Redesign Your Procurement Operating Model for Future Success

An outdated procurement operating model can limit your business's potential, stifling growth and hindering profitability. At 7 Step Solutions, we help you design and implement a new, commercially focused operating model—one that is built for scalability and ready to deliver measurable impact.

I required a partner that could provide cost effective augmented Procurement expertise and resource on demand. 7SS ticked all the boxes. What is also great about 7SS is I feel they really understand my sector, care about my business and deliver real outcomes. Their reputation as commercial and procurement experts is well deserved.

Principal, Value Creation

7 Step Solutions significant reputation in Private Equity is a testament to their commercial and procurement expertise, white glove service, working at pace and delivering tangible results consistently. It is easy to understand how these key qualities I have witnessed for many years have transferred in their services to multi-sector industries.

Director - Global Investment Firm

If you are looking for a partner that can integrate seamlessly into your organisation, reduce costs, improve business profits and Procurement performance, I would highly recommend 7 Step Solutions.

Chief Financial Officer for a £1bil private sector organisation

7 Step Solutions are my go-to partner for Procurement support. Whether a cost out project, M&A support or a strategic procurement transformation initiative, 7SS white glove service and commercial acumen has consistently delivered a high return on investment.

Partner - global investment firm focusing on acquiring and transforming companies across diverse industries worldwide

7 Step Solutions bring a real laser like focus and commercial aptitude, considering not just Procurement supply side activity like some advisories, but business wide efficiencies, savings and improvements along with first class change management.

Director - global investment firm overseeing £20b portfolio

7 Step Solutions have delivered a step change improvement in our Procurement culture and performance, aligning Procurement activity to business goals alongside rapid delivery of cost, process and technology improvements.

Chief Procurement Officer for a £600mil private sector organisation

7 Step Solutions have supported our business at pace to deliver rapid savings and sustained profit improvement. Having an expert, flexible and scalable partner for projects and peaks in demand has been invaluable to our success.

Operating Partner - leading alternative investment firm focused on Private Equity, Private Credit, and Real Estate

Their speed and agility were remarkable. They quickly integrated with our team and delivered a tangible, positive impact on our bottom line.

COO, Global Logistics Company

They truly understood our business and delivered a solution that was not only commercially robust but also perfectly aligned with our strategic objectives.

Head of Finance, European Private Equity Firm

7 Step Solutions helped us redesign our marketing procurement, which led to a 20% reduction in agency costs and a £1.8M annual saving.

Marketing Director, American Manufacturer

What is a Procurement Operating Model?

A procurement operating model is the blueprint for how your organisation's purchasing function works. It defines the people, processes, technology, and governance that enable your business to achieve its strategic goals. We believe a modern operating model is more than just an internal structure, it’s a powerful lever for commercial growth and profitability.

The Benefits of a Modern Operating Model

Scalability and Exit Readiness
We design models that scale with your growth, ensuring your business is robust and attractive to future investors.
Increased Profitability
Our approach treats procurement as a profit enabler, unlocking hidden value and delivering a tangible, positive impact on your bottom line.
Enhanced Agility
Our models are built to be agile, allowing you to respond rapidly to market changes and new opportunities.
Cross-Functional Alignment
We ensure your procurement function is seamlessly integrated with finance, operations, and other key departments, creating a unified approach to commercial success.

Our Approach to Operating Model Design

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Diagnostic & Assessment

We begin with a comprehensive diagnostic to evaluate your current operating model and its effectiveness. This initial phase helps us pinpoint inefficiencies and areas for improvement.
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Operating Model Design

Our experts work with you to design a new, bespoke operating model that is perfectly aligned with your business vision and strategic goals.
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Implementation Support

We don’t just hand over a plan. We provide hands-on support to ensure the successful implementation and adoption of your new model across your organisation.
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Technology Integration

We help you select and integrate the right technologies and digital tools to streamline your processes and maximise the efficiency of your new operating model.

Our proven process

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Understand Your Goals
We start by deeply understanding your business, your market, and your long-term objectives.
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Diagnose Your Current State
We conduct a thorough analysis of your existing people, processes, and technology to identify pain points and opportunities.
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Design the New Model
We create a tailored operating model that balances commercial needs with operational efficiency.
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Align with Stakeholders
We work with your internal teams to secure buy-in and ensure the new model is practical and effective.
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Implement and Optimise
We support you through the transition and provide ongoing support to ensure your new model delivers sustainable results.

Case Studies

Analysed $440m in global spend to identify procurement value opportunities

Business Challenge

Operating 427 restaurants across four Nordic countries under separate agreements led to inefficiencies and limited scalability. 7SS was engaged to unify operations through a supply chain optimisation workstream within a wider business transformation.

