From Chaos to Clarity
How We Automated Cost-Saving Opportunities in Procurement
As part of an ongoing effort to improve our existing platform, we identified a gap in helping our customers save costs. With inflation and shifting economic conditions, reducing costs has become a central company goal. However, procurement teams were left to tackle this problem manually, often with limited tools. This led to the creation of a new team in my company tasked with addressing this issue. Our goal was to validate whether customers would actually be interested in a product that automates cost-saving insights and simplifies procurement.
Imagine spending hours each week hunting for savings, only to feel uncertain about the data you’re working with. This was the challenge faced by procurement teams, who had no reliable tool to identify potential savings or streamline their decision-making. Here are a couple of key facts:
Data confidence was low
Only 10% of procurement teams felt confident in their negotiation data. Procurement teams struggled with fragmented data, leaving them uncertain in negotiations.
Missed savings opportunities
50% of potential cost savings went unnoticed in manual reviews. Without automation, teams overlooked valuable cost-saving opportunities, potentially losing millions.
As you review these couple charts, imagine what a procurement person might be thinking or feeling
Now, picture this: Procurement teams can automatically access data-driven insights on cost-saving opportunities, streamlining the decision-making process and reducing manual work. This transformation led to some impressive results:
Cost-saving opportunities on a silver platter
Over 50 cost-saving opportunities discovered, potentially saving customers thousands, even millions, of Norwegian kroner.
Increased engagement
User activity surged by 40%, with 190 monthly users at peak.
Strong enough retention to validate main hypothesis
40+ users returned weekly, indicating robust user retention and engagement which was a great validation to continue the project into next quarter.
By automating the process of identifying savings, procurement teams could now make smarter, faster decisions. This not only boosted efficiency but also allowed companies to unlock significant cost reductions—ultimately empowering teams to negotiate better deals and streamline their workflows.
CFO (Chief Financial Officer)
Main goals:
Optimize supplier selection within assigned categories
Improve negotiation outcomes with clear cost benchmarks
Streamline procurement workflows to save time and effort
Procurement manager
Main goals:
Identify cost-saving opportunities across suppliers
Standardize the procurement process with data-driven insights
Strengthen supplier negotiations with reliable financial data
Real user context beats assumptions
Talking directly to procurement professionals uncovered nuanced needs we would’ve missed otherwise. For instance, their hesitation to negotiate without data, or how time constraints shape daily priorities.
Structure fuels speed
Using frameworks like Opportunity Solution Trees and assumption mapping helped us focus fast, turning scattered pain points into a clear product strategy without wasting cycles.
Simplicity drives adoption
Users gravitated toward features that felt intuitive and low-effort. The more we simplified language, flow, and visuals, the more confident and engaged users became.
Closing Thoughts
This project reinforced one thing: Great UX isn’t just about aesthetics—it’s about making complex tasks feel effortless.
UX METHODS
User journey mapping
Affinity mapping
User interviews
Usability testing
Desk research
Tools
Figma
Miro
Notion
Notably on iPad
