Case Study: Bauer Media Group achieves spend control and streamlined purchasing with Proactis

Publisher Controls Spend & Streamlines Purchasing

Bauer Media Group, the UK’s largest consumer magazine publisher, struggled with a multi‑million pound non‑payroll spend managed through an inefficient paper‑based purchasing process that gave no pre‑commitment control or visibility of the cost pipeline. Needing centralized control with distributed use and a solution simple enough for journalists, photographers and designers to adopt, the company selected Proactis to address these challenges.

Proactis implemented its purchasing solution tightly integrated with Bauer’s financial accounting system, adding workflow approvals and later modules for invoice scanning and employee expenses. The Proactis rollout (400 users to date, with a further 1,000 planned) delivered real‑time visibility of actual and committed spend, dramatically reduced administrative time, eliminated unauthorised invoices and put Bauer’s spend under clear control.

Bauer Media Group

Max Beddard

Finance Director