be realised?
Initial results (quick wins) are usually visible within the first 12 to 16 weeks. Our focus is on swift implementation that does not burden day-to-day operations.
Will the achieved effects be sustainable?
Yes. Our aim is not just one-off cost reduction, but to empower the organisation. We are implementing sustainable structures, optimising supplier contracts, and training local staff.
How do you handle portfolio companies in different industries?
Through our broad industry expertise, we can leverage specific benchmarks. We know what โbest-in-classโ is in the respective industry and tailor our strategies individually to the market situation of the portfolio company.
Do you also support bundling across the entire portfolio?
Absolutely. We identify product groups that can be consolidated across various holdings (e.g., logistics, energy, IT) to achieve significant volume advantages through cross-portfolio sourcing.