Procurement

Procurement is in our DNA. At Kearney, procurement isn’t a side offering. It’s our core. For over 30 years, we’ve been defining what procurement excellence looks like, helping organizations unlock value, reduce risk, and build long-term capability. We are the only high-value consulting firm with procurement at the heart of our model, and we continue to shape the future of the function.

• More than $1 trillion in spend analyzed across industries, setting the gold standard in strategic sourcing and benchmarking
• Deep partnerships with leading procurement and supply chain think tanks, including our flagship procurement roundtable, attended by 40+ CPOs
• Proven impact through proprietary tools, frameworks, and insights that get measurable results

Tail spend management

Tail spend—small, fragmented purchases across categories—often escapes control, driving inefficiency, leakage, and compliance risk.

Though individually minor, unmanaged tail spend can account for up to 20 percent of total procurement costs, eroding margins and consuming valuable resources.

Kearney transforms tail spend into a strategic advantage through automation, analytics, and governance. Using tools such as Simfoni and Contract IQ, we automate sourcing, enhance compliance, and bring transparency to every transaction.

Our AI-enabled analytics uncover hidden savings, rationalize suppliers, and streamline decision-making—unlocking measurable value from the spend others overlook.

Inventory management and working capital

Excess inventory locks up cash, limits agility, and erodes margins, especially across complex upstream operations where materials span drilling, production, and pipeline networks.

Many organizations hold “just in case” inventory due to limited visibility and reactive planning. The result: inflated safety stocks, slow turns, and trapped working capital.

Kearney helps companies unlock working capital by optimizing inventory across the entire value chain. Using advanced multi-echelon modeling and safety stock rationalization, we right-size inventory, align demand and supply, and ensure critical materials are available exactly when needed.

We’ve helped leading energy companies release hundreds of millions of dollars in working capital while maintaining service levels and operational reliability. The outcome: leaner inventories, faster cash cycles, and a more resilient, data-driven supply network.