The future of procurement demands new technology, new capabilities, and a new way of thinking about how organizations buy and secure supply-side value.
Who we are
Positive Purchasing is a global strategic procurement and negotiation company. We help organizations build world-class procurement capability through expert-led training, proven methodologies and AI-powered digital platforms.
From category management and supplier relationship management to Red Sheet® negotiation and sustainable procurement, we equip procurement teams with the capability and technology to deliver real value to the business.
A Positive Difference
At Positive Purchasing, we believe procurement should be a driving force behind organizational success, not just a function focused on cost and transactions.
Since 2003, we have helped organizations around the world build stronger, more strategic procurement teams. We combine sector-leading SaaS and digital platforms with expert procurement and negotiation training, giving teams the skills, tools and confidence to create lasting impact.
Our work helps procurement move from a traditional buying role to a strategic position at the heart of the business... equipped and enabled by forward-thinking, AI-powered technology.
The outcome is game-changing value from the supply base, helping organizations realize their goals around security of supply, lower cost, reduced risk, supply-side innovation and sustainability.
Who we work with
We work with more than 380 organizations worldwide, from household-name global corporations to mid-sized businesses, public sector bodies and government departments. Our clients span sectors including energy and utilities, pharmaceutical, healthcare, retail, manufacturing, finance, automotive and government.
Our programs support everyone who has a part to play in how an organization buys. That includes Chief Procurement Officers and procurement leadership teams shaping strategy, and the category managers, supplier relationship managers, negotiators and buyers who deliver it.
We also train the wider business; the budget holders and stakeholders who work with suppliers but have no formal procurement background. And for sales teams who want to understand how modern procurement really works, we offer that too.
Whether you need to transform a global procurement function, uplift the capability of a single team, or help the wider business buy better, we shape our approach around your organization.
Our procurement expertise
Our expertise covers every core area of strategic procurement. Each one is backed by our own proven methodology, practical tools, and training for every level, from introduction through to advanced.
Category Management
Category management is the cornerstone of strategic procurement. We help teams understand their spend, their markets and their stakeholders, then develop breakthrough strategies for key categories using our proven 5i® methodology.
Supplier Relationship Management
Not every supplier matters equally. Built on the Orchestra of SRM®, our approach helps teams identify their most important suppliers and put the right interventions in place, from performance measurement and improvement to strategic collaborative relationships that reduce risk and unlock innovation.
Negotiation
Red Sheet® is our negotiation methodology, used by procurement and sales teams worldwide. It gives negotiators a clear process to plan thoroughly, understand the other side, stay in control and secure a step change in outcomes.
Sustainable Procurement
We help organizations realize their sustainability goals through what they buy, with their suppliers and across their supply chains. Our OMEIA process turns sustainability from a policy on paper into practical action on the supply side.
Effective Buying
Not everyone who buys works in procurement. Our 5D Power Buying® process gives anyone, at any level, a simple step-by-step way to buy well and manage suppliers, even with no prior procurement experience.
Digital, Data & AI
We help procurement teams understand the latest procurement technology, manage data well, and use AI safely and effectively across every part of procurement. AI is embedded across our own platforms too.
Procurement Transformation
For organizations ready for a step change, we work with executive teams to shape and implement winning procurement strategies, bringing Skills Assessment, training, coaching and digital procurement platforms together into one managed transformation program.
We also offer training in leadership and personal effectiveness, finance for procurement, and training for sales teams who sell to procurement.
Proven procurement methodologies, built by us
Everything we deliver is built on our own intellectual property, developed and refined over more than two decades of working alongside procurement teams around the world. Our methodologies are documented in Jonathan O'Brien's award-winning procurement and negotiation books, used by practitioners and universities worldwide, and embedded in every training program and platform we offer.
- 5i® Category Management. Our structured process for developing and implementing breakthrough category strategies.
- The Orchestra of SRM®. Our complete framework for supplier relationship management, including the 5S and 5A methodologies, covering everything from supplier performance to strategic collaborative relationships.
- Red Sheet®. Our negotiation methodology, giving procurement and sales teams a clear, repeatable way to plan and run winning negotiations.
- 5D Power Buying®. A simple, step-by-step process that helps anyone in the business buy and negotiate effectively.
- OMEIA®. Our process for driving sustainability with suppliers and throughout supply chains.
These methodologies power our platforms too. Capella is built on 5i®, Ruby is powered by Red Sheet®, and Buyer's Toolkit is driven by 5D Power Buying®.
Accredited, globally recognized procurement training
Our training is accredited by the IFPSM (International Federation of Purchasing and Supply Management) and PAS (Program Accreditation Standard), and our Master Practitioner in Strategic Procurement program leads to an internationally recognized certification.
