"Neil has worked with us on a complex Europe wide retendering process over the last 3 months. He has brought a structure and expertise to the process that has helped us get the best outcome for our company and also to get through the retender without delays or confusion. He integrated very well with the team and added value from day 1. The handover at the end of the project was comprehensive and left no loose ends."

Karl Meier - Financial Director Turtle Beach

"We engaged Neil to review the effectiveness of our contract management and contractual arrangements with some of our strategic partners, with a view to to identifying opportunities to improve practices and commercial terms to deliver cost savings. His experience and credibility meant that he was able to contend with the complexities of multi-party relationships to quickly get to the key issues within the contract and operational arrangements which needed addressing to deliver efficiency and cost improvements.

I would have no hesitation in recommending Neil to anyone looking for a consummate procurement professional."

Kien Lac - Head of Commercial Services Wokingham Borough Council

 “It was decided at the outset that external assistance from a procurement specialist such as Neil would be required to ensure the project was managed effectively and efficiently from start to finish.  Neil worked well with the internal team and although employed as a 3rd party consultant operated as a Tunstall representative whenever communicating with external suppliers. 

The business recognised the need to challenge the existing supply chain and through Neil’s work the business was able to establish a clearer picture of where the cost saving opportunities lay as well as determine the type of partner it would be prepared to work with.  The e-auction although confirming the incumbents position as the lowest cost provider of vehicles did not on its own reveal the bigger picture.  By meeting and talking with prospective suppliers on Tunstall’s behalf Neil was able to provide a more rounded view on those suppliers that were more in tune with Tunstall’s best interests.

Neil managed the project from end to end and continues to support Tunstall through its next round of fleet procurement. Through Neil’s work we ended up moving away from our existing supplier also taking the key decision to separate vehicle maintenance and repair from vehicle provision, this based upon the clear cost saving opportunities demonstrated through Neil’s analysis. 

As such I would not hesitate to recommend Neil Birkbeck for other similar projects.”

Jason Cicero - Finance Director UK & IRL Tunstall Healthcare UK Ltd

Neil has never let me down. I have hired Neil on many occasions to help my procurement teams optimize cost base reduction and meet challenging in year targets. Neil works fast and integrates very well with other team members but his major attribute must be his unique blend of humour and tenacity to get the job down
Neil came on board at BMI at a very challenging time. We had just restructured the purchasing team and were in the process of recruiting new talent into the business to deliver a significant step up in performance of the team. Neil provided the newly appointed Sourcing Director great support during this critical phase of our transformation programme.

Neil excelled in all things asked of him: people management and results. His skills at building relationships within the team, the business and the supply base are central to this success. I would not hesitate to work with Neil again or recommend him to anyone seeking a delivery focused professional with the experience and aptitude to slot into any position in any team.”

Matt Oxley - Group Procurement Director

“I have worked with Neil for over a year now to help me deliver the step change in performance of the Sourcing team at BMI. Neil's focus on delivery is outstanding and his ability to structure deals in such ways that deliver the maximum in the shortest time possible have set new standards. His energy and drive are infectious and there is no doubt that his attitude and approach enable us to hit our very stretching targets. I would have absolutely no hesitation in recommending him and firmly believe he would be a real asset to any procurement function”

Andrew Jones - Director of Sourcing & Property Development

"Neil

Just a note to say thanks for all your work in procurement at Quotient Bioresearch

I was pleased you were able to join me here and that you worked at pace to deliver some excellent savings in several key areas. I was impressed with the manner in which you worked with me to identify the opportunities and then went after them with a vengeance!

The tender on specialist courier services was driven through in a matter of weeks and not only showed savings of nearly 30% but ended with better SLAs and a stronger contractual relationship with the successful supplier.

Your good communication skills and regular updates have meant I have always been aware of progress and in a very short period you have delivered savings in excess of £500k.

I enjoyed working with you and it was refreshing to have someone with such a great "can do attitude".
I will be in touch as and when similar opportunities crop up."

Roger Burdett - Chief Executive Officer

Neil’s analysis of our purchasing trends helped to simplify the process and reduce the scale of the project from a management perspective. Neil then set about defining the tender process which would see us put out £3.5m of spend to tender and appoint a preferred supplier in a 6 week period.

NOONAN’s relationship with its suppliers is key to ensuring we deliver a quality service to our clients.
We wanted a process that was fair and transparent and would not damage our relationship with our suppliers. Neil’s approach was always fair and professional and the suppliers respected his role in the process. NOONAN’s supplier relationships were enhanced by the process.

Neil handled all the interaction with the suppliers providing management with simple high level reports which helped us make our decision. The project was delivered on time and delivered double digit savings which far exceeded our expectations from the process.

We have already started to look at further projects for Neil and would have no hesitation in recommending Neil to anyone looking to drive savings out of their cost base."

"Neil Birkbeck Procurement has done an excellent job supporting Cardinal Security on our fleet management procurement project. We felt there was a need for a change as we sensed our incumbent supplier was getting more and more expensive. We asked them to run the project for us and they did all the leg work. Regular communication meant we fully understood where they were up to in the process and we were able to make all the key decisions. Neil Birkbeck Procurement ran very professional tender, highlighting areas that not only improved our pricing but also our cash flow. Their knowledge in this area was extremely helpful.

At the end of the process we were presented with a choice of vehicles and suppliers and Neil Birkbeck Procurement delivered a saving in excess of 12%. We were also confident that they were independent and were 100 per cent focused on delivering a good result for Cardinal Security. From the first meeting with Neil Birkbeck Procurement when we agreed on the project to discussing the results and choosing a supplier took only 6 weeks."

Firstly by the involvement of the hospitals. Unlike previous companies who owned the hospitals he has included the views of the 'business' in all decision making. He has set up a series of teams looking at each of the key business areas eg drugs, prosthetics, premises, medical consumables. The people in those teams really feel part of the process in looking to improve things with suppliers in those areas That involvement has also meant a lot can be achieved despite the purchasing set up being a single person. It has also meant that there is a real feeling of ownership at hospital level.

Secondly by getting out and about in the business and listening to the real needs of the hospitals. The hospital teams have got to know Neil and this means they feel comfortable suggesting new ideas and giving feedback.

Finally by ensuring there is good communication of what is happening, not happening and timescales to keep everybody up to date.The changes that have occurred over the last 12 months have not only improved our costs but also our systems and services."