Increasing cost pressure, fragmented data and manual tendering processes are slowing down many purchasing organizations. At the same time, potential savings are often right in front of them - hidden in articles, suppliers and prices. In the webinar "Finding hidden levers - reducing costs with intelligent product group management", Hans Boot (Partner, Durch Denken Vorne Consult) and Lucas Trümpler (Customer Development, Tacto) show how companies can create transparency and systematically realize savings through structured product group strategies.

Initial situation - a structured approach to complexity in Procurement

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Many purchasing departments struggle with the same challenges:

• Fragmented data sources: Tenders and supplier analyses are often manual and time-consuming.
• Unclear cost drivers: Prices and volumes are difficult to compare, benchmarks are lacking.
• Reactive negotiations: Talks are held without a reliable data basis, potential savings are not realized.

A well thought-out product group strategy provides the framework for creating transparency, setting priorities and targeting savings.

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The three levers - overview

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We show how companies address their biggest cost drivers at three levels:

• Supplier level: Standardized RFQs accelerate tendering processes, facilitate award decisions and reduce prices.
• Item level: Cost modelling makes cost drivers visible, while cost engineering helps to structurally optimize products and services.
• Price level: Proper preparation, targeted article selection and structured argumentation make negotiations more effective - tools such as Tacto provide the necessary data and benchmarks.
  
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Supplier level

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We start at the supplier level in order to realize savings quickly and effectively:

• Standardization: Uniform tender formats make offers more comparable and decisions more comprehensible.
• Data-driven selection: Transparent supplier classifications enable well-founded awards - not only based on price, but also on quality, risk and delivery reliability.
• Scalability: A structured RFQ process allows larger volumes to be tendered at the same time, enabling better conditions to be achieved.

This creates a resilient basis for strategic supplier relationships and a more resilient supplier base.

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Item level

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At item level, we create cost transparency and derive optimization measures:

• Cost modeling: Prices are broken down into their components - material, production, logistics. Deviations become visible and target costs can be derived.
• Cost engineering: Based on this transparency, design and specification optimizations are identified in order to sustainably improve cost structures.
• Data integration: Cost models can be dynamically adjusted, e.g. in the event of fluctuations in raw material prices - giving companies planning security.

The item level is the lever for structural, long-term savings.

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Price level

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Negotiations are the moment when strategic groundwork takes effect. We show how purchasing organizations can prepare for negotiations in such a way that potential is optimally leveraged:

• Targeted article selection: Analyses help to prioritize the right items for negotiations - not only A-parts, but also B- and C-parts are systematically considered.
• Comprehensive preparation: Volume developments, price trends and alternatives are brought together in order to shape negotiations proactively and not just react to price increases.
• Efficiency & speed: Digital tools such as Tacto create complete negotiation dossiers in minutes, bundling all relevant data - ideal for annual meetings and short-term appointments.

This ensures that even smaller items are not overlooked and that Procurement can make full use of its negotiating power.

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Key findings for Procurement

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• Standardization saves time - and creates capacity for strategic work.
• Transparency is the key - if you know your costs, you can actively manage them.
• Data-based preparation makes negotiations more effective - and increases assertiveness.
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Conclusion

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In the webinar, we show that those who use their product group strategy consistently can turn daily cost pressure into real room for maneuver. Standardized tenders, cost models and structured negotiation strategies act as a triad for sustainable savings - and make Procurement measurably more effective.

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In the webinar, Hans Boot from Durch Denken Vorne Consult and Lukas Trümpler from Tacto will show how companies can use a clear product group strategy to create transparency about suppliers, articles and prices, systematically identify savings levers and prioritize measures based on data. Standardized tenders, cost modelling and cost engineering provide the basis for optimizing B and C parts in a targeted manner, conducting supplier discussions based on facts and preparing negotiations with clear benchmarks.