FAQ

Why use GPS?

In most cases we are able to reduce your costs and help contribute towards your bottom line. We will give a frank and honest appraisal. If we can’t help we will let you know, however in most cases we are able to achieve a reduced cost and / or increased efficiency within some, or all, of your purchasing requirements. In addition we will work within the guidelines you set us, i.e. you may wish to extend your credit terms to improve cash flow, or alternatively you may wish to obtain early settlement discounts to make your cash work for you. We are often able to achieve significant savings in line with your guidelines.

How much of our Time will GPS take up?

An initial no obligation free consultation will only take as long as is required for you to give us specifications and details of your requirements in the range to be reviewed. We will then work on these at our office and, usually within a few days, report back with an estimate of potential savings. At this stage you decide whether to instruct us to continue or not.

How much will GPS’s services cost my company?

We like to receive some reward for our efforts but the majority of benefits stay with you the customer. We are happy to work within your budget, you may decide you want to pay a daily rate. This cost can vary from as little as £350 per person per day depending on the complexity of the work undertaken and number of days involved. Alternatively we may be able to agree to work for a percentage of the savings over the first year.

I like what you have to offer, but there are a few suppliers we use that we would like to keep?

This is not a problem, your suppliers may be the best solution for you, especially if we can renegotiate advantageous prices.

I am worried that your suppliers may be of poor quality and could this be the reason for your better prices?

We only deal with quality suppliers. Service is often more important than price and in some circumstances we have implemented more expensive products to obtain the best total cost-in-use solution.

Does GPS place the orders or do we place the orders?

Usually the Client places all orders with the selected suppliers. We negotiate prices and will fix the price for a specific length of time. {We will help with initial orders where you want us to} Alternatively, we are happy to offer an additional out-sourced purchasing package where we place orders on an ongoing basis. See question below.

Why Don’t I employ a buyer / additional buyer to achieve savings rather than use GPS?

This may be your best solution. If this is the case we would even help you to recruit the best person or provide our service for a period so that she / he could hit the ground running.

Alternatively, we offer an ongoing out-sourced purchasing function. Typically, this cost is much less than the cost of an in-house buyer but you can call upon the experience of many and, best of all, it is flexible. This solution offers you a professional purchasing presence that can be turned on and off to suit your workload.

How do I get the best value from GPS?

By talking openly and honestly to us. We would like to help you if we can – but don’t want to waste your time if we can’t. It is our intention to offer the best solution and give the best value from our range of services if we feel we can help. We would rather not have a customer than have a unhappy one. Word of mouth is an important marketing tool, we know that as we are all purchasing people!

Can I trust GPS with price sensitive information?

We are perfectly willing to sign any letter of confidentiality that you require. It is neither ethical nor sensible for GPS to use confidential information inappropriately. Perhaps the biggest motivation for us not to do so, is the fact that we value our integrity and want on-going relationships with all clients.

What else can GPS offer my organisation?

We are able to help with a variety of considerations. These may include Manufacture v's Purchase decisions, help with import / export, or the optimisation of pallet / warehouse / container utilisation. Perhaps helping to cost new product development, or simply supplying staff to cover holiday, maternity or sick leave. We consider ourselves very flexible, but at the same time will not undertake work we are not competent to execute.