Editorial nthistech-centeredlandscape,haveyoutriedgatheringinformation
IwithoutusingGoogle?Wouldyoupreferperformingcomplexcalculations onpaper,insteadofusinganExceldocument?Howwouldthedesign processcommenceifPhotoshopweretobereplacedwithcrayonsorsketch pens?Thoughallofthesealternativeoptionsmightseemattractiveforsome, whywouldanyoneprefersuchoptionswhentechnologysingle-handedly makesiteasier,fasterandmoreefficientforustoperformsuchactivities.
Theprocurementlandscapeisnodifferent,whereinwouldyouprefertoshift throughhundredsoflineitemstoderivethemostminuteunderstandingofyour organizations'spend?Orfortrackingtheperformanceofyourthousand-odd numberofsuppliers,measuringeachoftheirindividualperformanceand ensuringcompliance?Doingalltheseinthemosttraditionalandmanual mannerisfarfrompractical,orratherdownrightunnecessaryconsideringthe availabletoolswhichcouldfunctionthesametaskinamuchspeedyand accuratefashion.
Today,procurementplaysaninstrumentalroletothesuccessofan organization.Theneedforbusinessestoimplementprocurementsolutionsis evidentasorganizationsneedtoolsandtechnologytomakeadifferencein theirrespectiveindustries,andprocurementensuresjustthatandmuchmore.It isresponsibleforanumbrellaofinitiatives,andmakescomplexbusiness processesmucheasier,efficientandspeedier,therebyenablingorganizationsto meetbusinessexpectations.Choosinganarchaicmethod,despitehaving knowledgeofthisisequivalenttodroppingahammeronyourfeet. Procurementensuresanorganizationtostayaheadoftheracebysimplifying variouspartsofaverycomplexsystem.
Intheyearstocome,theprocurementindustryisexpectedtocontinueitsrise indevelopmentandexpanditsabilitytodirectlyimpactuponorganizations.
Sourav Mukherjeeraditionallyviewedasabackroomfunction,Procurementhasalwaysbeenachallengingprocessfor
Torganizations.Backthen,itwasmanualandmanyoftheprocurementtasksrequiredextensivetimeandeffort tofunction.Additionally,thelackoftransparencymadeitdifficulttoattainrelevantprocurementinformation, wheneverneeded.Buttodaytheinfluenceofdisruptivetechnologies—fromBigDatatoIoT—coupledwitheconomic uncertaintyhassurgedtheneedforprocurement,morethaneverbefore.
Withnewrequisitesandhigherexpectationsplaguingprocurementteams,contemplatingovertheneedforprocurement solutionisanabsurdthought,tosaytheleast.EnterprisesneedtoolsandtechnologytomakeadifferenceinitscutthroatindustryandProcurementensuresjustthat,andalotmore.Ithelpsmakecomplexbusinessprocessesalot easier,fasterandefficient,therebyenablingorganizationstodeliveruponitsbusinessexpectations.
KeepinginmindthedistinctiveadvantagesandoffersthatProcurementsolutionsbringtothetableandhowitis servingtheindustry,InsightsSuccesshasshortlisted“The 10 Most Innovative Procurement Solution Providers, 2017”, whicharesteeringorganizationsaheadoftheircompetition.
FeaturinginourCoverStory,ChoiceEnergyServicesRetail,LPstandstallintheenergyprocurementandutility managementindustrywithitstechnology-enabledenergymanagementsolutiondeliveringfinancialefficienciesrelated toenergyandsustainability.ShortlistedastheCompanyoftheMonth,VORTALisaninternationalleadingeSourcing andeProcurementplatformforthepublicandprivatesector,connectinghundredsofbuyerswithaninternational networkofthousandsqualifiedsuppliers.
