PROCUREMENT EXCELLENCE

With our Procurement Excellence framework and methodology we enable organisations to deliver superior value, stronger supplier relationships and sustainable cost performance. Our Target Operating Model (TOM) approach aligns strategy, structure, processes, governance and digital enablers to create a procurement function that operates with clarity, speed and measurable impact.

PROCUREMENT MUST DO MORE THAN BUY WELL

Global volatility, sustainability pressures and the rise of digital tools demand a procurement function that is strategic, integrated and future-ready.

Traditional structures are no longer enough. Organisations need a model that strengthens decision-making, improves collaboration, enhances transparency and unlocks untapped value.

We provide the framework to deliver this transformation — creating clarity across roles, processes, tools and performance management.

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A STRUCTURED, PROVEN AND COLLABORATIVE METHOD

Procurement excellence requires a structured journey that combines fact-based insights with practical implementation. AI acts as a game changer across the full framework, strengthening transparency, automation and decision quality. Clear governance and compliance ensure every improvement is scalable, auditable and sustainable.

World Class Procurement Assessment

A full 360 degree review combining online benchmarking with one-to-one interviews across the business. This reveals strengths, weaknesses and opportunities across competencies, processes and systems, providing a fact-based foundation for change.

Future-State Operating Model and Transformation Roadmap

Together with stakeholders we design a future-ready Procurement Operating Model and define the actions, deliverables and outcomes needed to reach it. The roadmap aligns strategy, organisation, governance, systems and skills with corporate goals.

Process and Performance Frameworks

End-to-end process redesign supported by KPIs, decision rights and compliance standards. AI-enabled insights and tool support improve transparency, consistency and value tracking.

Implementation and Enablement

Hands-on rollout of operating model, category strategies and resilience measures. AI is operationalised in workflows and tools, with training and controls to ensure adoption, auditability and measurable impact.

OUR CORE SERVICES

Target Operating Model

Procurement operating models are designed and embedded to align ambition with efficiency. Clear governance, roles, processes and digital enablers turn procurement into a strategic partner that delivers measurable value across the organisation.

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Category Management

Category strategies are co-created with the business to align demand and value priorities. AI-enhanced analytics speed up lever identification and turn insights into actionable measures, strengthening collaboration, savings and risk control.

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Supply Chain Resilience

Supply resilience is strengthened by building flexibility and security into sourcing. Dual sourcing, structured supplier risk monitoring and collaborative partnerships improve continuity, reduce dependencies and support long-term competitiveness.

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BUILDING SKILLS THAT LAST

LEARNING JOURNEYS & TRAINING PROGRAMMES FOR HIGH-PERFORMING PROCUREMENT TEAMS

Procurement excellence is only sustainable with the right behaviours and capabilities.
H&Z provides targeted training programmes delivered through the H&Z Academy, giving teams the skills they need to operate confidently in the new TOM.

Negotiation Training
Practical, scenario-based training focused on preparation discipline, negotiation strategy and behavioural excellence.

Category Management Training
End-to-end capability building covering category strategy, stakeholder management, supplier segmentation and sourcing execution.

Procurement Excellence Fundamentals
Core skills for modern procurement professionals, including value levers, cost analysis and effective collaboration with business partners.

Leadership & Behavioural Training
Advanced programmes for procurement leaders to drive change, foster performance and build high-performing teams.

H&Z consultants participating in a collaborative workshop, placing colorful sticky notes on a wall during a brainstorming session to generate innovative business ideas.

EMPOWERING CLIENT SUCCESS

We have supported leading international companies in automotive, aerospace, consumer goods and pharmaceuticals to build procurement functions that deliver measurable results. Our projects range from designing global operating models to strengthening resilience through supplier diversification.

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Success Story
 

Our strategic procurement initiative for RENK achieved rapid savings and established a robust framework for sustained operational excellence.

Promotional image of a yellow LIFTKET electric chain hoist suspended on a beam in front of the LIFTKET facility, highlighting industrial equipment solutions used in operations consulting and lifting applications.
Success Story
 

H&Z partnered with LIFTKET to enhance production by 40% in a year through targeted optimization and strategic planning techniques.

Large electrical substation transformer with insulators under a blue sky with transmission towers in the background | H&Z
Success Story
 

Discover how our collaboration shaped a strategic roadmap for an energy manufacturer, addressing key challenges and identifying new growth opportunities.

IC train at Amsterdam Centraal station under the historic glass arched roof, European rail mobility visual | H&Z
Success Story
 

H&Z specializes in creating innovative digital models for rolling stock maintenance, enhancing performance with predictive capabilities and strategic market insights.

Aerial rendering of a large gigafactory at sunrise in a desert mountain landscape, EV battery production visual | H&Z
Success Story
 

H&Z drives the strategic setup for a lithium-ion battery gigafactory, addressing market challenges and crafting a robust execution plan.

Two Swiss F/A-18 fighter jets flying in formation above the clouds | H&Z
Success Story
 

H&Z led a successful engineering reorganization, fostering collaboration and creating a new structure that improved efficiency and supported major defense projects.

All H&Z Success Stories

RELATED INSIGHTS

Explore our perspectives on procurement transformation and future-proofing supply chains.
All H&Z Insights
automotive stage | H&Z
Event
21.10.2026
 | Munich

Bringing together industry leaders to discuss the future of European automotive competitiveness and supply chains.

Mock-up of the H&Z study Defence Ramp-Up 2026 on a light blue background | H&Z
Strategy Paper
13.08.2026

Europe’s defence ramp-up will be decided by industrial execution: how quickly manufacturers can scale production, strengthen the supply base and decide at the pace of demand.

H&Z team on a Vienna rooftop terrace at sunset, marking recognition in the 2026 Handelsblatt consulting rankings | H&Z
Press
17.07.2026

H&Z has been recognised across eight specialist consulting areas. Here’s a closer look at this year’s Handelsblatt rankings and the themes shaping today’s consulting market.

Meet Our Experts

YOUR PARTNERS IN PROCUREMENT EXCELLENCE

Our procurement experts combine industry experience with deep functional knowledge across operating models, category strategies and supply resilience. They help clients translate ambition into measurable results.

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Agnes Erben

Partner
Portrait of a middle-aged man with dark-framed glasses and trimmed beard wearing a navy blue suit and pocket square, portraying confidence and strategic leadership as a consulting professional.

Ralf Schulz

Partner
With over 25 years’ experience in consultancy and management, Ralf Schulz supports companies through transformation, in improving operational performance and in creating sustainable value.
Studio portrait of an H&Z partner with curly hair, glasses and a navy blazer against a soft grey background | H&Z

Dominik Steffani

Partner
With over 20 years of consulting experience, Dominik advises executives on the strategic role of procurement in driving performance, resilience, risk management, and sustainable value creation.