The report was produced in association with The Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS), to explore the current state of play for those responsible for procurement of supplies supporting maintenance, repair and operations (MRO).
It is the eighth annual survey of its kind and respondents were from the procurement profession in sectors including discrete and process manufacturing, public and private sector organisations, energy, facilities and intralogistics. Job roles included operational, managerial, tactical, professional and advanced professional levels.
This year’s survey drew a record number of responses from the UK and Ireland at 426, up by more than 100 on 2024’s figures of 323 participants. Almost nine in 10 respondents were answering the survey for the first time. There was also a significant increase in participants at an advanced professional level, as well those in operational roles and buyers.
Contract administrators participated for the first time this year, making up eight per cent of the response pool. And the respondent pool of women reached 40 per cent in comparison to 38 per cent in 2024. There was also a switch from younger respondents in 2024 to older in 2025.
The report focuses on three main areas: business pressure and strategy, environmental, social and governance (ESG) and category management. Many of the challenges cited in 2024 remain and concern around them has grown. Inflation and higher costs are still seen as the biggest challenge, cited by 62 per cent of respondents, doubling the response in 2024 which was 31 per cent.
Managing risk in the supply chain is becoming more of a worry, up on last year’s figures of 31 per cent to 47 per cent this year. When it comes to the issue of global political uncertainty, 37 per cent of respondents were worried about this versus 20 per cent in 2024. The issue of attracting and retaining talent remains, with 33 per cent of respondents highlighting this versus 29 per cent last year.
Other 2025 Indirect Procurement Report highlights include:
- The biggest pressure for those involved in MRO purchasing is now delivering annualised cost savings – at 40 per cent, compared with 29 per cent the year before
- Existing day-to-day challenges remain: more than a third (35 per cent) see ensuring contract compliance with preferred suppliers as a significant issue, an increase from 30 per cent in 2024
- A similar number (33 per cent) find managing stakeholders over multiple sites difficult, while 32 per cent say finding people who understand best-practice procurement in MRO is a headache
- To mitigate this, 50 per cent said they intend to consolidate the number of suppliers they use – an increase on the 23 per cent in 2024 – and 46 per cent are seeking to drive value through supplier partnerships
- Nine per cent of respondents plan to outsource MRO procurement in 2025, compared to 16 per cent in 2024.
- The proportion of respondents using a vendor-managed inventory service has fallen from 20 per cent to 13 per cent
- Maintaining ageing assets is seen as a challenge by 39 per cent, up by 11 per cent on the previous year
- This year has seen a notable increase in initiatives around sustainable and ethical procurement (up from 26 per cent in 2024 to 53 per cent), alongside reducing carbon footprint (up from 21 per cent to 48 per cent)
- Almost two-thirds (64 per cent) of those surveyed say ESG is important to the delivery of their company strategy, up from 52 per cent in 2024
- As a result, 51 per cent say they now see sustainable and ethical procurement as a business pressure which impacts how they do their job. This is up significantly from 32 per cent in 2024
- Despite the growing importance of ESG, 38 per cent of respondents now say they wouldn’t pay more for sustainable products, compared with only 18 per cent last year
- Developing or maintaining cybersecurity services has climbed the agenda, increasing from 21 to 38 per cent
- Half of procurement professionals say they’re looking to consolidate their supplier base in the year ahead, as survey results showed organisations are using more suppliers than they were 12 months ago. The average number rose from 75 in 2024 to 92 this year
- Concern about counterfeit products has reduced, with just under a quarter (23 per cent) saying this is a problem, compared with 42 per cent last year.
Raj Patel, managing director for the UK&I at RS, said: “We’re delighted to have attracted a record high respondent pool to this year’s survey, which enables us to glean even better insights to help MRO professionals navigate the many challenges facing them. The results illustrate that people working in procurement are facing some of the most challenging conditions the profession has ever seen.
“Wrestling with external factors like inflation, geopolitical tensions and supply-chain disruptions is being compounded with an increasing pressure to make a tangible contribution to an organisation’s wider carbon-reduction efforts.
“Although an added pressure, it’s heartening to see the steps procurement is taking to improve the ESG credentials of their organisations, which will become a bigger focus as new legislation comes into force. Considering the full picture when making any purchase will become even more important and working with a distributor that undertakes supplier assessments can help here.”
Helen Alder, head of knowledge & learning development at CIPS, believes while the figures around ESG efforts are significant, there is a risk that organisations are going for the most visible elements of ESG, which may not be where the biggest wins can be achieved.
She said: “They’re the ones that organisations feel they have control over themselves. But the biggest amount of carbon is within their supply chain, so trying to get a grip of that is essential and much trickier to do.”
Patel concluded: “Procurement professionals are proving remarkably resilient in the face of significant headwinds. The emphasis on building closer and more collaborative relationships with suppliers can help build more resilient supply chains, as well as providing greater control over how well they’re performing.
“And with maintaining assets being vital to the wider strategy of any organisation, there is an ever-growing emphasis on repair rather than replacement. Those working in MRO procurement teams should be looking to work very closely with internal engineering teams to identify priorities and components, while keeping a wary eye out for counterfeit items. Having a trusted partner to support in the navigation of some of these issues and risks could make all the difference.”
The full 2025 Indirect Procurement report can be found here.