Apartfromtheabove,wealsohaveshortlistedBureauvanDijk,whichisamajorpublisherofbusinessinformation, andspecializesinprivatecompanydatacombinedwithsoftwareforsearchingandanalyzingcompanies;Cleritum, whichhelpsmanyoftheworld’slargestenterprises,leadingbusinessesandfast-growingserviceproviderscontroltheir complex,frequentlyorderedexpenditure;ScienceExchange,whichistheworld’sleadingplatformforoutsourced research,providinganefficientprocure-to-payplatformfororderingservices;Xeeva,Inc.,whichisdrivingthe developmentanddeliveryofthenextgenerationofintelligentprocurementandfinancialsolutions;kg³,whichis designedtoachievemaximumcost-savingsforthecustomerthroughanefficientandtransparentbidprocesswith advancedanalysisfunctionality;InspiredChangeSolutions,whichhelpsbusinessesperformoptimallybysimplifying andautomatingbusinessprocessestoensureconstantfocusonbusinessgoals;GreenLightMedical,which streamlinestheworkflowforhospitalvalueanalysisofnewmedicaltechnology
Inadditiontothese,don’tforgettorollyoureyesandexpandyourknowledgebasethrough Technology Innovation: An indispensable factor in business by Donovan Chan intheCXOStandpointsectionandourarticlestitled, How Technology is Driving Procurement?—ThoughtLeadershipand How Implementation of Procurement Impacts the Supply Chain Excellence—IndustryPerspective.
Carmen Dikmen
Kiki Dikmen Managing Partner
Notoriousforbeingunstableandunpredictable, managinganenergyportfoliocanbeacomplex endeavorforanyorganization.Energyplaysavital roleinanycompany’ssuccess,buttheunprecedented fluctuationinglobal,andmoresoregional,energyprices hasintensifiedtheneedforqualityenergyprocurement expertiselikeneverbefore.
Extractingthehighestvaluefromeveryenergydollar requiresathoroughprocurementstrategytailoredtomeet theneedsofeachclient;aconcreteunderstandingofboth theglobalandthelocalenergymarkets;anactive monitoringinsightovertheimminentandthecurrent demand,pricesandhedges.Variouslargeorganizations havebenefittedfromthemovementtowardsderegulationin theenergymarket;butitalsoaccompaniesrisk.
ChoiceEnergyServicesRetailLP(CES),afull-fledged energyprocurementandutilitymanagementcompany, overcomestheserisksandchallengeswithitscomplete suiteofenergymanagementservices.
DeliveringSolutionsofSuperiorValue
Establishedin2002owingtothedecisionoftheTexasState Legislaturetoderegulatetheelectricitymarketandopenup thesupplyofelectricitytocompetition,Choicecurrently offerstheindustry’smostcomprehensiveenergy managementsolutions.
TheformationofChoiceasaretailenergyservices companywasanaturalextensionofskillsthatthe commonly-ownedwholesalecompaniesalreadygarneredin brokeringnaturalgasoptionsandwholesalepower The company’sadvisoryandriskmanagementmodelisstill rootedinactiveparticipationinthewholesalemarkets. Leveragingthesamewithin-housetechnologyand relationshipswithretailenergyprovidersandutilities separatesChoice’stotalenergymanagementsolutionfrom thecrowd.Thecompanydeliverssolutionsofsuperior valueforitsclientsbysavingaconsiderablechunkoftheir timeandmoney,therebyenablingthemtoinvestmorein managingtheircorebusinessandforcapitalproject improvements.
Sincegrowingupplayingcompetitivetennis,Kiki Dikmen,theManagingPartneratChoiceEnergy Serviceshadasimilarapproachtomanagementashehad tohistraining.Whilesmashingthegreenlayeredtennis ballswithferociouspaceandimmaculatetimingand precision,Dikmengrabbedholdoftheskilltopredictand calculatehisshotspriortotheball’scontact.
Lateron,Dikmenutilizedandincorporatedhisfairshareof predictiveabilitiesattainedonthetenniscourttoenvision themarketscenario,setappropriatebusinesstargetsand
spearheadthecompanytothedirectionofsuccess.By leveraginghisuniqueblendofvisualizationand entrepreneurialspirit,DikmenexpandedthesizeofChoice, itsgeographicalreachandhelpedfacilitateitsmoveaway fromthetraditionalenergybrokeragetodeliveraportfolio ofservicesthatbringsuperiorvaluetotheretailenergy market.
Sinceitsveryinception,Choicehasbeenstrivingtodeliver betterbusinessresultsthroughincorporatingtechnologyas partofitssolutions.Theirjourneyhasbeenacontinuous learningexperienceastheneedsofitsvastcustomerbase continuetochangewithtimeandmarkettrends.
