Building your SME Procurement Team
The best SMEs don't wait until they're big before investing in Procurement. They build the capability early and use it to fuel sustainable growth. Over the last 20 years, I've helped businesses such as HUEL, THIS, Innocent, Tails.com, Free Soul, Pip & Nut, Bold Bean and MOJU establish high-performing Procurement Teams. Together, we've built the right foundations - clear strategies, capable people, robust processes, effective systems and strong supplier relationships.
The result is a Procurement function that doesn't just buy well, but actively drives innovation, protects supply, improves margins and supports business growth. Whether you're setting up Procurement for the first time or taking an existing team to the next level, the right operating platform makes all the difference.
To get you started, I've created an easy-to-use checklist to give you an insight into the areas I focus on when building world-class Procurement Teams. Download it below...
Testimonials
I've helped 20+ SMEs set up, grow and deliver fantastic value from their procurement teams. Here's what a selection have to say:
"Simon is a highly engaging, extremely professional, structured and technically very competent procurement professional who has added immensely to our business.
Not only has Simon put in place the strategy and framework, Simon has delivered large parts of it while at the same time coaching and developing a young team around him. A key strength of Simon’s is imparting his knowledge onto the young up and coming next generation of talent to ensure continuity.
The key deliverable was to in-source our raw material sourcing while getting closer to the ingredient source to ensure quality, technical specification and price. Simon has delivered on this and achieved the return on investment we set out to achieve at the start.
I can highly recommend Simon for any Supply Chain activities with his very broad commercial base and experience".
Grant Coetzee, COO, Free Soul
"Simons passion for procurement is infectious and shined through in the recent project he delivered for us on two of our core commodities.
He transformed our knowledge of the markets, suppliers and value chains involved and showed us the approach for top class procurement. Simon set the foundation for great relationships with future suppliers and was a pleasure to travel with on our origin scoping trip.
He leaves no stone unturned when it comes to fact finding in order to gather a robust view of cost drivers and identify opportunities to optimise supply.
Simon brings in expert partners to cover technical and sustainability topics which added a valuable extra layer to the procurement process. He strikes a great balance of leading the charge while being open to challenge, new ideas and discussing options".
Mari Haughey, Supply Chain Director, Pip&Nut
"From coaching budget holders to writing and delivering strong category plans to advising on everything from sourcing of raw materials to forklift trucks, helping us manage our intellectual property and training many of our employees in negotiation, Simon is always helpful, an excellent critical thinker and a pleasure to work with"
Steve Spall, COO, Tails.com