1. How can you really help us?

2. Does your service really work…What’s the catch?

3. How much will this service cost me?

4. What information will North require to undertake the cost reduction exercise with my company?

5. How long will the data analysis process take?

6. How does North choose which suppliers to contact?

7. Will your recommended suppliers provide the same products and services that we are current receiving?

8. Will we purchase products or services through North?

9. Does North receive any money or compensation from suppliers?

10. What type and what size of company can North work with?

11. Are there any limitations to the service North provide?

12. How does North work with my staff

1. Question: How can you really help us?

Answer: We specialise in saving businesses money on a wide range of overheads and expenditure. We help you by focussing on those areas of concern for you and will offer you improvement solutions, prioritising tasks in accordance with these concerns. By using our services, you are demonstrating to staff across your business that you are 100% committed to cost saving and our collaborative approach will raise awareness of the importance of cost saving across your organisation.

2. Question: Does your service really work…What’s the catch?

Answer: The fact that our fees are dependent on the success of our service, is in itself is a guarantee of our success and demonstrates the confidence we have in our ability to deliver results. Our service is upfront with no hidden clauses and “what you see is what you get”. By using our service you are giving yourself access to a high degree of purchasing leverage, through our experienced consultants. You will be free to focus on the day to day management of your business, while we work for you in driving business-wide cost savings.

3. Question: How much will this service cost me?

Answer: Our fee structure is what differentiates us from the competition, as we work on the principle that if we don’t deliver, you don’t pay. We agree with you, up front, the timescale with which our actions must deliver results and this will be dependent on the spend levels and the categories being reviewed. We do ask for a small upfront processing fee to establish a commitment on your part, but this fee is refunded, should no savings be made. All in all, this is a win win situation for you and you lose nothing by contacting us to see what we can do for your business.

4. Question: What information will North require to undertake the cost reduction exercise with my company?

Answer: As our solutions are tailored to your business, this depends on what you want us to achieve. In the majority of cases we will require your current supplier invoices and may need to spent a short amount of time with your purchasing personnel, to really understand your business and overheads. If we are undertaking quality reviews, we may also ask for specific product samples. As a rule we do prefer for you to gather the required information, as this ensures the accuracy and relevance of the data. However, should you wish for us to collate the data ourselves, then we are happy to do this.

5. Question: How long will the data analysis process take?

Answer: No 2 assignments or companies are the same and so this very much depends on your business, the complexity of the project and the quantity of information provided by you. Following collation of all information, we aim to provide you with our final analysis, referred to as a Recommendation Report, within a maximum of 6 weeks after receiving all the data.

6. Question: How does North choose which suppliers to contact?

Answer: With an experienced consultancy team, we have amassed a detailed knowledge of a range of providers across all sectors. We have worked with these suppliers over a sustained period of time and each one has been proven to supply the quality products or services that you require at a competitive price. However, whether we recommend you use these provides very much depends on your current supply base. We will contact each of your suppliers to ensure they are providing a quality service at the very best price and only if we believe a better deal can be found elsewhere would we recommend an alternative. Our supply chain expertise has been proven time and time again and a broad client base has provided us with exposure to a variety of supply chain practices, pricing strategies and suppliers.

7. Question: Will you recommended suppliers provide the same products and services that we are current receiving?

Answer: The simple answer to this question is YES. We will firstly do a detailed analysis of the services and products you are currently receiving and will then conduct a like-for-like comparison across a diverse range of suppliers. We GUARANTEE that after the completion of the cost reduction exercise, the quality of your product or service will be, at the very least, the same as you are currently receiving from your incumbent suppliers. In the unlikely event that we fail to adhere to this promise we would not charge you for our services.

8. Question: Will we purchase products or services through North?

Answer: North does not act as a middle man. Our role is to negotiate with your incumbent or new suppliers to secure the very best price possible and enhance your supplier/client relationship. You will continue to purchase products or services directly from your suppliers.

9. Question: Does North receive any money or compensation from suppliers?

Answer: Absolutely not. SCA work for you and place the needs of your business at the heart of everything that we do. To do this it is imperative that we remain impartial and therefore do not accept fees or commission from any supplier, whether they be your incumbent supplier or a new provider. In the event that we are offered incentives, particularly from your current supplier, we pass these savings directly onto you, as stated in our Terms & Conditions.

10. Question: What type and what size of company can North work with?

Answer: Due to the breadth of experience in our team we have the capacity to work with companies across all sectors, from SMEs through to multi-national organisations. Our case studies will provide you with a small flavour of the types of companies we have worked with in the past.

11. Question: Are there any limitations to the service North provide?

Answer: A client always knows their industry best and so we may look to you for industry specific queries or issues. We also do not claim to be HR professionals and so do not handle employee, staffing or performance management issues, recommending that you use qualified HR professionals to deal with these areas. Other limitations on what we can provide really depends on you, as we will not analyse any business areas that you do not wish us to address.

12. Question: How does North work with my staff?

Answer: As we do not get involved in HR or personnel issues, staff can be confident that we are not there to criticise them. To do our job well, we need cooperative staff and it is crucial that we are not viewed as a threat. We ensure that your employees are comfortable with our presence and what we are doing and we employ a collaborative approach to work with them in the assessment of your business.