Currently,Choiceisexperiencingaclassicindustry maturitytransformation.Backwhenderegulationwas introducedasanewconcept,customerswereunawarethat theycould“shopforenergy.”Thiscreatedanewlayerof sometimesnon-discerningintermediarieswhocreatedvalue simplybyfindingbetterpricesthanwhattheincumbent suppliersoffered.Asthemarketslightlymatured,customers becameawareoftheirchoicesin“shopping”forenergy, whichalsoincludedshoppingfortheirbrokersand consultantstherebysharpeningtheinitialroleandrelatively lowvalueoftheintermediaryspace.Fast-forwardafew years,andthegrowingmarketandtheameliorating customermaturityisforcingallexistingandaspiring playersintheenergyspacetofigureoutwheretheycanadd lastingoruniquevalueiftheyindeedwanttostayinthe business. Choicehasalwaysbeenontheforefrontofthe changesinretailconsulting,andtodaythecompany deliversaconsultativebusinessmodelunderpinnedby proprietarytechnologyandcenteredoncreatinglong-term, ongoingandsustainablevalue.
EngravingitsFootmarkwithintheProcurement IndustryandBeyond ChoiceisactiveandlicensedinallofNorthAmerica’s deregulatednaturalgasandpowermarkets.Italignseach client’sspecificriskmanagementobjectiveswith strategicallyfocusedfundamentalandtechnicalmarket analytics.Thisprovidesclientswiththerequisite informationandtoolsneededtomakethemostinformed decisionsabouttheirfutureenergyrequirements.
Inadditiontothese,Choiceleveragesthecommon ownershipofOTCGlobalHoldingstoempowerclientsto bepricesettersbyensuringpricetransparencyintoeach market.Thisuniqueadvantageensuresthatclientsare alignedwiththebestretailsupplier.
Moreover,Choicenotonlyfocusesonprocurement;rather, itlaysfocusonoptimumsavingsandvaluetoitsclients. “Its a la carte program gives clients the opportunity to
determine which services best fit their individualistic needs. The company continues to spread its tentacles by offering services: Strategic Power and Gas Procurement, Risk Management, Tariff Analysis, Budgeting, Utility Sales Tax Recovery, Utility Data Management, Engineering Consulting, Sustainability and Bill Pay. Choice is transparent and unbiased in its consultations and recommendations, thereby allowing clients to make smarter, data-driven decisions about their energy consumption and spending,” assertsDikmen.
Unlikemostotherenergyconsulting companies,Choicegrewoutofa wholesalemarketintoaretailenergy advisertoofferaportfolioofservices. ThroughChoice’scommonownership withOTCGlobalHoldings,Choicenow standsinasuperiorpositionto independentlymonitorenergymarkets, adviseonmarketrelatedtrendsand aggressivelynegotiateandvalidate proposedenergyrates.
Utilizingitsuniquemarketpositionand relationshipwithitsaffiliatecompany, OTCGH,Choiceisabletoempower clientstobepricesettersbyensuring optimumpricetransparencyintoeach market.Thisdistinctivemarket advantageensuresthatitsclientsare alignedwiththebestretailsupplierat thebestpricefortheirbusiness,hence settingthecompanyapartfromits competitors.
Itisbecauseofthesedistinctiveand individualisticservicesthathave propelledChoicetoexperience relentlesssuccesssinceitsinceptionin 2002.Choicehasbeennamedas HoustonBusinessJournal’sBestPlaces toWorkinHoustonsince2012. Formerly,ChoicewasnamedHouston’s Top10FastestGrowingCompaniesin 2012,Top10MostPromisingEnergy ManagementSolutionandTop20Most PromisingProcurementSolution
Providersof2016.
Theretailcommodityindustryisnolongeraboutrate-shoppingbutratheracomprehensiveapproach.Companiesareona continuouslookoutforsolutionprovidersandpartnersthatcancomeinandaddressallclients’needs.Thisincludesrate shoppinginderegulatedareas,meterinstalls,expansionprojects,solarapplications,utilitydatamanagementsolutionsand muchmore.
Throughitstechnology-enabledenergymanagementsolutions,Choicestrivestodeliverbetterbusinessesoutcomes. AccordingtoDikmen, “Choice has positioned itself to offer a comprehensive service through an award-winning active and intuitive proprietary online platform, CESConnect. Choice recognizes that innovation and enhancements around CESConnect is the key for its organization’s growth.”
