A Pareto Analysis is an effective tool for identifying cost-saving opportunities in both direct and indirect ‘spend.’ By applying the 80/20 rule, companies can focus on the top 20% of categories or suppliers that drive 80% of total spend.
This targeted approach helps prioritize sourcing efforts, renegotiations, and process improvements where they will have the greatest financial impact. For direct spend, it highlights high-cost materials; for indirect spend, it uncovers inefficiencies and standardization opportunities.
The result is a more strategic allocation of resources, enabling procurement teams to reduce costs and improve performance with data-driven decision-making.