Achieve sustainable cost savings
A structured programme that helps organizations sustainably reduce their cost structure, optimize their procurement processes and increase their spend maturity — combining a rigorous assessment with hands-on implementation that realizes savings on the addressable spend.
The Challenge
Procurement value is left on the table — across strategy, data and categories.
Spend is often procured in silos by individual departments rather than in a structured way. Without spend transparency, the right sourcing decisions cannot be made, inventories drift above target, and the wrong products get purchased — eroding net working capital and profitability. Most organizations lack the structure, data and capacity to address this systematically.
Fragmented spend
Spend is often procured in silos by individual departments rather than in an organized approach, with limited transparency on what is bought, from whom and at what terms.
No data transparency
Without a clear view of spend categories, suppliers, prices and contract coverage, fact-based sourcing decisions cannot be made.
Procurement maturity gaps
The procurement organization often lacks the structure, processes, competencies and tools it needs to perform consistently.
Cost & working-capital pressure
Inventory drifts above target and partially wrong products get purchased, eroding net working capital and profitability.
Our commitment
Across a two-phase programme, we will
Establish full transparency on your spend
Assess procurement strategy, organization and processes
Identify and quantify cost reduction opportunities
Apply value levers across key categories
Implement savings in a joint team approach
Raise procurement maturity for the long term
How It Works
A two-phase approach from assessment to realized savings.
Phase 1 establishes the fact base and the action plan; Phase 2 implements it in a joint team with your stakeholders. Each phase produces concrete, measurable outputs that build directly toward sustainable cost reduction and a more mature procurement function.
Phase 1
Action Planning
A comprehensive assessment of the current procurement setup — strategy, organization, processes and spend — and the identification of concrete cost reduction opportunities. The output is an implementable action plan, not a generic strategy deck.
What you get
Assessment of procurement processes, organization and capabilities
Detailed list of cost measures with individual savings potential for SteerCo approval
Action plan with timing, required resources, savings potential and bottom-line impact
Phase 2
Implementation
Implementation of the defined actions in a team approach, involving key business stakeholders. We realize savings — quick wins as well as strategic and tactical measures such as RFPs and supplier strategies — while improving procurement maturity across strategy, processes, tools and skills.
What you get
Sustainable cost savings according to the agreed target
Improved procurement strategy, organization, category management, processes and tools
A motivated and skilled team able to sustain performance
Phase 1 — three parallel workstreams
How the assessment is delivered
Workstream 1
Procurement Maturity Enhancement
Best-practice review of procurement strategy, organizational set-up and maturity, and source-to-pay processes and tools.
Workstream 2
Spend Transparency
Establish what we buy, from whom, at what prices and terms, and the contract coverage — fully classified to enable the right decisions.
Workstream 3
Category Optimization
Apply the right value levers per category to achieve cost-out across the addressable spend.
For each key category, a half-day value-lever workshop is held with procurement and the relevant business representatives to identify, quantify and prioritize actions.
Designed for
Who is this program for?
Companies with significant spend trying to increase their margins
Organizations aiming to increase their procurement maturity, implementing category management or new systems
PE- and corporate-owned businesses targeting cost-out and working-capital improvement
Total program duration: 8–12 months.
Commercial Structure
Our incentives are fully aligned with yours.
Our engagement model is designed so our economic upside is directly tied to yours — combining fixed-price transparency in assessment with success-based compensation for the implementation phase.
Time & Material Assessment
Transparent assessment, clear deliverables
Cost
Time & material — billed on actual days worked, with full transparency on hours
Duration
6 weeks
Output
Spend transparency, maturity assessment and a prioritized action plan with quantified savings potential
Commitment
Phase only — no obligation to continue
Success-Based Implementation
Our upside tied directly to your savings
Cost
Success-based fee linked to the savings actually achieved
Duration
Typically 6–9 months
Output
Realized cost savings, improved procurement maturity and an upskilled team
Commitment
Results-based — incentives fully aligned with the savings delivered
Start with the Assessment
A low-risk way to begin
Who this suits
Organizations that want a clear, quantified savings case before committing to implementation
How it works
Phase 1 stands alone and defines the savings baseline; Phase 2 then delivers against it on a success basis
Why Value Creation Partners
Built specifically for this problem.
We combine deep cost saving expertise with hands-on operational execution — a small, proven team that works shoulder-to-shoulder with your procurement and business stakeholders.
Proven procurement specialists
A Big 4 - trained lead with 40+ procurement improvement projects across industries, corporate and PE-owned companies.
Implementation focus, result-oriented
We don't stop at recommendations. A hands-on team realizes quick wins and strategic measures and stays accountable until savings are delivered.
A proven value-lever methodology
An established approach covering every angle of cost — from specification and demand to sourcing, contracting and end-to-end process.
Stakeholder buy-in by design
Category workshops with procurement and the business secure ownership and build lasting procurement capability in your team.
Aligned incentives, transparent terms
Time & material with full transparency in the assessment phase, and a success-based implementation fee tied to the savings we actually achieve.
Our Partner Network
What our clients say
Let’s talk about turning fragmented spend into sustainable savings.
Start with a no-obligation conversation.
We'll assess whether the Cost Saving Program is the right fit for your organization to improve your margin.