Withthisinmind,Choiceisonacontinuoussurgetoimproveitsuserexperiencebystrengtheningitsmobilepresence.The companyhasalsowitnessedatremendousvalueinconsolidatingutility-level,meter-levelandsubmeter-leveldatatocreatea single-accessplatformacrosscurrentlyfragmented,piece-mealsolutions.
Asmentionedabove,ChoiceleveragesitsaccesstowholesalemarketsthroughOTCGlobalHoldings,whichisoneofthe largestliquidityproviderstothe NYMEX.OTCGHbrokersaround50%ofthenaturalgasoptionstradedonthe NYMEX; givingthemthelargestmarketshareofanyfirm.
AsChoicesharesacommonownership,therelationshipoffersChoicevaluablemarketknowledgeaboutfuturepricesfor naturalgasandwholesalepower.This,inturn,givesChoiceclientsaccesstothewidestvarietyofproductsandlowestprices availableforactivemanagementofenergycostsinreal-time.Thereareonlyahandfuloffirms,aroundtheglobe,whichhave thiskindofvisibilityintothecommoditiesmarketthatdrivesretailpowerprices.
Inordertodriveprofitabilityandcustomersatisfaction,Choiceisdedicatedtobuildingastrategicenergyteamthatsupports therapidnationalgrowthbyinvestinginemployeetalent.Choicewillalsocontinuetoparticipateinitsextensivecommunity, givingbacktolocalorganizationsliketheHoustonFoodBank.Currently,ChoiceisrunningtheMealforDealcampaign–an initiativetoraisefundsandawarenesstohelpfeedhungryfamiliesintheHoustonarea.
Atahigherlevel,ChoiceiskeepingacloseeyeonMexico’senergymarketsnotonlybecausetheyaretheindirectdriversfor energymarketsintheU.S.,butalsoforpotentialbusinessopportunitiesandexpansion.
“Choice Energy Services provides the nation’s most comprehensive energy management solutions built on integrity, customer value, expertise, and fostering strong partner relationships”
GreenLight
CEO
Kiki
BvDisamajorpublisherofbusinessinformation,andspecializesin privatecompanydatacombinedwithsoftwareforsearchingand analyzingcompanies;
CESisaTechnology-enabledenergymanagementsolution deliveringfinancialefficienciesrelatedtoenergyand sustainability.
JamesSamuels
AustinDirks
&
Claritumhelpsmanyoftheworld’slargestenterprises,leading businessesandfast-growingserviceproviderscontroltheircomplex, frequentlyorderedexpendituresuchasmarketing&operationalprint, promotionalproducts,uniforms&apparel,packaging,IT& consumablesandrelatedservices.
GreenLightMedicalstreamlinestheworkflowforhospitalvalue analysisofnewmedicaltechnology
Helpingyourbusinessperformoptimallybysimplifyingand automatingbusinessprocessestoensureconstantfocuson businessgoals.
kg3hascreatedapowerfulsoftwaresolutionforlogistics
Eden Founder
andtendermanagement.Itisdesignedtoachieve
cost-savingsforthecustomerthroughanefficientand
processwithadvancedanalysisfunctionality
PEMEXProcurementInternational,Inc.isawhollyowned
ofPetróleosMexicanosthatwascreatedtoprovide
forPetróleosMexicanosandits subsidiaries.
ScienceExchangeistheworld'sleadingplatformforoutsourced
providinganefficientprocure-to-payplatformfor
servicesfromanetworkofmorethan2,500qualified scientificserviceproviders.
VORTALisaninternationalleadingeSourcingand
platformforthepublicandprivatesector,which
hundredsofbuyerswithaninternationalnetworkof thousandsqualifiedsuppliers.
Xeevaisdrivingthedevelopmentanddeliveryofthenext
andfinancialsolutions.
