Cost savings and procurement transformation at Nets

Following a change of ownership, Nets needed to deliver immediate, significant and sustainable cost reductions - procurement offered a major opportunity. Longer term, Nets also needed to transform the Procurement organisation to support the future business needs.

Efficio worked with the business and the existing Procurement team to understand and challenge existing behaviours. Together, we identified a number of opportunities to reduce costs and improve existing service delivery. Total annualised savings of 10% on addressable spend were identified across all categories, and delivered through a holistic procurement programme.

Efficio also helped design a new Procurement organisation and transferred skills and knowledge to the Nets staff. The result is a radically improved Procurement function, with the capability to deliver ongoing value to the business.

Background

Nets is a Nordic FinTech company specialised in digital payments, connecting banks, businesses, the public sector and consumers via an international network facilitating digital payments. With over 2,500 employees in five countries, Nets provides payment services for most households in Norway and Denmark, and has issued over 7.8 million digital identities. Following the acquisition by private equity investors, Nets began a transformation programme focused on growth and improved customer service. Procurement was a key focus. Efficio was engaged to help deliver rapid cost savings while transforming the Procurement function for the future. The objectives of the engagement were to:

• Create spend transparency across all external spend and deliver significant, sustainable cost savings
• Strengthen the internal Procurement organisation and add more value to stakeholders by facilitating new skills and ways of working - and by creating a major shift in culture and perceptions from both procurement staff and stakeholders

Traditionally, Procurement had not been a source of strategic value within Nets. It had been mainly restricted to an administrative function and had not been able to challenge existing ways of working to add value to the business. Changing those perceptions and securing the buy-in of key stakeholders were critical challenges. Efficio addressed these by identifying “lighthouse” projects, which could deliver quick and tangible results and build the credibility of Procurement within the business.

Approach

Efficio worked in cross-functional teams with Nets procurement team and key stakeholders in each category to identify savings opportunities. All potential levers were assessed on potential impact on the business. Moreover, solutions were driven by service delivery rather than simple cost reduction – driving real commitment from stakeholders.

Efficio led a series of rigorous, fact-based negotiations with suppliers to ensure the best outcomes for the client, in savings and service delivery. At the same time, Efficio helped Nets redesign the Procurement function, including assisting with recruitment to ensure the right people filled the new roles. We used structured training programmes to transfer skills and knowledge to the client team. By using Efficio’s structured sourcing methodology and associated tools and resources, we were able to ensure that best practices were adopted and benefits could be sustained over the long-term.
 

Results

Efficio’s engagement helped deliver significant benefits to the client, including:

• Identifying total run-rate savings of 10% on addressable spend across all relevant categories
• Developing category strategies and detailed implementation plans for categories including: Professional Services, Network & Telecoms, Facilities Management, HR, Marketing, and Print, Postage & Distribution
• Significantly reducing the number of suppliers (e.g. Marketing from over 150 to eight)
• Delivering savings of over 28% on key categories by effectively applying all procurement levers available (e.g. demand management, price unbundling, etc.)
• Designing and implementing a central, structured procurement function with clear category responsibilities and business engagement guidelines

The Procurement function was revitalised, and its relationship with the business transformed. It is now a much stronger, more collaborative and more effective organisation - laying the foundation to meet the changing needs of the business and deliver further value into the future.