Strategic purchasing
Strategic purchasing is the key lever for sustainably reducing costs, securing supply chains, and strengthening your company's long-term competitiveness. As purchasing consultants, we support you in strategically realigning your procurement—in a practical, effective manner and in line with our motto: No savings, no fee.
KLOEPFEL by EPSA – Your partner for strategic purchasing
When it comes to taking strategic purchasing to a new level of performance, you need more than theory—you need a partner who delivers results. As part of the EPSA GROUP, KLOEPFEL by EPSA combines the clout of over 5,000 procurement experts in 40 countries with the implementation strength of an owner-managed consulting firm. Our promise: We work exclusively on a success basis and measure ourselves by the savings we achieve for you.
Strategic purchasing that pays off.
What does strategic purchasing mean?
Strategic purchasing encompasses the long-term planning, management, and optimization of all procurement activities within a company. In contrast to operational purchasing, which deals with day-to-day order processing, strategic purchasing focuses on overarching goals:cost optimization, supplier development,risk management, and ensuring long-term security of supply.
Many purchasing departments are so tied up in day-to-day business that they have little capacity left for strategic work. As a result, potential savings remain undiscovered, supplier structures are not questioned, and contracts are extended without renegotiating terms and conditions. This is exactly where our consulting services come in.
Sustainable reduction of all purchasing costs
Reducing purchasing costsis one of the most effective ways to increase a company's profitability. Strategic purchasing is not just about price negotiations, but about taking a holistic view of all cost drivers: from reducing direct material costs and optimizingindirect coststo improving process efficiency and supplier terms.
Our consultants analyze your entire purchasing volume, carry out detailed potential analyses, and implement the identified measures together with your team and your suppliers. The result: average savings of 5% to 15% – sustainably anchored in your processes and structures.
Supplier management and sourcing strategies
Effective strategic purchasing stands or falls with the quality of the supplier base. We support you in systematically evaluating and developing suppliers and tapping into alternative sources of supply. Throughglobal sourcingandtechnical sourcing, we identify the best partners worldwide for your requirements.
We consider not only price and quality, but also security of supply, sustainability, andESG compliance. A strategically diversified supplier portfolio reduces dependencies and creates room for negotiation—a decisive advantage in volatile markets.
NO SAVINGS, NO FEE
We take responsibility for results: you only pay for our strategic purchasing consulting services based on the savings actually achieved. This model shows that we believe in what we do.
The six levers in strategic purchasing
purchasing strategy
Without a clear strategic focus, purchasing remains reactive. We work with you to develop a structured framework that prioritizes your product groups according to value leverage and complexity. This forms the basis for differentiated procurement strategies – from targeted volume bundling and the realignment of supplier shares to innovative award models.
supplier management
Those who do not systematically evaluate their suppliers are negotiating blindly. Our experts establish multidimensional evaluation systems that go beyond mere price comparisons and include quality, delivery reliability, innovative strength, and risk exposure. Based on this, we initiate targeted development programs that turn good suppliers into strategic partners.
Processes
Efficient processes are the backbone of effective strategic purchasing. We examine your entire process chain—from requisitioning and approval workflows to goods receipt—and eliminate media breaks, duplication of work, and unnecessary approval loops. In combination with moderne-procurement solutions, we create end-to-end digital procurement processes.
Risk management
In times of geopolitical uncertainty and fragile supply chains, professionalrisk managementis essential in strategic purchasing. We help you identify dependencies, develop dual sourcing strategies, and diversify your procurement sources geographically—for maximum security of supply.
Methods & Tools
The right tools are crucial for success in strategic purchasing. From cost structure analyses and total cost of ownership calculations to spend analytics and digital tendering platforms—we provide the right tools and empower your team to continue using them independently.
Controlling
What is not measured cannot be controlled. We implement a meaningful key performance indicator system that maps purchasing performance, savings targets, and process efficiency in real time. This allows you to identify deviations early on, respond proactively, and ensure that the optimizations achieved are sustainable in the long term.
Cross-industry expertise in strategic purchasing
Our consultants bring with them in-depth knowledge of numerous industries. Whetherautomotive,mechanical and plant engineering,pharmaceuticals and healthcare, orconsumer goods—we understand the specific challenges of each industry and tailor our purchasing strategies accordingly.
This industry expertise enables us to set robust benchmarks, transfer best practices across industries, and identify potential savings that often remain undiscovered without specialized industry knowledge. Over 2,000 successfully implemented projects demonstrate our implementation strength.
Our consulting approach: Implementation instead of concept
At KLOEPFEL by EPSA, we begin with a comprehensivepotential analysis that clearly shows you where the greatest leverage in strategic purchasing lies. We then work with your purchasing department to develop customized strategies for each product group and implement them consistently.
Our consultants work directly in your company—side by side with your employees and suppliers. This ensures that changes have a lasting effect and that expertise remains anchored in your organization. Our motto: We don't just talk. We take action.
Frequently asked questions about strategic purchasing:
What is strategic purchasing?
Strategic purchasing describes the long-term planning and management of all procurement activities within a company. In contrast to operational purchasing, which deals with day-to-day order processing, strategic purchasing focuses on overarching goals such as cost optimization, supplier development, risk management, and ensuring security of supply.
What are the responsibilities of strategic purchasing?
Key tasks include product group management, supplier evaluation and development, procurement market analysis, negotiation, supply chain risk management, make-or-buy decisions, total cost of ownership analyses, and the development and implementation of a holistic purchasing strategy.
What is the difference between strategic and operational purchasing?
Operational purchasing deals with day-to-day business—i.e., orders, delivery date tracking, and invoice verification. Strategic purchasing, on the other hand, plans for the long term: it defines purchasing strategies, strategically selects suppliers, optimizes product groups, and ensures sustainable competitive advantages through professional procurement management.
Why is strategic purchasing consulting worthwhile?
Professional purchasing consulting reveals potential savings that often remain undiscovered internally. External consultants bring industry benchmarks, methodological expertise, and an unbiased perspective to the table. At KLOEPFEL by EPSA, we work on a 100% success basis—you only pay for savings that are actually achieved.
How much can you typically save with strategic purchasing?
Depending on the industry and initial situation, our clients achieve average savings of 5% to 15% on the analyzed purchasing volume. In individual product groups, the savings can be significantly higher, especially for indirect costs such as energy, insurance, or facility management.
Further services relating to cost optimization at
Freight cost optimization
IT purchasing