Rui
Therelationshipbetweenbuyersandsuppliersin procurementindustryhasalwaysbeentumultuous atbest.Thereisalackofrealizationamongboth partiesconcerningtheirneedforeachother.Fora procurementenvironmenttomoveforwardinaproactive andstrategicmanner,buyersandsuppliersneedto collaboratewitheachother.Butoftentimes,animportant idea,suchastheoneabove,getslostintranslationwhen shiftingfromitsconceptstagetoreal-worldexecution. EntersVORTAL,wherebothbuyersandsupplierstakepart inanefficient,openandcompetitivebidprocess,thereby bringing-inopportunitiesforeveryonetocreativelyexpand theirbusinesses.
AgloballeaderinofferingeSourcingandeProcurement solutions,VORTALpossessesacloudeMarketplace, whereinthousandsofpublicandprivatebuyersare connected,withaninternationalcommunityofqualified supplierstomakeeverydaybusiness.
SupportingCustomersataGlobalScale Formedin2000,VORTALhasgrowninstaturetosupport customersgloballywithofficesin Portugal, Spain, Germany, Italy, UK, Mexico, and Colombia –servinglarge multinationalcorporations,andadministrativeorganizations bothbigandsmall,includingmunicipalities,governments, nationalcentralprocurementbodies,etc.Inadditionto these,thecompanycatersitssupporttoavastnumberof diversifiedSMEsaswell.VORTAL’sreferencesinclude Health Ministry of Portugal, AENA – Aeropuertos de España, Metro de Madrid, Mota Engil, Colombia Compra Eficiente, City of Vienna, Siemens, Austrian Post, and Bunge ThecompanyisevenratedregularlybyGartnerin theMagicQuadrantforStrategicSourcingSuitesandis
mentionedbyForresterandSpendMattersasatopmarket player
TheBeginningofSomethingBig VORTAL’sjourneycouldn’thavestartedanybetter,asit managedtogetoneofthemostimportantmarketplaces duringitsfoundlingyears.Backthen,almost70%ofthe largestconstructioncompaniesinPortugalusedits platform.
Soon,VORTALenteredthepublicsector,becomingthe platformofchoicewiththehighestnumberofpublic tenderslaunchedandelectronicproposalssubmitted.It wasn’tmuchlaterwhenthecompanystartedworkingwith partnersacrossEuropeandLatinAmerica,thereby becomingthemostglobaleProcurementSolutionprovider.
ASeasonedLeaderWhoPavedtheWayforSuccess RuiDias-Ferreira,FounderandCEOofVORTAL,isthe visionarywhohasledthecompanytowhatitisknownas today.PriortofoundingVORTAL,Ruiserved12yearsas anAssociatePartneratAccenture;managingSupplyChain projectsintheEngineeringandConstructionsector At Accenture,heworkedonawide-rangeofprojectsinvolving medium-sizedandlargecompaniesin Portugal, UK, Spain,, and Italy
Aregularguestspeakeratseminarsandconferences, Rui holdsadegreeinEngineeringandhasapost-graduate diplomainProductionManagementfrom APICS –The EducationalSocietyforResourceManagement.Hehasalso completedanAdvancedManagingProgramfromIESE, Universidad of Navarra.
Ruialsoboastsanimpressiveprofileinthepublicsphere withhisinvolvementinthedevelopmentofentrepreneurship asamentorofseveralstart-upsatStartupLisboaanda promoteroftheJuniorAchievement,andisextensively involvedwithsocialinitiativeslikeworkingforthe homeless.
Itisalsoworth-mentioningthatRuiisasportsman andsailor,competingregularlyinsmallcatamarans andisaformerPortuguesenationalchampionin Hobie Cast 16.
RisingabovetheImminentIndustryChanges AccordingtotheCEO, “Procurement platforms will be much more dependent on supplier’s communities than before. This means that users are increasingly looking for dynamic solutions to discover and qualify suppliers that avoid searching the web for potential suppliers without references or credentials. Standalone solutions where a buyer is closed in a silo with the suppliers they are used to working with for years will lose perspective of the market competitiveness and will become less competitive in the medium term.”
Theabilitytoaggregatethousandsof opportunitieswithaplethoraofsuppliers, possessinganetworkofpartnersfully-trainedto implementthecompany’sservicesandby aligningbothpublicandprivateprocurementin onesinglemultitenantinfrastructure,VORTAL ndisalreadyleadingthis2 waveofeSourcing solutions.
