A dependable starting point
A summary of the source data, reconciliations, definitions and gaps that affect confidence in the analysis.
THE MARGIN OPPORTUNITY REVIEW
A focused review.
A clear next move.
Find specific margin gaps in your existing sales, with invoice evidence and practical actions your team can implement. We validate the records and commercial context before recommending a next step.
A SENSIBLE STARTING POINTOne commercial question.
One commercial question.
Enough detail to answer it.
Start with a short discussion and a check of the records available. Choose a branch, product family, customer group or margin issue. Your existing pricing rules and commercial terms provide the reference for the review.
- Prices that have not kept up with cost changes
- Price override patterns and margin impact, with commercial reasons and applicable approval records kept visible
- Supplier support and rebate reconciliation
- Cost accuracy and margin leakage supported by the agreed data
WHAT YOU RECEIVE
Findings, evidence and an action plan.
The review connects the supporting records to specific decisions your team can make.
Prioritized, specific findings
Prioritized issues, affected customers or products, estimated value, evidence quality, effort and commercial risks.
A financial case you can inspect
Source records, calculations and assumptions, plus scenarios where outcomes depend on future volume, acceptance or unresolved terms. Pricing, cost and rebate findings stay distinct.
Owners and next steps
A working session to challenge the findings and agree recommended actions, owners and a measurement baseline. Your team decides which actions to implement.
CONTEXT FOR THE INVOICE CHECKS
Your current rules.
The invoice evidence.
Your current matrices, vendor list-price basis and customer or product segments establish the reference for invoice checks. We use this context to find practical margin gaps. Pricing strategy, matrix design and segmentation design are outside this review.
Questions we ask before requesting files
How do your pricing matrices work?
What do the rules look up, and which rule wins when several apply? Include customer, segment, vendor, product family and quantity where relevant.
How are vendor list prices formed?
Are they vendor-published lists or internally built from cost markup, target margin or another method? Where do FX, freight and rounding enter?
How do you segment customers and products?
What defines a segment, how is membership assigned, and how does it affect price or discount tiers?
How do contracts and exceptions interact?
How do agreements, promotions, quantity breaks and overrides fit together? What approval rules apply, if any?
Who maintains the structure?
Who owns list updates, matrices and segment assignments? How are effective dates, old versions, vendor increases and expired agreements handled?
What would a useful review answer?
Which decisions, customer commitments and practical limits matter? What records are available, and where are the gaps?
For initial scoping, an explanation of the business question and available records is enough. Detailed rule files are optional until we agree the review and data handling.
| Data | Useful fields | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing rules & segmentation | Relevant matrices, rule precedence, list-price basis, customer and product segments, versions and effective dates | Establish the existing reference price and rule for an invoice check. |
| Invoice lines | Transaction date, invoice and line ID, customer, item, quantity, net selling price, currency | Reconstruct sales at the customer and product level, including returns and credits. |
| Costs & adjustments | Attributable acquisition cost, cost date, rebates, freight or other relevant adjustments | Use consistent cost definitions and avoid counting adjustments twice. |
| Commercial terms | Customer price agreements, supplier support, eligibility, effective dates, claim windows | Distinguish an apparent gap from an actionable commercial opportunity. |
| Customer & item context | Stable identifiers, product families, branch, account owner and relevant segments | Make comparisons meaningful and connect findings to the right people. |
- Pricing rules & segmentation
- Useful fields
Relevant matrices, rule precedence, list-price basis, customer and product segments, versions and effective dates.
Why it mattersEstablish the existing reference price and rule for an invoice check.
- Invoice lines
- Useful fields
Transaction date, invoice and line ID, customer, item, quantity, net selling price and currency.
Why it mattersReconstruct sales at the customer and product level, including returns and credits.
- Costs & adjustments
- Useful fields
Attributable acquisition cost, cost date, rebates, freight and other relevant adjustments.
Why it mattersUse consistent cost definitions and avoid counting adjustments twice.
- Commercial terms
- Useful fields
Customer price agreements, supplier support, eligibility, effective dates and claim windows.
Why it mattersDistinguish an apparent gap from an actionable commercial opportunity.
- Customer & item context
- Useful fields
Stable identifiers, product families, branch, account owner and relevant segments.
Why it mattersMake comparisons meaningful and connect findings to the right people.
Often useful: 12-24 months of history, where available, for seasonality and customer patterns. A narrower question may need a different period.
Not everything available? We identify the limits, narrow the scope and separate missing information from a genuine zero.
Two pages: the conversation first, then the records for the agreed review.
FROM A FINDING TO AN ACTION
A clear handoff.
Practical next steps.
The review gives your team the evidence, a suggested next action and a way to measure it. Your team decides what to implement. An opportunity remains an estimate until an action is taken and its effect is measured.
- 01
Validate
Check records, terms, account context and any overlap with other findings.
- 02
Choose the first action
Agree on an owner and a manageable pilot, reconciliation or customer conversation.
- 03
Track adoption
Check whether prices, credits or sales actions were actually implemented.
- 04
Review the outcome
Compare against an agreed baseline, allowing for volume, mix, timing and other changes.
YOUR BUSINESS. YOUR NEXT OPPORTUNITY.
Start with one good question.
Which part of your pricing, cost recovery or customer mix deserves a closer look?