Leverage GPOs to deliver substantial savings and efficiency gains without compromising autonomy or strategic focus.
What’s the worst-possible phrase you can hear from your leadership team in a procurement strategy meeting? How about:
“Can we get the same quality from the dollar store?”
“You know, I read somewhere that duct tape can fix just about anything…”
“How about we just ask our suppliers to donate their products?”
I’d argue that nothing generates more panic than the phrase: “We need to do more with less.”
Do more? With less? Does this mean a hiring freeze? Redundancies? A mad scramble for ways to cut costs with cutting corners? More automation? More AI?
What’s clear is that you need to find ways to work smarter and optimize every lever of value creation.
Here’s the good news: one often-overlooked lever is the power of group purchasing organizations. GPOs deliver substantial savings and efficiency gains, especially in indirect categories, without compromising procurement’s autonomy or strategic focus.
The Modern Procurement Mandate
Procurement has evolved from a transactional function into a strategic business driver. Today’s leaders are expected to deliver measurable cost savings and build resilient, diverse supply chains, all while supporting ESG, driving innovation, and aligning with broader business goals.
But these expectations rarely come with proportionally larger teams or budgets. This is where a well-aligned GPO can become a force multiplier.
How (and Why) to Leverage GPOs
A group purchasing organization negotiates contracts on behalf of a collective of businesses, aggregating their spend to unlock better pricing, terms, and overall value than any single company could achieve alone. Think of it as power-in-numbers meets strategic sourcing, especially for categories that are typically fragmented or under-managed, such as:
- Shipping and logistics
- Office and janitorial supplies
- MRO (Maintenance, Repair, and Operations) and industrial goods
- Food service and packaging
- Software and SaaS subscriptions.
Are group purchasing organizations the same as purchasing cooperatives and buying groups? In some ways, yes, but mostly no. Each of these entities has its own unique purpose and structure, which we break down in detail here.
Here’s how smart procurement leaders leverage GPOs to do more with less:
They focus internal resources where they matter most
By outsourcing certain indirect spend categories to a trusted GPO partner, procurement teams can free up time and bandwidth to focus on core value-driving initiatives.
These might include enhancing supplier relationships, developing innovative sourcing strategies, or implementing sustainability practices. That’s right: you’ll be able to do more, with less.
They access pre-negotiated contracts without the red tape
GPOs provide plug-and-play access to best-in-class supplier agreements, which helps teams capture immediate savings and reduce sourcing cycle times.
The beauty of this arrangement is that while the GPO does the negotiating, the member retains ownership of the supplier relationship. The GPO acts as a facilitator, ensuring that if any issues arise, such as customer service concerns, members have access to support through their GPO’s Member Experience team.
They maintain full control over category strategy
Leading GPOs offer flexible agreements, allowing procurement teams to retain complete decision-making authority over which contracts to activate and how to integrate them into their overall strategy. For instance, Una typically connects members to 1-3 contracts initially.
Some members may focus solely on shipping and save six figures, while others may connect across multiple categories and achieve double-digit savings in each.
They achieve fast, measurable wins
For procurement functions under pressure to deliver immediate results, GPOs offer quick wins in indirect categories that are often under-managed. Instead of spending weeks or months finding, vetting, and negotiating with suppliers, organizations connect and save within a matter of weeks, demonstrate value quickly, and look really great at your job.
Why Una is the GPO of Choice for Strategic Procurement Leaders
At Una, we believe that leveraging group purchasing shouldn’t come at the cost of control or customization. That’s why we deliver a boutique GPO experience tailored to the specific needs, goals, and structure of your procurement function.
Here’s how Una stands out:
Member-first approach
Every organization we partner with receives a dedicated advisor who acts as an extension of your procurement team—not a replacement. We prioritize your goals, KPIs, and pace, ensuring that our support aligns with your strategic vision.
Unmatched contract portfolio
Our contracts span hundreds of indirect categories, featuring market-leading suppliers across logistics, packaging, MRO, facilities, food, and more. Plus, there are no membership fees or volume commitments, making it easy and risk-free to engage.
Speed to value
We move fast. Most of our members realize significant cost savings within days or weeks without disrupting existing processes. This agility is essential for procurement teams looking to make an immediate impact.
Our onboarding process is as easy as 1, 2, 3:
- Our team likes to begin each relationship with a 30-minute discovery call. It’s a two-way chat between you and one of our Sourcing Advisors to help decide if we’re a good fit. They'll ask a series of questions about the challenges you’re facing and the goals you plan to achieve. We want to understand what success looks like for you, so we can determine the opportunities and timelines involved.
- Next, we like to conduct a cost analysis, one category at a time. This will help us identify potential savings, improve spend visibility, look for opportunities for consolidation and streamlining, and benchmark your current pricing.
- Finally, we'll help find and connect you with top suppliers to lock in savings. Una’s catalog of pre-negotiated contracts is already in place, meaning you will get access to the best possible pricing, fast.
Complete control, zero risk
With Una, you’re never locked in. You choose the categories and contracts that align with your strategy, and you can walk away at any time. That’s how confident we are in the value we provide.
Strategic support, not just savings
Whether you’re centralizing spend, improving compliance, or supporting ESG goals, we work alongside you to ensure that GPO participation aligns with your broader procurement strategy.
Leverage GPOs and Do More with Less
If you’re tasked with doing more with less (and who isn’t these days), ask yourself:
Are there categories in my portfolio where a GPO could help us save, simplify, and scale without compromising quality or strategy?
If the answer is yes, then leveraging a GPO is a smart move. Let’s talk. Una is ready to help you take the smart next step.
