Six-Figure Savings and a Smarter, More Resilient Supply Chain

Six-Figure Savings and a Smarter, More Resilient Supply Chain

Key highlights

• Delivered a huge improvement on a waste-related spend category
• Converted a small annual cost into a six-figure client return
• Uses a portfolio-based procurement approach to identify and deliver savings across multiple categories simultaneously

Neil McCallum joined ERA Group in 2019 and is based in Scotland, bringing with him a strong background in procurement leadership across large organisations. Over his career, he has led procurement teams across a wide range of industries, giving him a broad perspective on how different businesses approach cost, value, and supplier relationships.

That diversity of experience now shapes how he works with clients. From manufacturing and wholesale to hotels, construction firms, interior fit-out companies, and banks, Neil approaches every engagement by first focusing on the same question: what is the real problem the client is trying to solve?

One example involved a large service organisation where the CEO initially set out a simple goal: reduce overall spend by a fixed amount. Rather than focusing immediately on individual categories, Neil and the team stepped back to design a portfolio approach—mapping where value could realistically be unlocked across the business.

During the review, one area stood out: waste spend. On the surface, it appeared to be a relatively small cost category. But after deeper analysis and collaboration with a specialist colleague in the UK, the team uncovered a significant issue in how rebates were being applied.

As Neil recalls, “we gave them a 2,000% saving on a small waste spend—it turned something that looked minor into a six-figure return.”

Beyond the numbers, Neil places strong emphasis on understanding how clients actually experience their supply chain. For him, technical data alone is not enough. The starting point is whether clients feel they are receiving value, service quality, and trust from their suppliers.

As he puts it, “before anything else, you need to understand how the client feels—then you design a solution that meets the numbers, service, sustainability, and confidence they need.”

This balance of analytical rigour and human understanding is central to his approach. Clients often compare the alternative of hiring a single procurement lead internally versus accessing a wider pool of category specialists. In Neil’s experience, it is the depth of expertise across the network that creates real differentiation—whether in packaging, waste, energy, or insurance.

Ultimately, Neil’s focus is on becoming embedded in the client’s organisation in a way that makes him a reliable point of support when problems arise. As he describes it, success is when the relationship moves beyond projects and becomes ongoing problem-solving.

It is this combination of specialist knowledge, practical delivery, and long-term partnership that defines his work and the value delivered to clients.

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