Ilford County High School

Procurement expertise to cut costs and regain profitability

Audley End, Essex, United Kingdom

All organisations incur indirect costs - not the costs due to their core product but the myriad of peripheral costs which arise as a consequence of being open for business.Only in the very largest organisations is it is viable to employ sufficient staff to scrutinise every item or service the organisation buys.  Staff become very proficient at core purchases – but never at peripheral goods and services, each of which erode profitability.  This can either be directly (high prices) or indirectly (inefficient operating procedures/technologies) which hold the organisation back.Because non-specialist staff are pressed into significant buying decisions without market knowledge or specialist tools, they operate at a significant disadvantage.  This imbalance of power manifests at a later date as unanticipated costs.  If the organisation is fortunate this becomes apparent and an expensive lesson is learned.  If unnoticed, the true cost remains hidden behind ambiguous contract terms, unnecessarily complicated tariffs etc and the organisation bleeds cash year after year.Engaging specialist external help levels the playing field to give you confidence and proof of obtaining best value from your supply chain.

Auditel (UK) Ltd

Managing Consultant

We’re new to business and we don’t have a lot of time to get our heads around all the things that could improve our business. Our accountant put us in touch with Auditel because we needed help with a business rates issue. We were also getting a lot of calls from some opportunists trying to lock us into an agreement and take a cut on any saving that they could get us. Fortunately we spoke to Steven. He and his partners were very straightforward with us and told us exactly what we needed to do and that we didn’t need to involve any 3rd party. We did as advised and saved the cost of a year’s business rates! Steven has been very generous with his time and advice on a number of occasions since then. We will certainly continue to use Steven’s expertise to help us with the growing set of things that we don’t understand!DirectorCobble Lane Cured

COBBLE LANE CURED LTD

Testimonial

- HAG is expanding rapidly and – although we knew that print and mailing costs were growing accordingly – it didn’t make sense to divert management resources away from our core business to look into this. We also did not know other suitable and trustworthy suppliers. Auditel did – and were able to deliver the project with minimal involvement from us. We are very pleased with the result and reassured to find Gail and Steven as committed and diligent as expected. We look forward to using them to reduce our costs in a number of other areas and can recommend them to any other SME who wants to become more profitable.”Finance Manager

Home Appliance Guard

Dear StevenI wanted to thank you for your assistance in my recent transition between businesses.  It was already a stressful process, but you took responsibility for our utilities and ensured that everything happened on time.  When the move was complete you pursued our ex-supplier for an outstanding rebate and ensured that we received it promptly.I can endorse you as being trustworthy and professional, and would commend you to any other business looking for procurement expertise.OwnerThe Vine

The Vine (gastropub)

Our electricity and gas contracts were due for renewal and I didn’t have the time or enthusiasm to give it the attention it required – so I passed it to Steven.  He handled it swiftly and smoothly in the background, giving advice to my managers when we hit problems and I was uncontactable.  To minimise disruption we elected to renew with our current supplier but still saved a 19% saving compared to their direct offer.  I think the Auditel service is superb – I can offload time-consuming and specialist procurement tasks which might otherwise distract me from my core business – and still get a better deal than I could singlehanded.  I look forward to working with Steven in the future and would wholeheartedly recommend him.Yours sincerelyMD

Compass Financial Management

Dear StevenOn behalf of Attwaters Jameson Hill I wanted to thank you for the efficient manner in which you have managed the energy procurement across our four offices.    We are a busy practice and most of our energies are directed towards our clients’ needs rather than our own – hence it is a welcome relief to know that certain essential tasks run efficiently in the background with minimal impact on management time.  We look forward to working with you in the future as other cost areas become due for review.Managing Partner

Attwaters Jameson Hill Solicitors

Dear StevenI would like to thank you for the work you have done so far reviewing our energy spend. Like any charity we are always seeking to reduce costs and felt we would benefit from specialist advice.Your report gave us a clear understanding of our current situation and the future alternatives – without technical jargon and complex calculations. We look forward to working with you in the future and can recommend you to any organisation who wants honest, clear and unbiased procurement advice.Yours sincerelyGeneral Manager

Zinc Arts

Steven manages our energy contracts and we have been delighted how his service frees up valuable management time whilst controlling our costs.Steven’s market knowledge, experience and professionalism have been exemplary and we are keen to use his expertise in other cost areas when the occasion arises.Director

Mullucks Wells

I suspected that our telecoms provider was not giving us good value, but didn’t have any time or specific knowledge to do anything about it.  My accountant suggested I engage Steven.  After two meetings to better understand our business, Steven began analysis and research.  He then presented a concise report which explained the alternatives.  As a result we reduced our call tariff by 47%, line rental by 28% and broadband costs by 27%.  Steven continues to monitor supplier invoices and has identified subsequent overcharges and secured refunds for us.  Steven is prompt, reliable and thorough and I can highly recommend his service.MD, Interstyle Fireplaces

