Service Approach

ERA works entirely on your behalf, independent of suppliers, agents and outside influences to assist you in your cost reduction strategy.

We use our unique expertise and market knowledge to identify opportunities for savings beyond the capacity of even the largest organisation. Simply by involving ERA, with our aggregated purchasing influence, we can often bring additional competitive advantage to supplier negotiations.

We can do this without any compromise to the existing quality of the product or the level of service you receive. On the contrary you’ll usually see a marked improvement.

In order to achieve this ERA performs a 12-step cost saving process

1. ERA confirms the client’s requirements and desired outcomes.
2. ERA examines potential profit leaks in the current situation by auditing and analysing usage patterns and current prices.
3. ERA organises interactive workshops with key stakeholders from all relevant levels where our consultants present their current findings, educates them on the markets their dealing with and opens discussions about service levels, needs and help stakeholders define their version of the perfect system for the issue in question.
4. ERA independently reviews market prices for that category and identifies the best suppliers to fit the client’s cost reduction needs. Most companies these days simply don’t have the time nor the resources to conduct such research on their own mainly because of the complexity of the market’s offering.
5. ERA prepares the supplier brief based on the workshop outcomes and market research and seeks client approval.
6. ERA puts the brief out to market which incorporates the new consumption strategy.
7. ERA then shortlists the suppliers based on their ability to meet the client’s overall needs and helps the client with the interview and selection process.
8. ERA plans the implementation training approach with the supplier and supports and guides it through.
9. ERA facilitates the implementation through regular contact with stakeholders and service providers, helping to solve any issues that arise. The objective is to ensure understanding and to streamline the transition as effectively as possible while still keeping the team enthusiastic and positive about the change in order to achieve co-operation.
10. ERA monitors the services quarterly to see where further savings can be identified as staff change, systems change and new opportunities emerge.
11. Ultimately, the client sees sustained improved value from suppliers and significantly reduced business operating costs.
12. ERA continues to manage and monitor the transition over an appropriate period, usually 24 months, in order to ensure that the agreed price structures are maintained and adjusted appropriate to marketplace fluctuation trends. We handle supplier and key stakeholder issues, and act as an independent intermediary and general watchdog to achieve a long term solution that reaches its full potential.

An achievement not to be underestimated when the goal posts are constantly changing but possible because ERA are 100% focused on cost management.

For more information on how ERA can work with you long term to manage your costs effectively and keep you up to speed with market fluctuations contact us