How long does the Vendor Cost Exposure Assessment take?

The assessment contains 10 questions and typically takes about two minutes to complete.

Is the Vendor Cost Exposure Assessment free?

Yes. The assessment is completely free and provides a personalized Vendor Cost Exposure Report.

Who should take this assessment?

Business owners, CFOs, finance leaders, controllers, procurement professionals, and operations executives responsible for managing vendor spending.

What will I receive after completing the assessment?

You'll receive a personalized Vendor Cost Exposure Report with recommendations based on your responses.

What if you don’t find any savings? Do we still pay?

No. This is a fully risk-free cost reduction consulting engagement. If our cost reduction consultants do not identify measurable savings or recoverable overpayments, there is no fee. We only get paid when savings are actually found.

How much time will this take from our finance team?

Very little. Our expense reduction consulting process is designed to be turnkey. The cost reduction consultants handle invoice review, benchmarking, vendor coordination, and recovery work directly; your team is only involved when clarification is needed.

We already review expenses internally. Why would you find anything additional?

Internal teams are focused on operations, reporting, and vendor management—not deep, category-specific expense reduction consulting. Our specialists uncover hidden billing errors, missed credits, and benchmark gaps that are typically not visible in standard internal reviews.

What if vendors push back or refuse to issue refunds?

That is handled entirely by us. Our cost reduction consulting team manages all vendor negotiations, disputes, and recovery efforts. You are not responsible for challenging suppliers or dealing with pushback.

Is there any disruption or risk to our operations?

No disruption. The entire expense reduction consulting process is non-intrusive and runs alongside your normal operations. Our consultants work independently using your existing invoices and contracts so your team can stay focused on core business activities.

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How Much Is Your Business Losing to Hidden Vendor Costs?

Answer 10 diagnostic questions to identify potential cost leakage across vendor pricing, recurring fees, and operating expenses.

2-Minute Vendor Cost Exposure Assessment

Question 1 of 10

When your finance team reviews invoices, what are they primarily verifying?

Contract terms, pricing accuracy, and unusual charges. Billing accuracy and contract compliance. Mathematical accuracy and approvals. Payment authorization only. We rely heavily on vendors to invoice correctly.

How does your organization verify that vendor pricing remains competitive over time?

We use independent market benchmarking. We periodically request competitive bids. We conduct internal pricing reviews. We rely on discussions with our vendors. We don't have a formal process.

How does your business currently manage sales & use tax exemptions, refunds, and overpayments?

We have a structured review process and regularly validate tax accuracy. We review tax matters periodically. We handle issues only when they arise. We're unsure whether we're capturing every opportunity. We've never specifically reviewed this.

How confident are you that your freight and parcel invoices accurately reflect your negotiated shipping agreements?

Very confident; we audit invoices against carrier contracts. Fairly confident; we perform periodic reviews. We only investigate when shipping costs increase noticeably. We generally trust carrier invoices. We've never compared invoices against negotiated rates.

How well do you understand the fees contributing to your total payment processing costs?

We regularly analyze every fee on our statements. We review processing fees periodically. We know our headline rate, but not every fee. We rarely review processing statements. We're not sure how our fees are calculated.

How often do you evaluate whether your waste collection service still matches your current business needs?

We regularly review service levels and pricing. We've reviewed it within the last two years. We haven't reassessed since operations changed. We're likely paying for unnecessary service. We've never reviewed it.

Who is responsible for regularly reviewing your major vendor contracts for pricing, renewals, and savings opportunities?

A dedicated team with a defined review schedule. Responsibility is assigned, but reviews are occasional. Different departments review contracts as needed. Reviews happen only when contracts renew. No one owns this process.

What usually happens when recurring fees such as fuel surcharges, environmental fees, processing fees, or miscellaneous service charges appear on vendor invoices?

Every charge is reviewed. Random audits are performed. We focus on larger invoice values. They are rarely questioned unless something looks wrong. They usually get paid as invoiced.

When was the last time your company recovered money from vendor overcharges, tax overpayments, or billing errors that had gone unnoticed?

Within the last year. One to three years ago. More than three years ago. We've never recovered anything. I'm not aware of any recoveries.

If your vendor costs continue increasing without an independent review, which outcome is most likely for your business?

Little to no impact; we continuously optimize costs. Some avoidable expenses would accumulate. Profit margins would gradually decline. We'd likely lose significant savings opportunities. We've never considered how much hidden costs could compound over time.

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