Interstyle fireplaces

We have employed Steven for a number of projects over the past 12 months, where he has assisted the school in looking at various areas of expense where we believed that there were cost savings to be made.We have been very pleased with Steven’s contribution and to date, he has managed to find cost savings for us in the following areas:    Water rates    Electricity & Gas    Cleaning suppliesWe have now engaged Steven to look into our stationery purchases and will then move onto other cost areas within the school.Yours sincerelySchool Business Manager

Friends' School

Dear Steven,I wanted to write this testimonial as a thank you for all the effort you have made in helping me sort out our telephone charges. As you appreciate, phones are very important in our business and are one of our largest costs.Having made the silly mistake, two years ago, of returning to BT this has resulted in lots of grief and huge bills for my business. You have patiently trawled through spreadsheets and invoices to establish that we were being overcharged and were on a completely unsuitable package. Your hard work has resulted in a £23,000 refund and we are very close to being released from a terrible contract.Thank you so much and I will happily recommend you to any business, you are a star!Director

Transforming Telesales

Dear SteveI should like to put on record how much I appreciate the work you have done on our behalf, negotiating with our current and future energy suppliers. As you are aware the process wasn’t a simple one, and involved you with a lot more work than you might have expected. I am absolutely sure that without your involvement we would not have received the offers that we have subsequently accepted.I should also like to commend you on the straightforward way in which you explain and present everything, which minimises my involvement, and makes decision making so much easier.I appreciate the considerable savings you have made for my company, your services are certainly value for money, and I will have no hesitation in referring you to anyone I meet.Yours SincerelyM.D.  GWD Ltd

GWD Ltd

Dear StevenI am writing to thank you for the recent work you have done with Harmony House in helping us to reduce our telephone bills.We thought we had done a good job in sourcing the best deal we could for the company, and were then delighted to see the reduction that Auditel were able to achieve.This kind of help makes a big difference to charities, especially in these times. I’ll be spreading the word.Kind regardsCEO, Harmony House

HARMONY HOUSE DAGENHAM COMMUNITY INTEREST COMPANY

Dear Steven I would like to thank you for your recent review of our telephone services.  I had been unhappy with our existing supplier for some years, but lacked sufficient time or industry expertise to confidently tackle the problem.  This was particularly annoying as I was sure we were overpaying.After analysing our usage and existing contractual arrangements you recommended several alternatives which we discussed.  You implemented my choice, managing the process in the background whilst I continued my business uninterrupted.My telecoms costs have halved and my business is more profitable – but most of all I am heartily relieved to have changed supplier.  I can relax, knowing that you will be overseeing the new contract to step in should any problems occur.  Having experienced Auditel’s service at first hand I can recommend it strongly – you delivered exactly what you promised.Partner, Lanham and CompanyChartered Accountants and Statutory Auditors

LANHAM AND COMPANY LIMITED

I would like to recommend Steven for having solved some potentially expensive issues with our power supplies during recent building works.  After implementing new electricity contracts he negotiated with suppliers and distributors to resolve a disagreement which would otherwise have caused an expensive delay.  Steven is very personable and always at hand to answer queries and concerns.  We value his services and will certainly call upon them in the future.Chairman, Cheshunt Football Club

CHESHUNT SPORTS & LEISURE LIMITED

I was introduced to Steven Godfrey of Auditel by one of our associated not-for-profit organisations in March 2016. Shortly after, I asked Steven to provide a competitive quote for our group energy supplies, which on an annualised basis represent approximately £200,000 of expenditure. We had been using a dedicated energy broker for a number of years previously, and felt we were obtaining good rates. Yet Steven was able to offer not only a better quotation at contract renewal, but also some very useful advice on metering, tariffs and suppliers.He has since advised on a number of other matters.I find Steven to be the consummate professional in his approach – conscientious and very thorough. He also has a talent for explaining technical jargon to a “lay person”.I have no hesitation in recommending both Steven and Auditel for cost management services.Administration ManagerSisters of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary

Sister of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary

Steven Godfrey of Auditel has completed two Cost Management projects for the school so far:    the procurement of a new minibus    an investigation of our water, waste water and sewerage chargesWe have been very pleased with the results, which in the case of our water charges identified historical overcharging and secured a backdated rebate of many thousands of pounds. Steven worked unobtrusively in the background which reduced the workload on my finance department, obtained excellent results and provided in depth reports evidencing value for money.Steven is currently reviewing our telecoms costs and will shortly address our spend on stationery. I look forward to working with Steven on future projects and can recommend his services.Yours sincerelySchool Business Manager

Saffron Walden County High School

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