High impact, high risk. Calls for long-term partnership, joint planning and continuous risk monitoring.
Example: custom cast housings, a key raw material
Free tool
Kraljic Matrix: position your items in two minutes.
Answer five short questions for each purchase item; the tool places it in one of four quadrants by supply risk and business impact and suggests a practical strategy for each.
FreeNo email neededData stays in your browser
Your items
How many alternative suppliers are there?
How long would switching suppliers take?
Supply market and logistics risk
Share of total spend
Effect on product or service quality
You placed this item by hand on the matrix.
BottleneckHigh risk · low impact
StrategicHigh risk · high impact
Non-criticalLow risk · low impact
LeverageLow risk · high impact
Supply risk ↑
Business and profit impact →
Drag the dots to adjust positions by hand.
Guide
What is the Kraljic matrix?
The Kraljic matrix is a portfolio model that classifies purchase items on two axes: supply risk and the item’s impact on the business or profit. It goes back to Peter Kraljic’s 1983 Harvard Business Review article “Purchasing Must Become Supply Management”. The aim is to choose a strategy that fits each item’s position instead of buying everything the same way.
High impact, low risk. Savings come from competitive tenders, volume bundling and price negotiation.
Example: standard steel sheet, packaging, standard fasteners
Low impact, high risk. Security of supply comes first: safety stock, developing alternative sources, long-term agreements.
Example: a single-source special coating, critical spare parts
Low impact, low risk. Cut process cost: catalogues, framework agreements and automation.
Example: office supplies, cleaning and consumables
Putting it to work in five steps
- Group your items. Work with categories of similar items rather than single materials.
- Measure impact. Besides share of spend, consider quality, production continuity and customer impact.
- Measure risk. Number of alternative suppliers, switching time, country and logistics risk and the supplier’s financial health are the core inputs.
- Pick a strategy per quadrant. Write down the goal, contract type and owner for each quadrant.
- Update regularly. When supply risk changes, an item’s position changes too; review the matrix when a risk signal arrives, not once a year.
Common mistakes
- Measuring impact by spend alone: low-value items that can stop production are missed.
- Drawing the matrix once and leaving it: a strike, a sanction or financial distress can move an item into bottleneck overnight.
- Not tying the quadrant to action: classification creates no value unless it shapes contract, stock and supplier development decisions.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What are the axes of the Kraljic matrix?
The vertical axis shows supply risk and the horizontal axis the item’s impact on the business or profit. Together they split items into four quadrants: strategic, leverage, bottleneck and non-critical.
How often should the Kraljic matrix be updated?
Review it at least once a year with the category plan, and re-assess an item right away when a risk signal such as a strike, a sanction or financial deterioration appears at a supplier.
Where is the data in this tool sent?
Nowhere. Your items and answers are only stored in your browser; you can download the result as a CSV if you like.
What does Quibas offer for Kraljic analysis?
In Quibas items are positioned with supplier and spend data; positions can be overridden, scenarios compared, AI advice requested, and changes go through an approval flow.
With your own data
Keep your matrix current with live risk signals.
In Quibas, Kraljic positions sit next to supplier risk signals and spend data; position changes go through an approval flow and you make the call.