Strategic sourcing

Our professionals are experts at the Strategic Sourcing process, whether through competitive events or structured negotiations.

Because of this expertise, Electool is frequently hired by top firms to provide procurement expertise to their operations.

Electool will conduct timely strategic sourcing projects to improve quality & significantly lower total costs of acquiring products & services within assigned commodity categories.

We pride ourselves on consistently achieving impressive savings. This is due to our team’s experience with many complex sourcing projects, coupled with a willingness to tell potential clients when a large savings isn’t likely.

A typical sourcing project led by Electool will follow the following sequence:

We've had big success in many categories, including:

Fleet Vehicles & Maintenance
Travel Services
Capital Equipment & Maintenance
Digital Copiers & Reprographic Ops.
Commercial Printing· Direct Mail Services
Forms Management
Office & Computer Supplies Furniture Purchase & Installation· Property Management
MRO Products & Services
Security Guard Services
Logistics Services
Technology Hardware, Software & Services
Direct Production Materials
Creative Agency Services
Collateral Materials
Outsourced Operations (Call Center, Service Bureau, Inventory Management)
Courier Services
Professional Services (Consulting, Legal, Audit, Accounting)
Freight & Transportation Management

A sourcing project may include any combination of the following, and can be performed using eTools provided by our subsiadary, Electool Systems:

Expenditure Analysis

To assess opportunity & identify acquisition processes, we can segment a client’s general ledger expense information into sourcing categories & identify savings opportunities. (see more at spend analysis)

Sourcing Strategy Development

To develop a strategy to conduct an optimal sourcing project in a timely manner, we will develop strategies for competitive bid, sole/single source negotiation, buying group consortiums, etc.

Request for Information

To complete requirements definition, or to pre-qualify potential bidders, we will develop & distribute a comprehensive RFI & perform results analysis.

Request for Proposal

Electool is known for preparing concise, professional, & extremely effective RFP packages. Our packages paint an appropriate emotional picture for bidders, transition proposal information quickly for analysis, & address pertinent legal issues to facilitate timely execution of resulting contracts.

Negotiation

Whether sole source, single source, or re-negotiation, we conduct professional, ethical, & firm negotiations that fairly address supplier’s reasonable business expectations, while optimizing our client’s position.

Implementation

We design ordering processes, policies & procedures, & communications to help the client capture the savings.

Depending upon the client’s requirements, Electool's sourcing services can be provided in any of three different formats:

Full Sourcing Management:

We will provide full consulting support for a client’s targeted initiatives, with our team providing the majority of required services and techniques for multiple commodities.

Expert Staff Support:

Clients often bring one of our experts onboard to support high-profile projects. Examples include complex commodities or outsourcing initiatives that require dedicated support during the project period.

Coaching & Guidance:

When a client organization already has skilled procurement professionals in place, we can work with them in a “coaching” mode to review sourcing strategies, documents, supplier assessments, and contract documents to ensure that “best practices” have been employed through the entire process. This “coaching” role is especially relevant when coupled with training programs presented to the client’s personnel. It also presents a cost-effective option when the use of an external consultancy will add “credibility” in the eyes of the internal stakeholders.