Rising costs, volatile markets, and new regulatory requirements are intensifying pressure on procurement organizations. At the same time, many potential savings remain untapped—not because they don't exist, but because they are hidden within ERP data. In the webinar "Practical Examples of Hidden Savings Potential in ERP Data – From Analysis to Savings," Florian Liebscher and Florian Findeis (Tacto) demonstrate how AI-powered analysis creates transparency, uncovers anomalies, and generates concrete options for action. Using real-world customer projects, they show how measurable savings can be derived from everyday orders and commodity groups—from long-term volume contracts and supplier consolidation to intra-commodity group analysis.

Identifying and Leveraging Hidden Savings Potential in ERP Data

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ERP systems contain a wealth of information about prices, volumes, suppliers, and processes. In practice, however, many opportunities remain untapped because the data is not analyzed in a structured way. In the webinar "Practical Examples of Hidden Savings Potential in ERP Data – From Analysis to Savings," Florian Liebscher and Florian Findeis (Tacto) explain how AI-powered analysis creates transparency and reveals savings potential.

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Starting Point – Why So Many Opportunities Go Unused

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• ERP systems store enormous amounts of data on prices, volumes, suppliers, and processes.
• Without specialized analysis, anomalies and patterns remain hidden.
• Price deviations, duplicate orders, or inefficient supplier structures often go undetected, leaving savings potential untapped.
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Especially in the 2025 market environment, characterized by rising costs and regulatory pressure, these potentials are a decisive lever for competitiveness and margin protection.

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The Approach – From Analysis to Savings

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The key lies in not just collecting ERP data, but systematically analyzing it. AI-powered analysis transforms raw data into a foundation for decision-making:

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• Automated transparency: Data is structured and prepared for comparison.
• Signal detection: Price differences, alternative suppliers, or volume bundling opportunities emerge immediately.
• Practice-oriented analysis: Instead of abstract concepts, customer projects show how potential can be quickly and concretely revealed—from standard items to more complex commodity groups.
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Practical Examples – Tangible Results
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1. Long-term volume contracts
   • Starting point: Order volume increased from 1,500 kg to 10,750 kg over three years, accompanied by a 90% price increase.
   • Analysis: Tacto identified the price increase and recommended long-term volume contracts.
   • Result: Price reduction of 20% – realized savings of approx. €10,952 per year.
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2. Supplier consolidation
   • Starting point: Item was sourced from four suppliers, with price differences of up to 430%.
   • Analysis: Recommendation to consolidate sourcing to the two most cost-effective suppliers.
   • Result: Savings potential of approx. €12,630 per year (approx. 12% of total volume).
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3. Intra-commodity group analysis
   • Starting point: Significant price differences for very similar items within a commodity group.
   • Analysis: Proposal to consolidate to a more cost-effective supplier.
   • Result: Savings potential of approx. €8,750 per year (around 15%).

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These examples illustrate: Hidden opportunities often lie in everyday items or processes – and can be quickly revealed with the right analysis.

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Key Insights for Procurement

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1. ERP data holds more opportunities than are visible at first glance.
2. AI makes complex information transparent and manageable.
3. Proof-of-value approaches demonstrate potential quickly and clearly.
4. Data-driven transparency forms the foundation for strategic and operational improvements.
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Conclusion

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Many companies are sitting on a data treasure they haven't been able to fully leverage until now. The webinar showed that with AI, hidden potential can be reliably uncovered and turned into concrete savings. This transforms unwieldy ERP data into a valuable steering instrument for procurement that creates transparency, reduces risk, and strengthens competitive advantages.

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Florian Liebscher and Florian Findeis (Tacto) show how procurement organizations can uncover hidden potential in their ERP data and translate it into concrete savings. Practical examples—from volume bundling to supplier consolidation—illustrate how AI creates transparency and supports procurement teams in making well-founded decisions and securing sustainable cost advantages.