Smarter Spending, 1st edition

Published by Pearson Business (27 April 2026) © 2027

  • Pedro Amendoeira
  • Neil Apter
Products list

Access details

  • Instant access once purchased
  • Fulfilled by VitalSource
  • For titles accompanied by MyLab/Mastering, this eBook does NOT include access to the platform

Features

  • Add notes and highlights
  • Search by keyword or page
Products list

Access details

  • Instant access once purchased
  • Fulfilled by VitalSource
  • For titles accompanied by MyLab/Mastering, this eBook does NOT include access to the platform

Features

  • Add notes and highlights
  • Search by keyword or page

Title overview

In a business, profits suffer when costs are not managed carefully. When money is spent without a clear reason, decisions lose focus, and the business becomes weaker during tough times. Smart spending means knowing where every pound goes and what it delivers. Done right, spending becomes a way to protect profits, stay strong in challenges, and build for the future. Learn a clear, repeatable way to see costs, challenge assumptions, and sustain improvements.  

  • Use the smarter spending principles to connect your strategy to spending. 
  • See the full cost of decisions so that small savings don’t create bigger problems later. 
  • Focus on real value, not just cutting costs. 
  • Choose the right suppliers and run a fair selection process. 
  • Change the plan so that the new ideas are adopted, and the improvements are sustained. 
  • Make spending choices that reduce risk and future uncertainty. 

Smarter Spending is a practical guide to cost optimisation and procurement. Drawing on consulting experience and a clear methodology, it translates complex spending decisions into accessible action. 

Structured around principles and proven project pathways, the book blends stories with step-by-step techniques. It covers supplier management, RFx, logistics, energy, fleet, packaging, insurance, and office costs with practical guidance. 

After reading this book, you will build visibility, challenge assumptions, and align spending with purpose. You can expect stronger margins, fewer hidden risks, and a repeatable way to sustain improvements. 

Ideal for CEOs, CFOs, COOs, Financial Controllers, and procurement leaders in SMEs. Suits teams responsible for budgets across operations, technology, and supply chain. 

Table of contents

Introduction 

A note from the authors 

Let go of assumptions 

What the space race can teach us about cost 

Can you make your company bulletproof? 

The Principles of Smarter Spending 

Spend with Purpose 

See the Whole System 

Challenge Assumptions 

Value before Cost 

Profit is Not the Enemy 

Sustainability is a saving 

Control the cost of change 

Spend to Strengthen 

Build for Visibility 

Enough is a Strategy 

Executive concerns 

Main executive concerns 

What keeps you up at night: a comfortable cushion means better sleep 

Obstacles to progress 

What process management can learn from competitive eating 

Knowledge really is power 

You have time – if you spend it carefully 

Build a cost-conscious culture 

When you don’t have the money, use the difficulty 

Escape the budget prison 

Always plan to review The Plan 

Correct use of tools – Excel is only a mirror 

Purchasing myths 

Do highest volumes mean best conditions? 

Does global pricing beat local? 

I got three quotes, so what can possibly go wrong? 

It was expensive, so it must be good 

Why buying the lowest cost item does not equal value? 

The superiority illusion – why believing you already do this well is probably wrong 

Making change happen 

Triggering a cost optimisation process 

Learning what you can and cannot control 

Never ask a barber if you need a haircut 

What we don’t see can eat profit 

High wire artists wanted – you must be brave 

If you are limited by something, invent the wheel 

Average doesn’t exist – question everything 

Dealing with resistance to change 

Revolution Vs Evolution 

50% of projects fail – so employ a robust model 

Do not design for failure 

The path to results 

Always the same storm, with different boats 

Review specifications carefully 

Beware of automatic renewals 

The most expensive umbrella in the world 

Why you should call an expert 

God and Data 

Beware of sellers’ tricks  

The path to profit 

Preparation and Objectives  

Project Launch  

Resource Planning  

Key Stakeholders Meeting 

Data Collection  

Data Analysis 

Status Quo Report 

RFP / Tender Process 

Opportunity Report 

Selecting the optimal Supplier 

Implementation 

Ongoing Monitoring / Reporting  

Time to rethink 

What is the price of loyalty? Who can you trust? 

The tyranny of DIY, lessons from home projects 

We still can’t afford it 

We’ll never use consultants 

Costs are dealt with overseas            

Supplier relations 

Supplier relationships 

How many should you have? 

Competitive positioning and negotiation 

Market variations, the tale of the Chinese horse 

Which capabilities to use? The cat or the fox? 

The art of negotiation                        

Strategies for Categories 

Energy and utilities 

Technology, IT, Telecoms and Managed Print 

Fleet and mobility 

Logistics, inventory and warehousing 

Parcel Deliveries 

Packaging 

Insurance 

Office Costs 

What happens next? 

Cost containment culture 

The best, or worst of times are coming 

Sustainability is survival 

Artificial intelligence – this time it’s different 

The Buying Olympus 

Four ultra learnings 

Put Smarter Spending in action 

Renewed focus 

These principles in action – the power of integrated thinking 

What stops us (and how to start anyway) 

Start smart: building a legacy of impact 

Appendix: Activating Smarter Spending - Tools, workshops, and guided reflection for businesses 

Need help?Get in touch