VORTALwasprimarilyfoundedtobuildand operateaneMarketplacefortheEngineering andConstructionindustry.Later,thecompany expandeditssolutionsportfoliotoextend coveragetootherindustrieslikehealth,public administrationandcorporate.Eventually, VORTALbecameaspecializedeSourcing providerinprojectprocurement,whereina
We help companies and organizations to buy better and to sell more
Rui Dias-Ferreira Founder & CEO
significantamountofresourcesrequiredregulardiscovery, qualification,andnegotiationwithnewsuppliers.
ThecompanyrealizesthataneffectiveProcurement Solutionisonethatoffershighlytangiblebenefits. Promptingittodevelopseveralinstrumentsthat demonstratethosebenefits,includingsavingstothebuyer side–buybetter,andmorebusinessopportunitiestothe supplyside–sellmore.Itprovidesaneasy-to-useplatform wheresuppliersareregistered;notbecauseVORTAL mandatedbyitsclients,ratherithasservicesspecially designedforthemandintelligencedatathatmakesitmore competitive.
For VORTAL, management of B2B communities over procurement technologies for the private and public sectors are its DNA.
DeliveringaSuiteofServicesfor bothBuyersandSuppliers
WhatdistinguishesVORTALfromits contemporariesareahighly configurableeSourcingplatformand atwo-sidedvaluepropositionwitha suiteofservicesforbothbuyersand suppliers.Thesolutionsofferedby thecompany,deliveredinaSaaS model,arefocusedonsupportingthe following:-
Ÿ eSourcing Suite -TacticalandStrategic SourcingfromPrivateCompaniesand ContractingAuthoritiesfromthePublicSector
Ÿ eCommerce Suite -Pre-sales,eMarketing,Marketand BusinessIntelligenceandProductivityToolsfor Suppliers.
Ÿ Suppliers Network -Identifyingtherightsuppliersto dealwith;basedonclassificationofproductsand services,ratingandreputationconcepts
Ÿ eMarketplace -eMarketplaceoperations,linkingbuyers andsuppliers,andgeneratingmarketandbusiness intelligencedatainordertoincreasecompetitionand marketawareness.
Ÿ Mobile -Mobilityonaccess
e-ProcurementSolutionsthatGuaranteesResults
VORTALoffersaneProcurementsolutionwithaneasyto configureandrobustsetofdigitalprocessesinplacethat guaranteesoptimalresults.Ruifurtherexpandsits advantagesbymentioning, “It helps users save money, streamline public spending, and shape economic activity
without undermining any existing or planned services offered. A full range of services are in place to ensure that users can integrate the platform with any of their existing ERP. Communications, database encryption and timestamping are in place to ensure a great level of security and full traceability of transactions.”
ForbothBuyersandSuppliers,VORTALbrings-forward thefollowingunrivaledadvantagesintheirwaysofdoing business:-
Buyer Value –VORTAL’ssolutionsensuremore transparencyandlessriskforthebuyers.Ithelpsin achievingsavingsupto20%duetomorecompetition; reducecostsby40%insearchingandqualifyingsuppliers andsaveupto60%intimeanalyzingandcomparing proposals.Addtothat,VORTALalsoimprovesbuyer’s visibilityovertheemerginginnovationsinthemarket, managestheIndirectSpendingandTactical Sourcingefficientlyandenablesbuyersto makebetterdecisionsbasedonmore marketinformation.
SupplierValue–VORTAL’s solutionsforsuppliersgivethem accesstomorebusiness opportunitiesmatchingcapabilities, improvesknowledgeaboutthe marketandcompetitionand strengthensrelationshipswith currentcustomers.Inadditionto these,suppliersgethighervisibility overdecision-makersanditprovides acost-effectiveleadgenerationwhen comparedwithtraditionalprocesses.
FutureofContinualInnovationand Expansion
VORTALhasbeengrowingattwo-digitlevelsforseveral consecutiveyearsandwillcontinuetodevelopthemost innovativeofservicesforbuyersandsuppliers,bothinthe publicandprivatesectors.Thecompanywillalsobe leadingtheinteroperabilitymovementandwillposition itselfasoneofthemostcompleteprovidersofservicesto suppliers.
VORTALaimstoreinforceitscooperationwithintegrations andconsultingpartners,tobeabletodelivernewservices andinnovativesolutionstodealwithcorporateandpublic sectorspending.
