“We have worked with Laura and Helen on a number of procurement projects, all with successful outcomes (double digit % savings and extended credit terms). They immerse themselves in our business and act as an extension to our existing teams, engaging all relevant stakeholders to ensure continuous “buy in”. They truly are experts in their field and I continue to use their services as the value they deliver far exceeds our investment in them.”
Mike Fraine, Country Head UK & Ireland, Froneri UK
“We have been using the services of Pare for several years and they were recently tasked with running a tender on our janitorial and workwear ranges (non-stocked consumables). With 3 sites independently procuring their own ranges of products from their own suppliers and no procurement agreements in place, we were experiencing a number of issues; fluctuating and inflated prices, different specifications for similar products and some supply issues. We felt there may be an opportunity to reduce the product ranges by standardising the specifications, removing duplication across the sites and having one price.
Pare invested the time to scrutinise our spend data to come up with a greatly reduced product list. They also spent time with our teams to identify a defined set of service requirements which was then sent out to tender.
Not only did Pare manage to secure a 16% cost saving through this process, they reduced the supply base which has led to a much more consistent supply. They continue to monitor the contract for us to ensure ongoing supplier delivery performance.
Pare are excellent at operating cross functionally to ensure all relevant stakeholders are included in the process to ensure a seamless changeover and this project was no exception. Pare come highly recommended.”
Katie Henderson, UK Head of Operations, Froneri UK
“We have worked with Helen and Pare Procurement multiple times now and they have always been both friendly and a diligent company to work with.
We have used them in the hunt for both glass and PET suppliers this year with positive results on both.
Multiple options and suppliers were provided in a timely manner with regular updates and communication.”
Jonathan Knifton, Head of Supply Chain, Cafea UK Ltd
“Pare Procurement are a key resource in helping Kirsty’s reach and exceed our strategic goals. Helen and Laura are a pleasure to work with, both possessing the determination and diligence required to achieve all targets set. In a recent tender Pare facilitated the transition to a new supplier on our highest cost material. The process was not only easy but yielded a 10% savings, improved payment terms and an upgrade in quality! I would recommend their services to any company that is looking to reduce cost and expand their supplier base.”
Thomas Beasley, Supply Chain & Procurement Manager, Kirsty’s
“Laura and Helen completed a diagnostics exercise to understand our procurement challenges and identify opportunities for improvements. They fully engaged with our teams, carrying out the project efficiently and on time. I was impressed by their refreshing approach and their comprehensive knowledge. They took the time to really understand our business and I would not hesitate to recommend them”
Paul White, Chief Financial Officer, Typhoo
“Laura and Helen were appointed to address our procurement challenges around policy, strategy, process and training. They have built successful relationships within the Zoo, providing us with expert, unbiased advice which we have used to influence our procurement decisions. They come highly recommended.”
Liz Carnie, Corporate Director, Chester Zoo
“Laura and Helen have supported us with a number of procurement projects that we have not had the resource to manage in-house. Their approach is always methodical, disciplined and collaborative. They engage with our staff at all levels, which is key to ensuring the successful completion of projects. I would trust Laura and Helen to deliver time and time again.”
Dominic Strange, Commercial Director, Chester Zoo
“Working in a unique setting comes with the unique challenges of procurement. Pare Procurement fully understood the criteria required for each unique contract. Laura and Helen underwent a full in-depth process when looking at multiple areas of our buying operations, giving professional advice alongside very extensive knowledge. Working closely with Laura and Helen was a pleasure, their passion, knowledge, and experience was a great help to us across multiple tender processes. The service provided by Pare doesn’t stop at contract award, Laura and Helen have provided an ongoing level of service and regularly check in on the ongoing contracts which have been awarded. I hope to work with Pare Procurement again soon.”
Christopher Gee, Animal & Plant Logistical Services Manager, Chester Zoo
“Having worked with Laura and Helen for some time on our procurement projects, they were our first choice for delivering procurement training to our employees. They delivered an informative and engaging session to a wide range of employees who wanted to develop their knowledge of procurement best practice. Laura and Helen were a pleasure to work with, they understood the brief and developed content and activities to support our learning objectives. They are both professional and knowledgeable and are able to convey that knowledge to those for whom procurement is not their specialist area of expertise. Feedback from the training session was very positive, with 93% of respondents stating that attending the workshop would help them to carry out procurement-related activities at work.”
Gemma Creighton, Learning & Development Manager, Chester Zoo
“Laura and Helen provided Cleardata with finance and procurement support. They were a pleasure to work with – professional, knowledgeable and engaging. They immersed themselves in the business to get a thorough understanding of our processes and requirements and provided training for the team, enabling them to carry out the measures that Laura and Helen put in place to address our challenges.”
David Bryce, Owner, Cleardata
“Laura worked alongside our Finance Manager preparing budgets, monthly management accounts and providing training on accruals and prepayments. Her professionalism and attention to detail really made a difference. Her calm and personable approach made the team feel completely at ease. I would happily recommend Laura to work in any business that values being organised and highly efficient in the delivery of projects.”
Rachel Clacher, Founder & Trustee, WeMindTheGap
“The team at Pare Procurement worked with us over a 3-month period to tender out our main food and beverage supplier. They gathered data and worked with us to assess our needs and what deal would be best tailored for our requirements as a seasonal and regionally diverse business. They had strong knowledge, and they ran the project, keeping us regularly updated, ending up with a change in supplier which has proved successful and painless! We would have no hesitation in working with Pare Procurement again.”
Peter Johnson-Treherne, Group Finance Director, Heritage Great Britain plc
“Helen is an excellent communicator and is able to both examine the detail, as well as looking at the overall picture, when assessing and negotiating a new contract. Pare Procurement made the process of navigating a new supplier/client partnership clear and straight forward, keeping both parties fully informed and engaged along the way. I would not hesitate in recommending Helen’s services.”
Kate Ballard, Business Development Manager, Clarity Environmental
“From a supplier perspective, what a refreshing change to work with Pare Procurement – and I really do mean work ‘with’ as from the very onset it has been a two-way process. Most Procurement teams have little specialist knowledge when it comes to strategic waste services, but Helen and Laura clearly take the time to do their research and familiarise themselves with the subject before ‘shaking the tree’ for solutions. The tender documents they prepare clearly identify a detailed scope of requirements with the emphasis on outcomes rather than fixating on existing arrangements. This enables them to proactively seek out those solutions that deliver against client objectives, including not just the financial and technical aspects, but crucially the fit in terms of business cultures which is all too often overlooked. Laura and Helen are highly professional to work with in terms of timely responses, regular communication and frequency of update meetings which makes the whole process highly engaging. Most importantly they listen and carefully consider beyond the numbers, before recommending the most suited match to their client.”
Russ Sampson MCIWM, Principal Environmental Consultant