Set up consultation
Cover of consulting report 'The Procurement Initiative Pulse Check Q3/2024' on a blue background, featuring stylized charts and company logos, emphasising procurement insights and strategic consulting expertise.
08.08.2024 | Pulse Check

The Procurement Initiative Pulse Check Q2/2024

We’re pleased to share the latest Pulse Check with the University of St. Gallen and The Procurement Initiative, highlighting ongoing optimism and a focus on raw materials.

About the Latest Pulse Check from The Procurement Initiative

Inside this edition, conducted between 24th and 28th June 2024, we have gathered insights from over 100 industry professionals. This report provides a snapshot of the challenges, strategies, and innovations shaping the procurement landscape today.

Key Takeaways:

  • Supply Chain Stability: 57% of respondents have a positive to very positive outlook for 2024.
  • Cost and Sustainability: A shift towards sustainable practices as inflationary pressures ease.
  • Geopolitical Risks: Identified as major threats impacting profitability and procurement functions.
  • Raw Material Costs: Significant impact on procurement strategies, with an average of 35% of companies’ procurement volumes.

Advanced Strategies for Price Management:

  • Price agreements with adjustment clauses and fixed price agreements.
  • Increasing use of business intelligence tools and clean sheets for better cost transparency.
  • Linking raw material costs to market indices to hedge against price volatility.

Practical Recommendations:

  • Adopt innovative measures like business intelligence tools.
  • Focus on cost transparency and manage pricing with suppliers effectively.
  • Achieve better procurement outcomes with strategic improvements.

Unlock True Transparency 

Achieving cost clarity is essential for optimal procurement strategies. Only 40% of respondents have achieved full cost transparency, indicating a significant opportunity for improvement. Let H&Z’s experts help you bridge this gap and enhance your procurement processes. Contact us now.

Be sure to explore our essential guide, Procurement Pathfinder 2024, which covers secondary raw materials and the application of AI and technology, as well as other vital trends in procurement. Read the H&Z Procurement Pathfinder 2024.

Read the full H&Z Procurement Initiative Pulse Check Q2/2024 now

  

Get in Contact with our expert

Richard McIntosh

Partner
Richard McIntosh

You might be also interested in

Business professionals reviewing and signing a strategic contract, illustrating consulting collaboration
Article
16.12.2025

Strategic contracting enables procurement to navigate market volatility by embedding adaptive pricing mechanisms.

AI productivity playbook mockup on beige background, illustrating a consulting guide for implementing artificial intelligence
Strategy Paper
11.12.2025

AI is moving from experimentation to everyday work. This playbook shows how organisations can use AI to deliver real productivity gains, not just pilots or proofs of concept.

Cluster of modern glass skyscrapers reflecting the sky and clouds, representing corporate headquarters, urban growth and strategic consulting for real estate and technology firms
Success Story
 

A leading commercial bank improved efficiency and cost control with H&Z through structured performance and cost management, gaining transparency, benchmarks and targeted reductions