Although DESFO Holding had implemented strong cost management practices, non-core areas lacked constant attention and were not optimised for maximum efficiency.
Client overview
DESFO Holding is a market-leading Portuguese business group with over 35 years of experience. The company is active in a range of sectors, including industry, retail, logistics and investments, and employs over 1,500 professionals. With a large annual turnover of over €146 million, DESFO thrives on innovation, sound business ethics and a commitment to operational excellence. The company operates with a constant focus on process optimisation to remain competitive in a rapidly evolving business environment.
The solution
To address these challenges, DESFO turned to ERA Group. ERA's ability to provide in-depth technical expertise, backed by years of proven experience, made them the ideal partner. The collaboration with ERA Group was driven by two main objectives: to improve the agility of decision-making in DESFO's operating units and to identify synergies across various sectors of activity.
“Working with DESFO was a challenging and stimulating project, especially given the already strong cost management practices in place. The transparency of the processes and the collaboration of the entire DESFO management team allowed us to delve deeper into their operations and identify areas where efficiencies could be achieved. It was a collaborative effort that exceeded expectations in several key areas.” [João Pontes, from ERA Group]
The Outcomes
The collaboration between DESFO and ERA Group resulted in impressive savings across several key categories. These savings, exceeding €1.2 million, were achieved by renegotiating existing supplier contracts and introducing new, more cost-effective suppliers in the energy, fuel, bank cards, packaging and consumables sectors.
The success of the project was not only due to the figures, but also to the collaborative process that led to these results. ERA's consultants, with their technical expertise, offered new perspectives on supplier relationships, energy use and operational processes. This enabled DESFO to unlock hidden efficiencies that had previously been overlooked.
Luis Elias emphasised:
"The presentation of past success stories, combined with often technical discussions by the specialist team, demonstrated an operational/technical knowledge of the issues at stake that went far beyond mere negotiating skills with suppliers."
Breakdown of Results
€1.2 million
Total Savings
Categories covered: Energy, Fuel, Bank Cards, Packaging, and Consumables
“The ERA team’s technical knowledge and ability to challenge our existing processes opened the door to new solutions and efficiencies we hadn’t considered before.” [Luis Elias, COO, DESFO Holding]
