Sourcing
Sourcing strategy template
WordPDF
A plan for where and how to source a product, comparing options on landed cost and risk.
View template: Sourcing strategy template
Category strategy template
A short plan for how you will buy one category of spend, from current position to next actions.
A category strategy is a plan for buying one area of spend, such as packaging, freight or IT. It brings together what you spend, who supplies you, how the market works and what you want to change, then sets the sourcing actions to get there.
This template keeps the strategy to a few pages so it gets read and used. It suits businesses starting category management for the first time and finance leads who want a clear plan for their largest costs.
Free to download. Available as Word and PDF.
Category strategy template
What's included
- Category definition and scope
- Current spend and supplier summary
- Business requirements and stakeholders
- Supply market overview
- Opportunities and risks
- Sourcing approach and timeline
- Measures of success and review date
How to use this template
- Define the category and pull 12 months of spend for it.
- Talk to the people who use the category to understand their needs.
- Research the supply market and list realistic supplier options.
- Identify the opportunities and risks, and choose a sourcing approach.
- Agree actions, owners and dates, then review the strategy at least yearly.
Frequently asked questions
Category management groups similar spend together and manages each group with its own strategy, rather than buying item by item.
Start with a category that is large, has several capable suppliers and has not been reviewed recently. Our spend analysis template helps you find it.
A few pages is often enough. The value is in the thinking and the actions, not the length of the document.
Need help putting this into practice?
Every engagement is managed by our founder, starting with objectives agreed with you. Book an introductory call to see how our cost reduction work could help.
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