UK Leading Retailer Optimise Supplier Management through Brooklyn

The Challenge

One of the leading UK retail firms embarked on a mission to streamline operations and accelerate cost-saving initiatives. With over 600 supermarkets, 800 convenience stores and 152,000 employees, their focus was on its foodfirst strategy and delivering more value for customers. Their strategy focused on enhancing customer value through a “food first” approach and improving supplier relationships, particularly within their £550m annual Technology spend.

Facing challenges with manual supplier management processes, which led to inefficiencies and limited active management to a subset of suppliers, the Supplier Management Team sought a digital solution. Recognising the need for effective supplier relationship management for risk mitigation and opportunity maximisation, they aimed to adopt a comprehensive digital platform.

After evaluating various Supplier Relationship Management platforms, The Retailer chose to implement the Brooklyn Solutions platform to optimise their supplier management, ensuring scalability and strategic alignment across their supplier base.

The Solution

The Retailer opted for the Brooklyn platform to digitise and automate supplier relationship management practices across their GNFR supplier base.

With the Brooklyn platform, The SRM team were able to manage all their suppliers effectively at the appropriate level utilising the built-in tiering system within the platform. The solution effectively controls the end to end governance across our strategic partner base.

The Brooklyn platform now served as a centralised repository for their supplier management, providing clarity for The SRM team and Suppliers of their shared obligations.

“

By using Brooklyn, we have achieved complete visibility of our technology suppliers and increased supplier productivity, all while avoiding significant headcount that otherwise would be required.”

Andy Nagalewski, Director of Supplier Management

The Results

Governance and Efficiency with the Brooklyn Platform

The Brooklyn platform enhanced the Retailer’s governance within the Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) team by consolidating meetings, agendas, and actions in one place. This platform schedules, tracks, and manages activities efficiently, assigning tasks to stakeholders and suppliers. Automated reminders and a comprehensive action log empower the SRM team to prioritise effectively, reducing manual tasks and streamlining reporting for overall efficiency. The platform also facilitates mass communication with suppliers during peak seasons and crises via surveys.

Comprehensive Supplier Management

The Supermarket Chain transitioned from static document management to a centralised digital repository, onboarding hundreds of suppliers onto the Brooklyn system. This strategic integration provided immediate access to exhaustive information, enhancing visibility across the supply chain. It also streamlined data distribution to executives, improving operational agility and decision-making through purpose-built Business Intelligence dashboards.

Enhanced Obligation Management

The Smart Onboarding Engine (SOE) of Brooklyn allows the Retailer to scan documents and extract critical metadata and contract obligations. The SRM team can categorise and delegate actions efficiently, with built-in dashboards offering comprehensive insights into contract analytics. Automated reminders further optimise resource management and supplier relationships.

Digitised Joint Account Planning

Brooklyn facilitated the introduction of digital Joint Account Plans for the Retailer’s suppliers, recording over 350 strategic goals. These digital plans aid in tracking progress and are used in governance meetings, supported by accessible dashboards showcasing performance status, significantly reducing preparation time.

Balanced Scorecard Review (BSR)

The integration of Balanced Scorecards enabled a culture of collaboration and strategic decision-making. The SRM team distributed over 650 surveys in six months, collecting extensive data on supplier performance. This data supports balanced scorecard reviews and productive meetings, particularly with top-tier suppliers. The Brooklyn platform has enhanced transparency, fostered innovation, and promoted collaboration, reducing manual data management by 80% and eliminating inefficiencies.

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About Brooklyn Solutions

Brooklyn Solutions is a trusted out-of-the-box SaaS solution purpose-built to redefine the customer-supplier relationship. We enable businesses to maximise value for money and absolute compliance at lower risk through post-contract best practices across all commercial relationships.