Every learner who completes one of our training workshops receives a digital course certificate and a digital badge to share online, and many of our courses count towards CPD. To date, more than 230,000 learners have trained with us, leaving over 15,000 five-star reviews. Find out more about our procurement training.
Our technology is independently recognized too. Capella, the guided category strategy creator®, was named to The Hackett group’s 2025-2026 “50 to Watch” list of procurement technology providers.
Our procurement training and platforms
Everything we offer is designed to work together, so you can start where you need to and build from there.
Procurement training
Practical, high-impact training in category management, Supplier relationship management, Red Sheet® negotiation, sustainable procurement, effective buying and more. Delivered in the classroom almost anywhere in the world, live online, or as self-paced elearning.
Skills Assessment
Baseline your team's capability with a 40-point assessment across 9 skill areas, pinpoint gaps, and generate individual development plans automatically. Then re-assess to measure progress.
Procleus
The platform for strategic procurement and negotiation. Procleus® is a complete digital ecosystem for procurement, configurable with category management, SRM, Red Sheet® negotiation, sustainable procurement or Buyer's Toolkit modules, each with methodology and toolkit, learning academy, intelligent workflow tools, competency assessment and dashboard.
Capella
The Guided Category Strategy Creator® - with agentic AI. An intelligent guided workflow tool, built on the 5i® methodology, that helps teams create and implement breakthrough category strategies without relying on a handful of expert practitioners.
Your negotiation co-pilot® featuring AI avatar roleplay. An intelligent, collaborative planning tool powered by Red Sheet®, guiding negotiators to the optimum plan and approach for every negotiation.
Buyer's Toolkit
An intelligent guided application, powered by our 5D Power Buying® process, that enables anyone in the business to create effective buying plans, however little they know about procurement.
Procurement Reimagined
Our vision
We imagine a world where procurement is a highly talented, strategic function generating immense value to the organization using next-generation, AI-powered procurement and negotiation. A world where routine buying has long since been automated and procurement is the new architect of the business self-serve systems that power how the wider organization buys.
Our mission
To enable procurement to make a profound difference in an ever-changing World.
230k+
Learners worldwide
£50bn+
Savings achieved
15k+
5* reviews
28k+
People trained live
380+
Clients worldwide
£780bn
Spend influenced
137+
Countries covered for
virtual training
62
Countries covered for in-person training
Get in Touch
If you’d like to discuss how our training, platform and package options could work for your organization, please click below or call us on +44 33 00 94 0000.
Meet the team
Our leadership team – the talented faces behind the name that help make Positive Purchasing great.
Where we operate
We operate across the globe from our headquarters in the UK and our US and EU offices, together with our many alliance partners that extend our coverage and provide additional operational and reseller presence in Canada, South America, Australasia and across Asia.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Positive Purchasing do?
Positive Purchasing is a strategic procurement and negotiation company. We help organizations build procurement capability through expert-led training, proven methodologies such as 5i® and Red Sheet®, Skills Assessment, and AI-powered platforms including Procleus®, Capella, Ruby and Buyer's Toolkit.
Who does Positive Purchasing work with?
We work with more than 380 organizations worldwide, from global corporations to mid-sized businesses and public sector bodies. We support procurement leaders, category managers, supplier relationship managers, negotiators, buyers, wider business stakeholders who buy, and sales teams who sell to procurement.
What makes Positive Purchasing different from other procurement training providers?
Our training is built on our own proven methodologies, documented in award-winning books by our CEO Jonathan O'Brien, and delivered by experienced procurement practitioners. We combine training with Skills Assessment, coaching and digital procurement platforms, so new capability is embedded in day-to-day work rather than left in the classroom.
Is Positive Purchasing training accredited?
Yes. Our training is accredited by the IFPSM and PAS, and our Master Practitioner in Strategic Procurement program leads to an internationally recognized certification. Every learner receives a digital certificate and badge, and many of our courses count towards CPD.
What procurement platforms does Positive Purchasing offer?
We offer four platforms. Procleus® is our complete platform for strategic procurement and negotiation. Capella guides teams through creating category strategies, Ruby guides negotiation planning, and Buyer's Toolkit helps anyone in the business buy effectively.
Where does Positive Purchasing deliver training?
Worldwide. We are headquartered in Plymouth, UK, with offices in the US and EU and alliance partners across Canada, South America, Australasia and Asia. We have delivered in-person training in 62 countries and virtual training in more than 137.
Who leads Positive Purchasing?
Positive Purchasing is led by Founder and CEO Jonathan O'Brien, an award-winning author of procurement and negotiation books with over 25 years' experience helping household-name companies transform procurement capability.
How do I get started?
Get in touch with our team on +44 33 00 94 0000 or at team@positivepurchasing.com. Many organizations start with a skills assessment to baseline their team, then build a tailored program of training, coaching and platforms from there.