As Deputy Head of Sourcing for Medical and Clinical Procurement, Wyn Owens oversees teams working across Wales, balancing contract delivery with the need to identify and deliver measurable savings across the healthcare system.

Owens’ procurement career spans nearly two decades within the NHS, including involvement in a national programme to analyse common and repetitive spend across Wales. That early work helped highlight the value of benchmarking, an area he continues to be closely involved in today.

The challenge

Before adopting NEC AdviseInc, NHS Wales had access to a benchmarking tool with a relatively small user base. With only around 25 organisations contributing data, comparison was limited and relevant benchmarks were often unavailable.

“You’d often use the system looking for a benchmark and it would deliver no results,” Owens explained, noting that this was frequently because other organisations weren’t using the same products. As a result, teams were forced to rely on personal NHS contacts to gather insight within tight timescales, which he described as frustrating and inefficient.

Data quality also proved to be an issue. While the system would sometimes highlight apparent savings opportunities across Welsh health boards, further investigation often revealed inaccuracies. “When you start doubting the validity of the data you’re getting out of a system, your team soon stops wanting to use it,” Owens said.

The solution

When NHS Wales became aware that NEC AdviseInc was developing a new price benchmarking solution, the organisation was keen to understand whether it could provide a more robust and reliable dataset.

NEC AdviseInc presented its approach at a conference, outlining how the system would work and how it would draw on a much broader pool of NHS organisations. The demonstration quickly gained senior management support. “We instantly knew this was something NHS Wales needed to be involved in,” Owens said.

Following subscription to the tool, NHS Wales established a dedicated benchmarking team to embed its use across procurement activity. One team member runs regular reports and responds to ad‑hoc benchmarking requests, while another focuses on analysing the highest‑value product lines each month to identify the biggest potential savings opportunities.

The insight provided helps teams focus their efforts more effectively. “It points us in the right direction, showing us where we can find better prices for certain items,” Owens explained. From there, further benchmarking or direct engagement with peer organisations allows teams to challenge suppliers where better pricing is being achieved elsewhere.

Compared to previous systems, the increased scale of participation has been critical. With around 250 organisations now contributing data, NHS Wales has greater confidence in the results, and adoption has followed.

The Impact

NEC AdviseInc’s price benchmarking tool is now used daily by procurement teams across NHS Wales. Owens noted that teams have responded positively to both the system itself and the support provided, with far fewer of the data issues experienced previously. Since going live, NHS Wales has surpassed £1m in savings directly attributed to use of the tool, a milestone Owens described as extremely successful. However, early adoption was mixed across teams, prompting one group to introduce a short‑term incentive to encourage engagement.

A league‑table competition, based on benchmarking requests and financial return during the World Cup, helped drive usage. While initially intended as a temporary initiative, engagement continued well beyond the competition. “It’s really grabbed the imagination of the team and they all love using the tool,” Owens said.

Today, benchmarking requests continue to flow, with teams actively using insight to inform negotiations and decision‑making.

To find out how NEC AdviseInc can support your organisation, contact us today.