BCR - Business Cost Reduction

FAQs

Are there specific areas of expenditure in which BCR operate ?

Yes, BCR focuses primarily on the areas of routine business overhead expenditure, which tend to be those most often overlooked. Of these, the areas where savings are most commonly made are:

Packaging Costs
Freight & Courier Charges
Print Management
Office Supplies
Photocopying
Maintenance Costs
Telecommunications
Computer Consumables
Internet Services
Transport Expenses
Energy Usage & Fuel Costs
Merchant Card Services
Cleaning/Detergent Costs
Waste Management
Protective Clothing
Commercial Rates

Of course, BCR Associates have knowledge and experience of many other expenditure areas as well. Each Client organisation is a particular case, requiring particular attention.

Why should we need the service of BCR? Our own staff are familiar with all the areas you have mentioned.

There are several reasons why you will find our services helpful. There is no question of our replacing your existing staff - rather, we complement them. We focus on areas and on issues that are not normally within the professional gaze of most. Most Client staff are kept busy checking the major areas of expenditure - an organisation’s “core” costs - they have neither the time, the training, nor the experience to look at the areas we focus on.

For example:

many price increases are incremental and are often so gradual nobody takes any notice (but in just five years a 5% annual price increase will raise the cost of a product by more than a quarter).
there may be items bought year after year in the same old way from the same suppliers; there may be minimal changes and so no one is bothered but equally no one bothers to check the often substantial, technological changes that may have happened outside in the marketplace and which mean that more competitive prices are obtainable.
many of those in charge of purchasing supplies often do not have time to shop around and negotiate. They automatically order stocks of branded goods without considering the cost.
sometimes too, companies do not co-ordinate purchasing so that different departments use different suppliers for the same product, thus missing out on savings through bulk buys.

The fact that these things go unchecked is no criticism of those in the relevant positions: they are frequently too busy to be able to do anything about it.

Finally, BCR has many years of experience of countless supplies, suppliers, organisations and prices and our databases are being constantly updated. We know how to spot overcharging - and we can spot it very quickly indeed.

Does This mean that your investigations will normally result in a change of suppliers?

Not necessarily. In many cases, we have achieved significant savings for our Client with the same supplier – and without affecting the long term relationship. In other cases the savings through using a different supplier were greater still.

However, there are always many factors to take into account not least the Client’s relationship with the supplier. Most suppliers are prepared to negotiate hard to maintain their business. Equally, most Clients, however close their relationship to the supplier might be, would almost certainly prefer to be informed at least, if overcharging is occurring!

What we do make absolutely sure of is that, whatever the savings achieved - whether with the existing or an alternative supplier - the quality of the product and/or service remains the same, if not better.

Does BCR's approach only work with certain organisations?

No, BCR have produced significant savings for Client companies and organisations of all shapes and sizes and with very different business concerns. Wherever there is routine business expenditure, BCR can go to work.

What if you find no possible savings at all?

If we are unable to find any possible savings, then of course there would be no charge.

No Savings... No Fee - that is our promise

An entirely no-risk opportunity for our Clients

We have a through, well-trained and professional staff. They have done an excellent job and I have 100% confidence in their abilities.

Teamwork is everything. We work with your staff. We become an ally, and we, very deliberately and carefully, work to establish confidence and trust, to reassure them that our role is to help and support them in their tasks, not to replace, criticise or cast doubt upon the integrity or efficiency of their work. This is a very important aspect of our operation. What we endeavour to convey is that we are bringing our acquired knowledge and expertise to help them and that when the project is finished, their own work will benefit.

Apart from that, we pride ourselves on the minimal time we actually spend on your premises and on the minimal disruption to your daily work routines.

We run a tight ship, and have pared down our costs to an absolute minimum. We really do not think there is any scope for further savings.

You may well be agreeably surprised. We have had many Clients who have felt there were only minimal savings to be made, yet were amazed and very pleased at the level of savings found. Again, it is because we focus on the areas that companies and organisations tend to neglect. This is not a comment on the efficiency, or otherwise, of our Clients. It is simply that their focus tends to be on the area of their professional concerns - their core business, and ours is on areas of routine expenditure, which, provided they stay within parameters, tend to go unqueried.

Confidentiality.

BCR Business Cost Reduction will maintain in strict confidence all information received from the Client concerning its expenses, savings and methodology of business.

Want to know more?

If you would like further information on how BCR can benefit your company, or you would like to arrange a non obligatory meeting to decide if our unique service could be applied to your business, simply click here...