One-off requirements are spontaneous, impossible to plan, individual and difficult to standardize, meaning that they cannot be integrated into established processes.
One-off requirements reveal the breaking points of classic purchasing processes
At first glance, indirect needs seem like a side issue. A cable here, a spare part there. Small orders that are made at short notice and shouldn't really play a major role. But it is precisely these needs that regularly cause purchasing organizations to falter. One-off requirements are spontaneous, impossible to plan, individual and difficult to standardize, meaning that they cannot be integrated into established processes.
However, operational purchasing must comply with processes to ensure transparency, compliance and traceability. At the same time, specialist departments expect quick solutions when a need is urgent. Anyone who tries to guarantee both at the same time quickly ends up in an objection. Rules mean reliability, but also slowness and costs. Speed means flexibility, but often also breaking rules and lack of transparency.
That is exactly what happened to the Witzenmann GmbH. As a global market leader in its sector, purchasing there was confronted with a steady stream of one-time requirements. Orders that did not go through the ERP system but had to be processed manually. Each individual process required additional effort. Write requirements, research suppliers, create new master data, check order confirmations, check invoices. The actual value of the goods was manageable at an average of 260 euros, but the process costs were up to 140 euros per order. Extrapolated over the year, with around 300 special requirements per year, this amounted to 42,000 euros in pure process costs.
At this point, it became clear that process compliance comes at a price that was no longer in relation to the benefit. At the same time, however, you could not simply soften the rules, as this would have entailed compliance risks. A classic strategic dilemma.
The solution came with Pedlar as a strategic partner. Instead of handling every single indirect requirement manually, Pedlar took over the entire processing as a central creditor. Witzenmann only had to create Pedlar once in the system and from then on, all one-time requests ran via this interface. No lengthy supplier research, no complex approval loops, no manual follow-up on confirmations. Pedlar took care of the entire process, from order to invoice, including troubleshooting in case of delivery problems.
For Witzenmann This meant not only noticeable relief in day-to-day business, but also a noticeable reduction in process costs of 85 percent and savings of 35,700 euros per year while maintaining compliance.
Die Case Study Witzenmann impressively shows how fragile process compliance can be in purchasing and that rigid structures reach their limits at some point. Those who limit themselves to defending rules at all costs risk inefficiency and cost explosions. On the other hand, anyone who relies on speed without structure loses transparency and control.
With the 1 creditor model Pedlar allows these contrasts to be resolved. Process compliance and efficiency don't have to be competitors; they can go hand in hand.
