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 […]
We worked with a food manufacturer who hadn’t reviewed their indirect spend categories in over a decade. Why? “Things work fine” “Switching feels like hassle” “No time to look into it” But when we ran the full audit: Numerous suppliers supplying same or similar products Prices were above market rates Data made meaningful analysis impossible […]
Before the recent geopolitical shocks in the Middle East, UK headline inflation was beginning to look like it was stabilising around 3%—a welcome sign after years of volatility. But the war-driven energy spikes have made that stability fragile. Beneath the headline numbers, cost pressures remain very real. According to ONS 2026: Food inflation still elevated […]
In today’s cost environment, indirect spend is finally getting the attention it deserves. At Pare, we’re seeing more and more food manufacturers with dedicated “Indirect” or “Goods not for Resale” procurement teams, which is fantastic! It finally feels like the drum banging is getting heard! And for many food manufacturers, it’s long overdue. Because unlike […]
On paper, that sounds simple. A strong procurement team, equipped with the right tools and expertise, keeps all costs under control, reviews suppliers, and ensures the business is always getting the best deal. But, in reality? Most organisations don’t have that luxury. Instead, spend is spread across multiple budget holders — often department heads or […]
▶️ How many procurement experts do you have in your business? 🥼The technical manager buying lab services 🦺The health & safety manager buying protective clothing & equipment 🛠The engineering manager responsible for the management of £5m of engineering spend 👨💼 The HR administrator buying office supplies….. Unfortunately, in our experience, many businesses rely on budget […]
Background Our client is a manufacturer of frozen foods, with 3 sites, based in the UK. Across all sites, there is a common need for a large amount of non-stocked consumables – items like PPE, uniforms, janitorial and paper products. With several buyers across the three sites, the company was concerned that a lack of […]
We work with a number of different food manufacturers, delivering tenders and procurement projects where procurement teams are under-resourced. With no exceptions, stakeholder engagement is key to the successful delivery of a tender or procurement project. It doesn’t matter how good your invitation to tender, your supplier research and quality of data is, getting buy-in, […]
Do you have a procurement policy outlining your procurement process, spend thresholds and rules? Do teams adhere to it? Do they even know it exists? A procurement policy is an important pre-requisite for controlling spend. It should be accessible to all staff who have the authority to purchase goods and services in an easily readable […]