Case study
Procurement at scale,done properly.
The Landmark Collection runs three hotels and two sets of serviced apartments in London, alongside two hotels in Bangkok. Every UK property now buys through one platform. We spoke to David Harrison, Group Director of Purchasing, about what that changed.
01
A Collection built across three sectors
We have three hotels and two sets of serviced apartments in London, alongside two hotels in Bangkok.
As a Collection, we have defined our business as operating across three core sectors: hotels, serviced apartments and spas. This gives us a clear structure while also allowing us flexibility in how and where we grow.
We are always open to further expansion where the right opportunities exist, both in the UK and internationally. As the Collection has grown, having systems and processes that can scale with the business has become increasingly important.
From a procurement perspective, we need consistency and control across the group without restricting the individual requirements and identity of each property.
David Harrison, Group Director of Purchasing
02
Multiple platforms, and no clear view of spend
Prior to PurchasePlus, purchasing across the Collection was quite disparate, with multiple platforms and processes being used across different properties, all with varying degrees of effectiveness.
Bringing all of our UK properties onto one platform has made the overall process significantly more efficient, consistent and controllable. It has given us a much clearer framework within which to develop our procurement policies and procedures across the Collection.
One of the biggest challenges previously was maintaining control over purchasing, particularly ensuring that spend was directed through approved vendors. Accurate reporting of historic purchasing volumes could also be difficult, which in turn made supplier negotiations and strategic purchasing decisions more challenging.
Having the information within one system gives us considerably greater visibility. For procurement, good data is fundamental; if you can clearly understand what you are buying, from whom and at what volume, you are in a much stronger position commercially.
David Harrison, Group Director of Purchasing
03
Purchasing, approvals, invoicing and controls in one place
The biggest change has been the level of control and efficiency throughout the purchasing and invoice process.
Approval procedures are considerably more streamlined, electronic invoicing has reduced manual intervention, and automated statement verification provides much greater visibility and confidence around the AP process.
Fundamentally, PurchasePlus hasn't necessarily changed what we do; it has changed how we do it and, importantly, how effectively we are able to do it.
David Harrison, Group Director of Purchasing
Having purchasing, approvals, invoicing and financial controls working within the same environment creates a much more structured process. It also reduces unnecessary administration and gives both operational and finance teams clearer visibility of where transactions sit within the purchasing cycle.
04
7,000 invoices a month, more than 95% electronic
Across our UK properties, we process up to 7,000 invoices per month, with more than 95% now being processed electronically.
At that volume, electronic processing makes a significant operational difference. Manual handling of even a relatively small percentage of those invoices creates considerable additional administration within purchasing and accounts payable.
Achieving a 95%+ electronic processing rate gives us a much more efficient and controlled process while allowing the teams to concentrate on exceptions and issues rather than routine invoice administration.
David Harrison, Group Director of Purchasing
05
A strong foundation, and what the new platform adds
We have yet to fully transition to the newer platform, so it would be premature for me to claim that we are already seeing the benefits from the new features.
What I can say is that we are very excited about their implementation. Having worked extensively with the legacy platform, we already have a strong operational foundation, and the new functionality appears to build significantly on that.
The new AI functions in particular have the potential to remove a considerable amount of routine administration and allow procurement and finance teams to focus more of their time on analysis, supplier management and commercial activity. We are very much looking forward to seeing how these features translate into our day-to-day operation.
David Harrison, Group Director of Purchasing
06
Peppol, and mandated e-invoicing from 2029
I don't think the implementation and potential impact of Peppol and mandated electronic invoicing from April 2029 onwards is currently as widely understood or discussed within the hotel sector as it needs to be.
This change will inevitably have implications for systems, suppliers, internal processes and finance teams, and businesses need to understand what those changes mean well in advance.
From our perspective, the readiness of PurchasePlus to support that transition is therefore a major benefit. Rather than having to fundamentally redesign our processes to meet the new requirements, we are working with a platform that is already preparing for that environment.
For us, that provides confidence. Change is coming, and our preference is to be prepared for it rather than reacting to it.
David Harrison, Group Director of Purchasing
07
From dependable to broader and more intelligent
I am a big fan of the legacy version of PurchasePlus. It has been an extremely solid and reliable platform for us and has provided the foundation on which we have been able to develop and strengthen our procurement policies and procedures.
Having looked at other platforms in the market, I would consider the legacy version to be at least on par with the strongest alternatives available. It does the fundamentals very well, and reliability and control are extremely important when you are operating at our transaction volumes.
Where I think PurchasePlus becomes particularly interesting is with the new version currently being rolled out. The functionality I have seen goes considerably beyond what I have seen elsewhere in the market.
The developments around AI and automation, the enhanced recipe module with assisted allergen and calorie data, and automated statement reconciliation are particularly impressive. These aren't simply additional features; they address genuine operational challenges within hospitality and have the potential to remove significant amounts of manual administration.
PurchasePlus has taken what was already a very dependable procurement platform and appears to be developing it into something considerably broader and more intelligent.
David Harrison, Group Director of Purchasing
As a long-standing user, that progression is particularly encouraging. We have been able to build our procurement processes around a platform we trust, while knowing that the technology is continuing to develop alongside the requirements of our business and the wider hospitality industry.
Quotes are David Harrison's own words, approved on 30 September 2026. Photography courtesy of The Landmark London, used with permission.
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