How It Works
It’s Simple
Our Four Step Process
01
Review
Our category team analyzes the targeted line item expense category to gain insight into your processes. We then process the data from your contract/service agreement and recent invoices. That leads to a model we can then compare to our database of 1000’s of actual vendor contracts to compare your terms with the best we have seen from your vendor.
In areas such as utilities, we compare your individual meter rates with current PUC rules and regulations to make sure you are enjoying the most favorable rates possible—given use and even time frame.
Our review is covered under an executed bilateral NDA. There is no charge or obligation for this service.
02
Strategize
If we both agree to accessing the savings, we execute a Professional Services Agreement (PSA), which affirms our agreement to share the documented savings.
We design a plan with you to leverage the area(s) of identified opportunity, adjusting to your organization’s needs, culture and goals. Part of this plan is determining whether you will have us represent you fully, or walk alongside your efforts to secure the savings.
03
Execute
We put the plan into action, regularly briefing your management team and outlining any additional opportunities we uncover.
Upon receipt of final agreement with vendor, your management executes the agreement.
04
Audit
Our team then audits your monthly invoices to assure compliance on the part of the vendor, and to document the savings realized relative to previous terms.
That savings forms the basis for our monthly invoice to you.
Vendor Optimization
Industries and Categories
Our teams save clients (in dozens of industries) millions of dollars each year – in a number of categories. Some of the most popular categories include:
Telecom: Data, Voice and Wireless
While every organization needs these services, many don’t have the right combination of technology and service terms.
Our team of industry professionals have decades of experience working for carriers and service providers. We will analyze your current usage and terms and help negotiate the best terms available.
Once the optimized contract is executed, our back-office will continue to audit your invoice-to-contract compliance, becoming an extension of your management team—yet totally financed by only a portion of your savings. That lets you continue to focus on your core competency.
Vendor optimization, coupled with our proprietary digital optimization technology work together to regularly deliver 20-40% savings—with no change to processes and level of service.
Information Technology
Our team of software industry veterans know the marginal costs of software for large software suppliers and regularly negotiate double-digit discounts, with no reduction in service.
Few security vendors can claim to be 100% effective in eliminating ransomware attacks, and count on a patchwork of antivirus patches. Our team can provide NSA tested protection at surprisingly low cost.
Shipping and Logistics
From overnight and parcel, to LTL and full truck load, to ocean and air, our team has the experience, relationships, information, and dedication to improve your delivery and reduce your cost.
Our knowledge and experience within the shipping and transportation industry enables us to continually provide you with information, guidance, support, solutions, cost savings and systems optimization for all your logistics needs. Our services include carrier contract negotiation, third party logistics, freight payment and ongoing invoice-to-contract auditing of your services.
Merchant Card and Payment Processing
Our Treasury Services team comes armed with decades of experience, interchange expertise, comparable contract information, and back-end auditing capability.
Our Merchant Services Division specializes in helping companies minimize costs associated with accepting all forms of electronic payment. Our team will do a comprehensive review of your current payment acceptance processes, processor pricing, contract terms, interchange qualifications, and more. Further, we will inform you of opportunities to route transactions via lower cost interchanges, or possibly suggest alternative processes and procedures. The outcome is typically 15-20+% savings on these important services. After implementation, our team will do a monthly audit of your processing statements to review for billing accuracy.
Banking
Surprisingly, there are tens of thousands of line items a banking institution can charge a client. Our team of experienced banking executives take each expense and run it through our proprietary software metrics to identify saving opportunities. From your transaction fees, to your credit/debit intake cost, to your balance credits, each line item will be benchmarked, catalogued, and measured for both industry best practices and errors.
We then work with the client to design the best way to approach the cost deltas with the institution without impeding on the existing banking relationship. Great pricing and greater relationships are the net result.
Utilities and Waste Management
Our team comes armed with the latest utility commission interpretations, rulings and regulatory support to ensure your organization is receiving the most favorable rates available, accurate billing and a complete inventory of meters, services and providers.
Waste & Recycling are vital services that all organizations depend on but are typically overlooked as a cost reduction opportunity. While waste and recycling expenses can look static on the surface, they can be managed and reduced when leveraging industry experience and focus with the right team. Our category team has waste and recycling industry professionals on staff who come directly from the hauling community who will evaluate your current programs, cost structures, carriers, and invoice accuracy. Our team then will strategize with your team on the identified opportunities to lower cost, maximize recycling efforts and increase service levels.
Document Management, Printing, Packaging, and Marketing
If it prints, we can help you contain cost and reduce paper flow. Average cost reductions within the Document Management category is over 30% and growing! Office equipment manufacturers have seen impressions drop considerably over the past decade, yet organizations are spending an average 8% more per year. Increased color printing, toner yields, and equipment obsolescence are a few of the reasons we have seen margin creep. Our veteran industry professionals can manage this expense to a razor’s edge. Our team comes armed with contract points, industry analytics, print management software and most important, decades of experience managing accounts like yours for the same manufactures that you currently use today.
Catalogues and packaging offer significant savings opportunities for those that truly know the market for printing services and paper. One well-known catalogue retailer saves over $6 million per year on a $24 million spend.
Your Next Step
Third Party AP Audits
Not sure where the opportunities are for your company? Our complimentary AP Audits deliver actionable intelligence as to where you may be leaking money from your P&L through payment systems—while at the same time helping us track down likely categories that can be optimized. Fill out the form below and schedule a discovery call today.
ICG Edge
We specialize in retaining corporate cash flow, and guarantee that you will appreciate our services and expertise—with no risk, no obligation, and no wasted time.