Playbook · For Operating Partners

The First 100 Days of Procurement Value Creation

Turning fragmented procurement data into measurable EBITDA opportunities.

Procurement consistently ranks among the top three value levers in portfolio companies—yet it is one of the least visible and least understood. The first 100 days set the foundation for unlocking that value.

2–4%

Average EBITDA improvement from procurement in portfolio companies.

Source: McKinsey, BCG, A&M

Why procurement value is hard to capture

Fragmented data

Spend, supplier and contract data live in silos across ERPs, systems and regions.

Unknown supply base

Duplicate suppliers, incomplete hierarchy and missing risk insights hide the real picture.

Limited contract visibility

Low contract coverage and poor clause data lead to leakage and compliance risk.

No baseline, no benchmark

Without trustworthy baselines, it's impossible to quantify opportunity or track impact.

20–40%

of addressable value is typically lost due to poor data quality and visibility.

Source: McKinsey, Procurement Excellence, 2023

Roadmap

The 100-day roadmap to procurement value creation.

Days 1–30

Establish the baseline

Rapid ingestion of spend, supplier and contract data
Cleanse, normalise and classify to create a trusted view
Identify quick wins and data gaps
Build initial dashboards and category profile

Days 31–60

Validate & prioritise

Deep-dive category and supplier analysis
Benchmark pricing, demand and supplier performance
Quantify savings opportunities and effort-to-impact
Define sourcing strategy and execution plan

Days 61–100

Mobilise execution

Launch sourcing initiatives and negotiations
Strengthen contract coverage and compliance
Implement governance, cadence and reporting
Track realised vs. plan and refine pipeline

Beyond 100 days

Scale & sustain

Institutionalise procurement operating model
Build advanced intelligence and automation
Roll out best practices across the portfolio
Continuously expand value and capability

Focus Areas

Focus areas that drive measurable impact.

Focus area

What operating partners care about

Key priorities in first 100 days

Expected impact

Cost & savings

How much EBITDA can we create, and how fast?

Spend baseline, category opportunities, sourcing plan

1–3% of spend in savings opportunities

Risk & compliance

What risks are hidden in our supply base?

Supplier risk, contract risk, compliance gaps, concentration

Lower downside risk and surprise costs

Working capital

Where is cash trapped in procurement?

Payment terms, maverick spend, inventory & P2P efficiency

Cash released and cycle-time reduction

Performance

Are suppliers delivering the value we expect?

OTIF, quality, SLA compliance, scorecards

Better performance, lower total cost

Outcomes

Outcomes you can expect.

Single source of truth

Across spend, supplier and contracts.

Measurable EBITDA improvement

Tied directly to sourcing and category actions.

Prioritised opportunities

With quantified impact and effort-to-impact.

Lower risk and better compliance

Across suppliers, contracts and policy.

Faster decisions and execution

From data to action in weeks, not quarters.

Stronger procurement capability

Repeatable operating model at scale.

"The first 100 days create the foundation for long-term value. Trusted data. Clear insights. Measurable outcomes. That's how procurement moves the P&L."