Procurement Management Consulting

Over the years Sterling has become one of the leading UK specialists helping clients improve purchasing performance by applying best practice.

The sectors in which established clients specific to this area of consulting operate include charities, finance, housing, manufacturing, local government and education and the NHS.

All of Sterling’s purchasing consultants have experience of EC Procurement Directives – and in some cases have, as contract buyers, been responsible for tendering major contracts covered by the Directives. We have written a tendering procedures manual for a public body which includes guidance for buyers on the EC Directives and how they are to be applied.

Sterling offers advice and assistance in all aspects of purchasing, procurement, and supply chain management, including:

• Contract Retendering: we will draft the specification and invitation to tender, identify suppliers for and assist with tender evaluation.
• Best Practice reviews to assess the effectiveness of an organisation’s procurement activities. Constraints are highlighted and identified improvements quantified.
• eProcurement development with clients to bring forward innovative supply chain strategies which will deliver significant savings and improve efficiency.
• Purchasing performance measurement provides snapshot assessments, and the design and implementation of measurement systems.
• Business intelligence, for example research amongst suppliers to evaluate buyer performance and identify ways in which the purchasing organisation can improve its performance.
• Purchasing card programmes research the potential benefits of using purchasing cards and assist in implementation.
• Recruitment support, including identifying and defining the need, producing job specifications, assistance with the recruitment process.
• Training in purchasing skills and negotiation for buyers and other staff who spend money.