Strategic Procurement
Strategic purchasing is the central 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 – practical, implementation-strong, and entirely according to the motto: No savings, no fee.
KLOEPFEL by EPSA – Your partner for strategic purchasing
When it comes to taking strategic procurement to a new level of performance, it takes more than theory – it takes a partner who delivers results. As part of the EPSA GROUP, KLOEPFEL by EPSA combines the power of over 5,000 procurement experts in 40 countries with the implementation strength of a privately owned consultancy. Our promise: We work exclusively on a success basis and measure ourselves by the savings we achieve for you.
Strategic procurement that pays off.
Was ist strategischer Einkauf?
Strategic procurement encompasses the long-term planning, control and optimisation of all a company's purchasing activities. In contrast to operational procurement, which deals with daily order processing, strategic procurement focuses on overarching objectives: Cost optimisation, Supplier Development, Risk management and the sustainable assurance of supply security.
Many purchasing departments are so heavily tied up in day-to-day business that there is hardly any capacity left for strategic work. The consequence: savings potential remains undiscovered, supplier structures are not questioned, and contracts are extended without conditions being renegotiated. This is precisely where our consultancy comes in.
Sustainable reduction of all purchasing costs
The Reducing purchasing costs is one of the most effective tools for increasing a company's profitability. Strategic procurement is not just about price negotiations, but about a holistic view of all cost drivers: from reducing direct material costs to optimising indirect costs up to and including the improvement of process efficiency and supplier conditions.
Unsere Berater analysieren Ihr gesamtes Einkaufsvolumen, führen detaillierte Potenzialanalysen durch und setzen die identifizierten Maßnahmen gemeinsam mit Ihrem Team und Ihren Lieferanten um. Das Ergebnis: Durchschnittlich 5 % bis 15 % Einsparung – nachhaltig verankert in Ihren Prozessen und Strukturen.
Supplier management and sourcing strategies
A powerful strategic procurement function succeeds or fails based on the quality of its supplier base. We support you in systematically evaluating and developing suppliers, as well as tapping into alternative sourcing options. Through Global Sourcing and Technical Sourcing We identify the best partners worldwide for your requirements.
In doing so, we not only consider price and quality but also security of supply, sustainability, and ESG compliance. A strategically diversified supplier portfolio reduces dependencies and creates negotiation room – a crucial advantage in volatile markets.
No savings, no fee
We embrace results-based accountability: You only pay for our strategic procurement consulting services based on the actual savings achieved. This model demonstrates – we believe in what we do.
The six levers in strategic purchasing
Procurement strategy
Without a clear strategic direction, procurement remains reactive. We will work with you to develop a structured framework that prioritises your product groups according to value levers and complexity. On this basis, differentiated procurement strategies will be developed – from targeted volume consolidation and the realignment of supplier shares to innovative award models – including mathematically sound Game theory At the shops.
Supplier management
Those who do not systematically evaluate their suppliers are negotiating blind. Our experts establish multi-dimensional evaluation systems that go beyond simple price comparisons and include quality, delivery reliability, innovation potential, and risk exposure. Building on this, we initiate targeted development programmes that turn good suppliers into strategic partners.
Processes
Efficient processes are the backbone of high-performing strategic procurement. We analyse your entire process chain – from demand notification and approval workflows to goods receipt – and eliminate media breaks, duplication of effort, and unnecessary approval loops. Combined with modern E-Procurement solutions We create end-to-end digital procurement processes.
Risk management
In times of geopolitical uncertainties and fragile supply chains, professional Risk management Indispensable in strategic purchasing. We help you to identify dependencies, build dual-sourcing strategies and geographically diversify your procurement sources – for maximum supply security.
Methods & Tools
The right tools are crucial for success in strategic procurement. From cost structure analyses and total cost of ownership calculations to spend analytics, and digital tender platforms – we’ll bring the right tools and empower your team to continue using them independently.
Controlling
What isn't measured can't be controlled. We are implementing 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, react proactively, and ensure that achieved optimisations have long-term impact.
Cross-industry expertise in strategic procurement
Our consultants bring profound industry knowledge from numerous sectors. Whether Automotive, Mechanical and plant engineering, Pharmaceuticals and Health Care or Consumer goods industry – we know the specific challenges of each industry and adapt our purchasing strategies accordingly.
This industry expertise allows us to set robust benchmarks, transfer best practices across industries, and identify savings potential that often remains undiscovered without specialised industry knowledge. Over 2,000 successfully completed projects demonstrate our implementation strength.
Our consulting approach: Implementation rather than concept
At KLOEPFEL by EPSA, we begin with a comprehensive Potential analysis, which transparently shows you where the biggest levers are in strategic purchasing. We then develop tailored strategies for each product group together with your purchasing department and consistently implement them.
Our consultants work directly within your company – side-by-side with your employees and suppliers. This is how we ensure that changes have a lasting impact and that expertise remains embedded within your organisation. Our motto: We don't talk. We implement.
Frequently Asked Questions about Strategic Sourcing:
Strategic sourcing refers to a comprehensive and systematic approach to managing a company's procurement activities. It involves analysing spending patterns, identifying potential suppliers, and establishing long-term relationships with them to ensure the best possible value for the organisation. Key aspects include understanding total cost of ownership, risk management, and aligning procurement strategies with overall business objectives.
Strategic purchasing describes the long-term planning and management of all procurement activities of a company. In contrast to operational purchasing, which deals with daily order processing, strategic purchasing focuses on overarching goals such as cost optimisation, supplier development, risk management, and ensuring supply security.
The strategic procurement has the following tasks:
* **Analyse of the procurement market:** This includes identifying and evaluating potential suppliers, understanding market trends, and assessing risks.
* **Definition of procurement strategies:** Based on the market analysis, strategies are developed for specific product groups or services, such as make-or-buy decisions, supplier consolidation, or global sourcing.
* **Supplier management:** This involves selecting, developing, and maintaining long-term relationships with strategic suppliers. Key aspects include performance monitoring, collaboration, and risk mitigation.
* **Cost management:** Strategic procurement aims to optimise total costs, not just purchase prices. This includes considering factors like quality, delivery reliability, logistics, and sustainability.
* **Innovation management:** Through close collaboration with suppliers, new technologies and innovative solutions can be identified and integrated into the company's processes.
* **Risk management:** Identifying and mitigating potential risks in the supply chain, such as supply disruptions, price volatility, or geopolitical instability.
* **Sustainability:** Integrating environmental, social, and ethical considerations into procurement processes and supplier selection.
* **Cross-functional collaboration:** Working closely with other departments (e.g., R&D, production, sales) to ensure procurement strategies align with overall business objectives.
* **Development of procurement processes:** Continuously improving procurement processes to increase efficiency and effectiveness.
Key responsibilities include category management, supplier assessment 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, optimises product groups, and ensures sustainable competitive advantages through professional procurement management.
Warum eine Beratung im strategischen Einkauf sinnvoll ist:
Professional purchasing consulting uncovers savings potential that often remains undiscovered internally. External consultants bring industry benchmarks, methodological expertise, and an unbiased perspective. At KLOEPFEL by EPSA, we work 100% % on a success basis – you only pay for savings that are actually achieved.
What are the typical savings in strategic purchasing?
Depending on the industry and starting situation, our clients achieve average savings of 5 % to 15 % on the analysed purchasing volume. In individual product groups, savings can be significantly higher, particularly in indirect costs such as energy, insurance, or facility management.
Further services relating to
Cost optimisation
Indirect purchasing
Freight cost optimisation
