![[Translate to English:] Technisch-cleanes Headerbild zur Potenzialanalyse Einkauf mit Datenvisualisierungen, Einkaufskennzahlen, Roadmap und analytischem Workspace.](/fileadmin/_processed_/f/6/csm_Potenzialanalyse_Einkauf_header_ade55cd536.png "[Translate to English:] Potenzialanalyse Einkauf und datenbasierte Entscheidungen")
Improving procurement processes & preparing for implementation
Rising costs, volatile supply markets and increasingly complex supplier structures are putting greater pressure on procurement and the supply chain. It is often clear that there is potential for improvement. However, it remains unclear in which product groups, supplier relationships and processes this potential actually lies, and which measures are effective in the short term or make strategic sense.
Metroplan creates this transparency through a data-driven potential analysis in procurement. We analyse spend, product groups, the supplier base, processes, organisation and the digital system landscape, and translate the results into a prioritised basis for decision-making: featuring quantified savings potential, robust assumptions and an actionable programme of measures.
The potential analysis in procurement is particularly relevant when cost programmes, established supplier structures, decentralised demand, maverick buying, digitalisation initiatives or location changes require a robust basis for decision-making.
Metroplan Insights
We do not view procurement in isolation, but as part of the overall value stream: from demand through sourcing, ordering and service delivery to invoice verification and KPI management. This not only highlights opportunities for optimising prices and terms, but also reveals potential for improvements in structure, processes and organisation, which increase the value contribution of procurement in the long term.
We organise order, accounts payable, contract and product group data to create a reliable overview of expenditure. This reveals the purchasing volume tied up in specific product groups, companies, sites and supplier relationships, and highlights where the greatest potential for savings lies within the procurement function.
We assess the existing supplier landscape in terms of volume, dependencies, performance, terms and conditions, risks and opportunities for consolidation. This yields specific starting points for supplier consolidation, tendering, dual sourcing, contract standardisation or the further development of strategic partnerships.
Opportunities for savings do not arise solely from better prices. Often, the relevant levers lie in the origin of demand, product variety, specifications, batch sizes, payment terms, service levels or the bundling of recurring requirements. We assess these levers in terms of their potential for savings, feasibility, dependencies on specialist departments, risk and the changes required to day-to-day operations.
We analyse how requirements are raised, tenders are conducted, purchase orders are initiated, approvals are managed, invoices are processed and suppliers are evaluated. The focus is on process costs, maverick buying, roles and responsibilities, system disconnects, master data quality and the maturity level of S2C, P2P and reporting processes.
At the outset, we align on objectives, level of detail, relevant categories, locations, entities, data sources, and decision-making requirements. This creates a clear framework for the analysis, quality of results, timeline, and required level of data depth.
We clean, classify, and validate available procurement data from ERP, accounts payable, purchasing, contract, and material group data. We fill data gaps through interviews, document reviews, and workshops with procurement and the relevant business functions.
Based on this foundation, we analyze category structures, supplier portfolios, pricing and commercial terms, as well as process and organizational patterns. We combine top-down perspectives with bottom-up insights into contracts and specific business requirements.
The identified potential is assessed based on impact lever, value, effort, risk, and feasibility. Where possible, we quantify the potential in euros, percentage impact, or process KPIs.
Finally, we translate the results into a structured action program with quick wins, strategic initiatives, responsibilities, decision requirements, dependencies, and an implementation roadmap.
Building trust through projects
Benchmarking and Optimization of Fulfillment Conditions in E-Commerce
Strategic Alignment and Planning of a New Central Warehouse
Design of a logistics network to supply a textile retailer across Europe
A potential analysis in procurement is most beneficial when decisions are no longer to be based on individual opinions, established routines or incomplete data. Typical starting points are:
Procurement is expected to make a measurable contribution to value creation in the short term – for example through cost reduction programs, margin pressure, working capital targets, or earnings improvements.
Historically established supplier relationships, inconsistent terms and conditions, heterogeneous categories, or incomplete master data make procurement management more difficult.
Business functions place orders outside defined processes, contracts, or framework agreements. This leads to avoidable costs, a lack of transparency, and lower compliance.
Particularly with indirect spend, numerous suppliers, and decentralized purchasing, potential exists in bundling, standardization, process discipline, and transparency.
Before introducing new systems, role models, or digital processes, the potential analysis shows which data, responsibilities, and processes should be clarified first.
When procurement volumes, supplier portfolios, and category structures need to be consolidated, the analysis creates a comparable and robust basis for decision-making.
A potential analysis in procurement is the right approach when companies wish not merely to speculate about opportunities for savings and improvements, but to assess them reliably and implement them in a targeted manner. To this end, Metroplan combines procurement expertise with experience in supply chain management, logistics and implementation: we create transparency regarding expenditure, product groups, suppliers, processes and organisation; we evaluate realistic levers within your specific context; and we translate the results into a prioritised programme of measures. In this way, procurement data is transformed into a concrete implementation plan – ranging from tenders and supplier consolidation, through product group strategies and process optimisation, to e-procurement, reporting and organisational development.
Request a procurement potential analysis
What does Metroplan mean by a ‘potential analysis’ in procurement?
Metroplan defines this as a structured, data-driven analysis of expenditure, product categories, suppliers, processes, organisation and the IT infrastructure. The aim is to identify opportunities for economic and organisational improvement and to translate these into prioritised actions.
What potential savings in procurement are being investigated?
Typical levers include potential savings on price and terms, bundling of requirements, adjustments to specifications, supplier consolidation, tendering, process cost reduction, reduction of maverick buying, and improvements in product group management, reporting and digitalisation.
What data is required for the analysis?
Typically, we use data relating to orders, accounts payable, contracts, suppliers and product groups. In addition, process information, organisational structures, guidelines, existing KPIs and interviews with the procurement department and line organisations are helpful.
Even if the data set is not complete or consistent at the outset, it is still worthwhile to begin a potential analysis. It is important to highlight data gaps, document plausible assumptions and validate critical points in a targeted manner with procurement, IT and business units.
How long does a procurement potential analysis take?
A compact Quick Check can provide initial reliable findings within a few weeks. A more comprehensive potential analysis often takes four to eight weeks, depending on the data available, the company’s structure, the number of sites and the product groups under consideration. The agreed focus of the analysis is crucial.
Does Metroplan also provide support with implementation?
Yes. On request, Metroplan supports the implementation of prioritised measures, such as product group strategies, tenders, supplier consolidation, organisational changes, process optimisation, KPI management or digitalisation initiatives in procurement.
Contact
Managing Partner
Senior Manager
