As part of an on-going drive for cost and efficiency savings, Esh Group has selected Mintprice.com – the only one stop price comparison site for stationery and office supplies. The website uses patented “best-price-on-the-basket” technology, which involves several trusted local suppliers competing “live” for every order placed.
Esh Group Purchasing Director, David Thompson, commented, “The Mintprice stationery e-procurement system has been implemented as part of a strategy to reduce costs and waste, as well as improve efficiency in the business.
“Using Mintprice, we have now completely modernised the way we procure office supplies and stationery and the sustainable cost and efficiency savings we are making represent a significant contribution to our overall targets. We have reduced paperwork and improved control over what we buy and who orders it. And because every order has several trusted suppliers competing for it, we don’t need to shop around to get the best price.
“Now that we have bedded-in the stationery procurement system, we are working with the team at Mintprice to look at other product categories which can be procured using the same technology”.
Esh Group Chief Executive, Brian Manning, continues “At Esh, we are passionate about both the environment and placing as much of our business as possible with local suppliers.” Whilst we believe e-procurement has its limitations in terms of type of service that can be procured, in this case Mintprice have set up “e-procurement specifically for commoditised products and it works for us”
“Mintprice lets us purchase all of our stationery and office supplies from trusted local suppliers, more competitively than ever, and buying locally also means that we are supporting our carbon reduction scheme.”
Mintprice inventor, Elie Jankelewitz commented, “If you want to create a culture in your business where staff spend the company’s money as if it were their own, then Mintprice helps because it effectively shops around for the best value, every time an order is placed. We are delighted to be able to help Esh Group get the best value for their stationery budget.”
Mintprice Managing Director, Nigel Hudson, commented, “Esh Group is part of a growing number of larger organisations who are using new e-procurement technology to deliver significant added value to their businesses. Mintprice gives them more control over their stationery budget, and in addition to the cost and efficiency savings, what has also been rewarding is the positive feedback from the staff using the system because it makes their life easier, and frees them up to concentrate on other tasks.”
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About Esh Group
Esh Group is the largest indigenous construction group operating in the North East of England. With 14 business units based across six permanent sites and multiple temporary construction sites, Esh Group employs around 1,000 staff with an annual turnover of over £150m.
About Mintprice.com
Mintprice.com is developed and wholly-owned by Newcastle-based Best Price Purchase Limited.
The technology was initially implemented as an e-procurement platform for larger businesses, and was re-branded and launched to the public in January 2010.
The site holds over 20,000 products in seven categories: Office Supplies (stationery), Printer Paper, Printer Ink, Furniture, Technology, Hygiene & Cleaning and Catering Supplies
Over 3,000 customers now use Mintprice.com; the site is open to the public as well as businesses and is winning over 120 new customers every month
Larger businesses spending £15,000+ per annum can register for contract prices which are available by a secure log-in.
Average savings made by customers are 35%+ for smaller businesses and 20%+ for larger businesses
The technology has a patent granted in the US and a patent pending in Europe
How Mintprice.com solves the challenge with the office supplies budget
- It is a difficult budget to control and it is often the largest area of “discretionary spend”
- It adds up – firms spend around £500 every year on office supplies for each desk-based member of staff
- It can cover thousands of items including stationery, printer ink, copier paper and cleaning materials
- Order frequency can be high and order value can be low enough to slip under the radar
- It is hard to analyse and control spend on so many different items
- It is too time-consuming to shop around for the best price every time you need to buy a few items
How Mintprice.com gives buyers the best price, every time they order
- You input your office supplies order on the Mintprice.com website
- Mintprice.com immediately tells you the best total basket price from several reputable suppliers
- You select the supplier with the best total price and place your order through Mintprice.com
- You save anything from 20% to over 65% off the prices you are currently paying
- You buy the same brands and get the same overnight delivery – there is no loss of service quality
The benefits to stationery buyers
- Save money: every time you place an order, you get the best price
- Save time: no need to shop around for the best price, every time you need to order
- Improve visibility of expenditure: take full control of all office supplies spend
- Compliance: get everyone using the same system, regardless of location
- Control: decide what staff can order by setting standard “favourites” for the organisation
- Analysis: access real-time reports showing what was ordered and by which member of staff
- Rapid implementation: anyone with a browser can use Mintprice.com today
- No expertise required: unskilled staff can use Mintprice.com without extensive training
- No set up costs: the service is free to use
The Mintprice.com management team
Nigel Hudson, MBA Managing Director
A professional marketer, Nigel has held main board positions at two of the North East’s largest support service providers for the SME sector: Sage Group Plc and Technology Services Group (TSG). Nigel worked at Sage for 10 years, starting in product management and eventually rising to Managing Director of Sage UK’s New Business Division and then Marketing and Business Development Director for Sage UK.
Nigel left Sage in 2003 to set up TSG and worked as Marketing and Business Development Director, taking a leading role in many of the company’s 26 acquisitions.
During Nigel’s 6 years with TSG, the company become one of the UK’s fastest growth IT services businesses, reaching a turnover of over £35m. Nigel left TSG in 2009 to join Best Price Purchase and develop the Mintprice.com brand.
He is a non-executive director and Trustee of qualifications awarding body NCFE.
Elie Jankelewitz, MIMechE, Inventor
A Chartered Mechanical Engineer, Elie studied in Canada then worked for General Electric and Control Data Corporation. He later moved to Boston, USA with Elscint. In 1988 he joined Philips Components in Tyneside as Head of Engineering before moving to New Zealand to become Trigon’s Manufacturing Director and a Board member. In 1993 he returned to England as a General Manager and Company Secretary for Schur.
Elie is also a specialist in process re-engineering and supply chain management and implementation of cultural change. In 1997 he started his own business consultancy, advising companies how to operate more effectively by reducing costs, increasing their competitive edge and improving their profit.
Elie invented the Mintprice.com technology in 2001 and has successfully patented the invention in the US.
Press contact
Nigel Hudson
Managing Director
Best Price Purchase Limited
St Thomas Street Business Centre
St Thomas Street
Newcastle
NE1 4LE
Mobile: 07789 716257
Email: nigel@bestpricepurchase.com
