Lärande i Sverige AB is one of Sweden's largest independent school companies. It was founded in 1999 and, in July 2020, had over 20 preschools, primary schools and secondary schools with nearly 4,000 students.
The Wild West became structured purchasing
Lärande i Sverige AB is one of the country's largest independent school companies. It was founded in 1999 and, in July 2020, had over 20 preschools, primary schools and secondary schools with nearly 4,000 students.
In May 2018, ERA began analysing Lärande's costs for consumables (office supplies, printed matter, promotional products and other consumables) to identify potential savings while maintaining or improving quality and service and obtaining better prices.
Lärande's schools made purchases from a total of around 20 different suppliers. The costs for products to be included in the project amounted to approximately SEK 2.5 million. ERA found that the potential savings, depending on the choice of supplier, were between 25 and 36 per cent per year. Lärande chose to proceed with a local supplier due to their professional approach and local roots, even though this did not offer the greatest savings. Overall, the savings amounted to approximately 30 per cent.
"Right from the first contact, I had great confidence in ERA, and they have lived up to that. We are a rapidly growing organisation, and our many units previously handled their own purchasing to a large extent. This had become very fragmented. Of course, we wanted to reduce costs, but it was even more important to have a manageable structure. We have certainly achieved that. When it comes to the majority of our purchases of consumables, we have gone from perhaps 20 suppliers to just one. Costs have been reduced by around 30 per cent." [Katarina Bergholtz – CFO]
