Using Tech in Group Purchasing Orgs – Anthony Clervi from Una

Anthony is the CEO of Una, a US-based group purchasing organisation from Kansas City. He joins me on this episode of the podcast to explain how digital procurement initiatives don't necessarily need to be complex. It's all about leveraging technology + expertise to hit the sweet spot of saving client organisations both time and money when it comes to managing tail spend with vendors where the buyer would otherwise not have a great deal of buying power. If you're a "C" customer to some of your low spend, non-strategic suppliers and you wished you could get better prices or service from them, this episode should answer some of your questions and curiosities about how group buying could be one solution. He also loves the term "Sourcing Hero", as you'll find out when you listen to the podcast! The Power of Group Buying: Pooling your Non-Strategic Spend to save Costs and Time 1:47 How Anthony became involved with the Una setup and who they serve as their client base. 4:06 We dig into how group purchasing is not a new concept per se, and how Una's model has put a unique spin on how to best serve the downtrodden "Sourcing Hero". 8:34 Who Una focuses on with their client acquisition strategy, and what they see as the key strategy areas where a GPO model can add the most value to a small, under-resourced procurement team. 10:00 Some of the challenges encountered when selling the advantages of a GPO to potential clients, and how educating the prospective client is often a major factor in convincing them that there really can be a win-win outcome to combining spend to leverage better pricing from otherwise non-core categories. 12:49 Why a consultative and educational approach can allow clients to concentrate on more strategic categories of spend, while relinquishing control of the long tail of non-core spend can deliver ongoing savings and a well-managed process virtually on auto pilot. 15:07 The 3 ways how a buyer & supplier matching service such as a GPO can potentially make money, and how Una approaches this with their business model. 18:35 The approach Una takes to offering up-sell services in cases where clients may be seeking a more hands-on approach to strategic sourcing support and consulting services. 20:15 How Una plans to expand and grow, utilising technological developments which can be leveraged to better manage client and supplier data. 22:06 That old chestnut...DATA QUALITY...that just keeps coming up!! How to connect with Anthony: Anthony's LinkedIn profile Anthony's personal brand website Una's website Stay in touch!

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