Do we need to be buying this at all?

One of the most overlooked aspects of indirect spend control is demand.

Most cost initiatives focus on:

• Negotiating better prices
• Consolidating suppliers

Both are important but they tend to miss the fundamental question of “Do we need to be buying this at all?”

In indirect spend, demand is often:

• Unchecked
• Habit-driven
• Lightly governed (if at all!)

Think about what happens in business:

• Rush courier requests instead of planned shipments
• Over-spec’d PPE or consumables
• Routine lab testing that’s never been challenged
• “Just in case” purchasing behaviour

Spend control isn’t just about buying better. It’s about buying smarter and sometimes, buying less.

Because the easiest cost to remove…is the one you never incur.