Podcast
Hackett: Typical Procurement Orgs Can Substantially Narrow the Gap to World-Class Via Digital Transformation
RPA, Advanced Analytics, other Digital Tools Can Help Typical Procurement Orgs Cut Process Costs by 24 Percent; World-Class Procurement Can See 35 Percent Process Cost Reduction
MIAMI & LONDON, August 10, 2017 – Typical procurement organizations can substantially narrow the gap between their cost levels and that of top performers, and top performers can become even better by leveraging digital transformation, according to new world-class procurement research from The Hackett Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: HCKT)
World-class procurement organizations now operate at 22 percent lower labor costs than their peers, and have 29 percent fewer staff, while demonstrating improved effectiveness and better performance across a wide array of key metrics, The Hackett Group’s research also found. For a typical company with $10 billion in revenue, attaining world-class performance in procurement can represent as much as $6 million in potential annual functional cost savings. World-class procurement organizations also generate more than twice the ROI of typical procurement organizations, generating more than $10 in savings for every $1 of procurement operating cost.
The potential cost take-out opportunity through digital transformation of the procurement function is dramatic, the research found. Typical procurement organizations can reduce procurement process costs by up to 24 percent by implementing robotic process automation, advanced analytics, cloud-based applications and other digital transformation approaches. World-class procurement organizations can reap process cost savings of 35 percent through digital transformation (see chart, available here or on BusinessWire).
A public version of the research, “Raising the World-Class Bar in Procurement Through Digital Transformation,” is available on a complimentary basis, with registration, at this link: https://bit.ly/2vFh3iW.
The research also found that in addition to reduced cost and fewer staff, world-class procurement organizations are significantly more effective than their peers in how they operate and deliver services. Transactions require discrepancy resolution two to three times less often. Annual procurement staff turnover is also 45 percent lower, a sign that staff are being given opportunities for professional growth.
The Hackett Group’s research details six digital accelerators for improving procurement’s performance and supporting business strategy over the long term, including: digital tools to enhance customer engagement; robotic process automation to perform rules-based activities; the use of big data and advanced analytics to drive insight and bolster decision making; cloud-based applications; digital workforce enablement to maximize productivity; and cognitive computing to simulate human thought and augment the ability of procurement to run models, make predictions, and analyze large data sets.
According to Christopher S. Sawchuk, a principal & global procurement advisory practice leader for The Hackett Group, “Technology has always played an important role in enabling performance, but procurement has reached an inflection point. World-class can continue to reduce costs by embracing digital technology, and typical procurement organizations can leverage the same technology to catch up faster at less cost.
“Today, digital business tools are converging with employees and consumers who are increasingly comfortable with new mobile technologies and business models,” said Sawchuk. “This has created tremendous opportunities for procurement organizations to transform service delivery, reduce errors, make information easier to access, and even deliver a whole new class of services.”
According to Robert Derocher, a principal at The Hackett Group, “Cloud-based software tools in particular are emerging as strong enablers of procurement activities. Supplier discover software, for example, can reduce the time it takes to find and qualify suppliers by over 30 percent. E-sourcing software can cut overall cycle time by 30 percent, with standard templates reducing data collection errors. Contract lifecycle management software can also cut the time required to find a contract nearly in half, and trim the number of lapsed contracts by nearly 40 percent.
“Technology alone will not deliver results,” explained Derocher. “It must fit within a larger strategy, one based on a well-designed service delivery model that looks at not just technology, but also processes, information, talent and organizational redesign. But the promise of digital, in the context of a well-rounded transformation effort, is tremendous.”
The Hackett Group’s world-class procurement research is based on an annually updated analysis of results from recent benchmarks, performance studies, and advisory and transformation engagements at hundreds of large global companies.
About The Hackett Group, Inc.
The Hackett Group (NASDAQ: HCKT) is an intellectual property-based strategic consultancy and leading enterprise benchmarking and best practices digital transformation firm to global companies, offering digital transformation including robotic process automation and enterprise cloud application implementation. Services include business transformation, enterprise analytics, working capital management and global business services. The Hackett Group also provides dedicated expertise in business strategy, operations, finance, human capital management, strategic sourcing, procurement and information technology, including its award-winning Oracle and SAP practices.
The Hackett Group has completed more than 17,850 benchmarking studies studies with major corporations and government agencies, including 93% of the Dow Jones Industrials, 90% of the Fortune 100, 80% of the DAX 30 and 57% of the FTSE 100. These studies drive its Best Practice Intelligence Center™ which includes the firm’s benchmarking metrics, best practices repository and best practice configuration guides and process flows, which enable The Hackett Group’s clients and partners to achieve world-class performance.
