Procurement Mastery
7 posts
The 6 Essential Tools Every Category Manager should Master
The 6 tools every category manager must master — and the exact order to use them. The complete framework: spend analysis through to category strategy canvas.
Supplier Segmentation : How to move your suppliers from 500 to 80 (and save 30% of your time)
Move your supplier base from 500 to 80, save 30% of your time, and double the strategic focus on the 20% of suppliers that actually move the number.
Spend Analysis : The foundation of every category strategy
Find the 20–40% of phantom spend hiding in your data. The category manager's spend analysis method, built from 10+ years in EU-scale procurement.
Porter's Five Forces : Understanding your negotiating power before you negotiate
Most buyers negotiate without knowing if they hold the power. Porter's Five Forces shows you where you actually stand — before you walk into the room.
Kraljic Matrix : Stop treating all your categories the same way
Managing semiconductors like office supplies wastes time and savings. The Kraljic matrix tells you where to prioritise — and where to stop overinvesting.
Cost Breakdown & Should-Cost : Negotiate with facts (not opinions)
Should-cost analysis separates buyers who accept price hikes from category managers who control them. The complete method — how to build, use, and defend it.
Category Strategy Canvas : Transform 5 weeks of analysis into 1 page that convinces your CEO
Five weeks of category analysis condensed into one page that convinces a CEO. The canvas, the 9 blocks, and the boardroom-ready format that closes loops.