Solution

7SS took a structured, data-led approach to define the as-is state and identify improvement opportunities. Spend, contracts, and policies were analysed to establish a clear baseline, then validated through interviews with key buyers to understand real-world processes and capability. The findings were benchmarked against best practice to develop sourcing strategies by category, and a delivery roadmap was created to prioritise actions by ease and benefit — forming the foundation for implementation.

Outcomes

The project delivered results in two phases. A 12-week diagnostic identified cost-saving and cash-flow opportunities, producing 25 prioritised initiatives. Over the next 18 months, 7SS implemented a new procurement and supply chain model, realising €33m in benefits across key categories and embedding sustainable practices for long-term impact.

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Our experts designed and implemented compliant policies to cut procurement carbon emissions for a global public sector research facility.

Business Challenge

Client expressed their vision of becoming a role model as an environmentally aware global research laboratory.

Solution

This global public sector research facility sought to become a world leader in environmental responsibility, but faced a massive challenge: 64% of their 450,000 tonnes of annual CO2 emissions were tied directly to the £438 million of goods and services purchased from their supply chain. With their 70-strong procurement team focused solely on standard sourcing and compliance, they urgently required expert, external support. The goal was to fully embed a responsible environmental procurement policy into their organisation and supply chain, all while strictly adhering to global public sector purchasing regulations and operational controls.

Outcomes

Successful creation and embedding of a new global Environmentally Responsibly Procurement Policy and Processes aimed at sustainably reducing scope 3 emissions while maintaining fair and equitable public sector controls.

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£22M Spend: A rapid assessment across 750 veterinary practices identified key value creation opportunities and a clear roadmap.

Business Challenge

Our client is a leading veterinary group that provides care for companion animals, equine, and farm animals across the UK and Europe. Founded in 2015, the group has rapidly grown to encompass over 750 veterinary practices, along with several laboratories, farms, and training facilities.

Solution

7 Step Solutions was hired to provide an aggressive diagnostic that was both data-driven and commercially grounded. The solution involved a systematic four-phase process: rigorous Data Collection and Analysis across three key categories; targeted Stakeholder Engagement to develop the baseline; Opportunity Identification by benchmarking against best practice; and finally, Market Engagement to leverage the client’s scale for optimal pricing and commercial terms.

Outcomes

The opportunity assessment identified potential savings of between 6-9% (£1.3m-£1.9m) of the £22m spend associated with the three spend categories.

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£117M Global Spend: An 8-week assessment identified key P&L value creation opportunities delivering, clear, significant, measurable profitability.

Business Challenge

This global software provider, with over £330 million in turnover, faced critical fragmentation after being acquired by private equity and executing a swift M&A strategy. Third-party spend became highly complex, and the small, tactical procurement team struggled to manage the scattered direct and indirect costs. 7 Step Solutions was engaged to diagnose this fragmented spend across critical areas like IT, HR, and Marketing to identify and unlock immediate optimisation opportunities.

Solution

7 Step Solutions was engaged by the private equity owners to apply its full four-phase diagnostic process—from initial data collection and stakeholder interviews to developing the strategic baseline and validating the delivery roadmap—ensuring the business could unlock significant, measurable value across its fragmented spend profile.

Outcomes

This extensive two-year programme began with an 8-week supply chain diagnostic to identify key cost and cash-flow opportunities across the operation. Over the subsequent 18 months, 7 Step Solutions implemented a full cost-out programme, continuing the transformation across IT, HR, Marketing, Insurance, and Property, resulting in audited annualised savings equal to 4% of the addressable spend.

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Why partner with 7 Step Solutions?

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Commercial Excellence
Our heritage in private equity has embedded a unique commercial discipline into our DNA, allowing us to deliver rapid, profit-driven results.
Results-Driven Approach
We don't just provide advice; we deliver tangible outcomes. Our average client receives an 8:1 commercial and operational return on investment.
Boutique Expertise, Global Scale
With a team of 95 active consultants and offices in London, Boston, and Zurich, we offer deep expertise and personal service with a global reach.

FAQs

Our Operating Model Design service is for senior leaders, including CFOs and CPOs, in multinational, mid-sized, and private equity-funded businesses who need to transform their procurement function.
The timeline is bespoke to each client's needs, but our agile approach focuses on delivering rapid benefits while building sustainable, long-term improvements.
We measure success against clear, quantitative metrics agreed upon at the start of the project, focusing on cost savings, efficiency gains, and ROI.
Our deep-rooted private equity thinking ensures our models are not just about process, but are laser-focused on value creation, scalability, and exit readiness.

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