Spend Cube Analysis: What’s In It and How It Works?

Liberating Strategic Potential with Spend Cube Analysis: Procurement Teams’ Handbook

Procurement is no longer just about reducing spending; it’s about data-driven strategic decision-making. Companies must look beyond straightforward spend reporting and embrace tools like the Spend Cube to succeed in today’s competitive market.

But what is the spend cube, and how does it facilitate smarter sourcing, improved tail spend management, and enhanced supplier performance?

Let’s break it down and illustrate how pairing the spend cube with sophisticated spend analytics makes your procurement data a strategic asset.

What Is the Spend Cube?

The spend cube is a three-dimensional representation that breaks your company’s spending data down by supplier, category, and business unit or location. Procurement presented in this manner allows you to see trends, roll up spend, and uncover hidden savings opportunities that are hidden.

For example, the cube can uncover that different business segments in Dubai and Abu Dhabi are buying the same IT hardware from other suppliers. That insight can drive supplier concentration and better tail spend management, thanks to structured procurement data.

At Procurement+, our spend analytics solutions help clients create and act on this cube via bespoke dashboards and simple KPIs.

Why the Spend Cube Matters for UAE-Based Businesses

The UAE’s diverse procurement landscape, covering anything from logistics, construction, and healthcare to technology, means that there is a need to examine procurement data from multiple angles. Spend cube provides procurement teams with what they need to:

• Identify unmanaged, broken tail spend
• Identify duplication between suppliers in the departments
• Prioritize sourcing initiatives by high-spending categories

These are real-world observations. We at Procurement+ helped a logistics firm recapture over AED 1 million worth of lost savings with greater visibility into their spend cube and improved tail spend management. See our entire Strategic Sourcing solutions for more information.

How Spend Cube Analysis Enables Tail Spend Management?

Tail spend, the low-dollar, unmonitored purchases that tend to fall under the radar, typically accounts for 20% of spend but 80% of procurement pain. With spend analytics and an official spend cube, tail spend is no longer a mystery.

The following is how cube analysis benefits for better tail spend management:

• Aggregation: Clustering low-dollar suppliers and buys to identify bundling opportunities.
• Supplier rationalization: Vendor consolidation to improve efficiency and compliance.
• Control measures: Policy-making based on cube data to govern low-value transactions.

Our tailor-made analytics platform provides procurement leaders with the tools they need to successfully manage tail spend. Need help cleaning or organizing your procurement data? Our consultants are at your service.

Best Practices for Building Your Spend Cube

Building a large spend cube requires more than gathering data, it requires cleansing, categorization, and collaboration. Use these guidelines to get started:

1. Clean procurement data: De-duplicate, eliminate errors, and remove old data.
2. Standardize with a standardized taxonomy: Use UNSPSC or industry taxonomy.
3. Automate with analytic tools: Speed up cube refreshes using automation.
4. Interdepartmental collaboration: Finance, operations, and procurement must have consensus on data definitions.

At Procurement+, we ensure your spend analytics work is continuous and actionable, not a one-time static dashboard.

Transform Procurement Data into Real-World Value

When used correctly, the spend cube is the force behind data-driven purchasing strategies. Whether you’re tackling tail spend management, launching a sourcing event, or renegotiating a contract, what it provides gives UAE companies the ability to act faster, smarter, and more confidently.

Our customers don’t just see insight, they gain a competitive edge.

Ready to Create Your Spend Cube?

If your organization is ready to unlock hidden savings, optimize suppliers, and reclaim control of tail spend, it starts with your procurement data. Let Procurement+ transform your spend analytics into procurement power.

Arrange a free spend cube strategy session today and discover how data can transform the way you make purchases.