Procurement built for manufacturers, by people who have run it on the factory floor
Manufacturing procurement is where cost, supply continuity and production schedules collide. Raw material prices move, lead times stretch, a single supplier failure stops a line, and the ERP either tells you the truth or hides it. The procurement function has to be commercially sharp and operationally embedded at the same time.
Pro Outsourcing brings first-hand manufacturing procurement experience, gained inside Airbus, JCB and Prysmian and delivered since 2013 for manufacturers across automotive, off-highway, electrical, packaging and technology hardware. We source, audit, negotiate and fix the systems, and we stay until it works.
Why manufacturing procurement is hard
Manufacturing procurement is the sourcing and management of raw materials, components, tooling, services and systems that a manufacturer needs to make and ship product on time, at target cost and to specification. It spans direct materials, indirect spend, supplier quality and the ERP and MRP processes that plan demand and supply.
Direct cost sets the margin
Material and component cost is the largest line in the P&L. A few percent on key product lines, won or lost, is the difference between a competitive quote and a lost order.
Supply continuity is everything
One late supplier stops a line. Sourcing decisions have to weigh lead time, capacity, quality systems and financial stability alongside price, and dual sourcing is a discipline, not a slogan.
The ERP is only as good as its use
MRP signals, BOMs, lead times and safety stocks drive purchasing. Inconsistent system use produces excess inventory in one place and shortages in another, and nobody trusts the numbers.
Growth exposes the gaps
Winning bigger customers multiplies order lines, portals and supplier interactions. Manual processes that worked at £5m break at £20m.
Manufacturing procurement support
Strategic and global sourcing
Market assessment, supplier identification, RFQ management and negotiation across the UK, Europe and the Far East, for new product introduction and existing lines.
Supplier audits and qualification
On-site capability, quality, CSR and financial audits before onboarding, so new suppliers can actually deliver to your standards and volumes.
ERP and MRP effectiveness
Assessing how your ERP and MRP are really used, fixing master data and planning discipline, and building rough-cut capacity plans that give leadership a true picture.
Inventory and working capital
Identifying excess and obsolete stock, resetting safety stocks and lead times, and releasing cash without putting service at risk.
Supply chain integration
EDI, supplier collaboration and portal integrations that remove manual order processing and give real-time supplier visibility.
Embedded and outsourced procurement
A senior procurement lead inside your team, or a managed service running tail spend, expediting and MRP signals on your behalf.
Manufacturers we have worked with
Moveero Group (formerly GKN Wheels)
Off-highway wheels for JCB and New Holland, operations in the UK, Denmark and USA
- ERP and MRP effectiveness assessment across three countries, June to November 2022
- Rough-cut capacity plans built for each site to improve visibility and planning discipline
- €6m inventory reduction identified, releasing working capital while maintaining service
Schlemmer Group
Global automotive, industrial and appliance components, headquartered in Germany
- Global market assessment and Far East sourcing of new product lines, 2014 to 2015
- Supplier audits across several territories against strict CSR and sustainability standards
- €1.2m additional savings identified across new and existing product lines
P&A Group
Timber pallets, packing cases and distribution, established 1985
- Funded work package: SAP workflow review, RFQ and award of a cloud EDI platform
- Automated sales order input, invoicing and courier bookings across customers and suppliers
- Over 100 hours of administration saved every week; ongoing SAP Business One and supplier collaboration improvements
Evoke Creative
Self-service kiosks and digital signage for McDonald's, Travelodge, JD Sports and Google
- Full procurement function review, standard operating procedures and supplier relationship management
- Supplier consolidation, contract negotiation, KPI creation and ERP alignment to production
- 54% improvement in on-time-in-full supply, line-side Kanban savings, embedded outsourced procurement team supporting growth to £20m turnover
Why manufacturers choose Pro Outsourcing
Founder Tom Evans MCIPS spent the first part of his career in procurement roles inside Airbus, JCB and Prysmian before founding Pro Outsourcing in 2012. That means the advice comes from someone who has sat in the production meeting, chased the late supplier and argued with the MRP output. We work alongside your planners, engineers and quality team, not in a separate room, and we measure ourselves on inventory released, cost taken out and lines kept running.
Book a Free Procurement ReviewServices that support this work
Strategic Sourcing
Category-led sourcing that reduces cost and strengthens the supplier base.
Supplier Due Diligence
Financial, quality, ethical and capability checks that protect you from supplier failure.
Procurement Technology and ERP
Procurement process design and implementation in Dynamics 365, Business Central and other ERP systems.
Manufacturing procurement: common questions
What does a manufacturing procurement consultant actually do?
Can you source from the Far East safely?
Our ERP and MRP are in place but nobody trusts the numbers. Can you help?
Do you work with small and mid-sized manufacturers?
Can procurement work be grant funded?
Procurement that keeps the line running
Book a free 30-minute procurement review with Tom Evans MCIPS. We will look at your top spend categories, your supplier risk and how your ERP is being used, and tell you where the cost and the cash are. No obligation, no jargon.
Book a Free Procurement Review