“The VORTAL management team brings decades of experience and international leadership that guides the company’s direction”
“Whether a public or private organization, we'll save you money”
Informationistransformingour economy,societyandthebusiness landscapeinwaysthatwecannot fullycomprehendorrealize. Informationaffectsdecision-making, behavioraltraitsandoutcomes,and businessesneedsolutionsthatadd valuetotheircompanyinformationto find,analyzeandcomparecompanies acrosstheglobe–andworkmore efficiently
BureauvanDijk(BvD)isonesuch companymeetingthisneedwithits varioussolutions.Itprovidesthe richest,mostreliableprivatecompany informationinthemarkettocompanies askingrisk-relatedquestions.Ithelps itsvastcustomerbasetomakebetter decisionsandincreaseefficiency.The Amsterdam-basedcompanydistributes financialinformationandprivate companydatasetsof247million companies.Itssolutionsaddvalueand makeatangibleimpactontheclients’ businesses.BvDprovidesthemwith accesstoprecise,standardized informationonprivatecompanies,as wellascorporatestructuresthatthey wouldneedtoconfidentlyandquickly makethemostinformeddecisions possible.Thecompany’sproductrange
combinesdatafromregulatoryand othersources,including160 informationpartners.Itsflexible softwareallowsuserstomanipulate dataforarangeofresearchneedsand applications.BvDwasacquiredby Moody’sAnalyticsin2017andboasts asignificantglobalpresencewithmore than30officesworldwide.
HelpingBusinessesMakeBetter DecisionsforDecades
Foundedin1991,BvDovertheyears hasbuiltpartnershipswithmorethan 160mostlyindependentinformation providers,addressingabroadrangeof businesschallenges,thankstoits innovativeplatform, Orbis, that connectscustomerswithdata.BvD’s solutionssupportareassuchascredit analysis,investmentresearch,taxrisk, transferpricing,complianceandthirdpartyduediligenceneedsoffinancial institutions,corporations,professional servicesfirmsandgovernmental authoritiesworldwide.
And,aswellasthese, Procurement is animportantareaforBvD.Thefirm capturesandtreatsprivatecompany informationforbetterdecision-making andincreasedefficiency,makingit
ideallysuitedtohelpprocurement professionals.
BvDbringssupplierdata ‘o life’ by enrichingitandpresentingitinsimple dashboards.Hence,userscaninterpret itquicklyandworkmoreefficiently. Theyuseittomitigateagainstfinancial andreputationalrisk,aswellassome regulatoryrisks.
It’sAllaboutTime,Careand Attention Sinceitsinception,BvD’sjourneyhas alwaysbeenoneofgraduallyand painstakinglybuildingupcoverageof privatecompaniesfromaroundthe world.Thistakestime,careand attention,andBvDiscontinuingon thatjourneyfortheforeseeablefuture, althoughthecompany’smethodshave evolvedwithtimeandwillcontinueto dosoinfuture.
Likewise,itscustomers’interestsare alsochanging,withcorporate ownershipbecomingincreasingly important.Userswanttheir informationtobeless“siloed”.BvD recognizesthisanddoeswhatitcanto createlinksbetweendifferenttypesof information.Andthistiesinwiththe
effortstoimprovetechnologythatallowitsuserstoblend theirinformationwithBvD’s.
BvD’ssolutionssimplifyitsusers’supplierselectionand screeningprocesses.Thecompany’sflagshipplatform, Orbis,istheworld’smostpowerfulcomparabledata resourceonprivatecompanies.Itholdsinformationof247 millionprivatecompaniesworldwide.Orbisenablesusers toidentifyandvalidatecompanies,sotheyknowthatthey areassessingtherightentities.Informationthatthe platformcarriesincludescompanyfinancials,financial strengthindicators,detailsofmanagersanddirectors,and extensivecorporateownershipstructures.
ApartfromOrbis,BvDhascreatedComplianceCatalyst–a centralized,automatedplatformforriskassessment.This allowsuserstocombinetheirsupplierdatawiththe companyinformationonOrbis.Amongotherthings,itcan beusedto:monitorchangestosuppliers;screensuppliers againstsanctionslistsforfinancialcompliance;access potentialsuppliersagainstusers’benchmarks;andcheck suppliersagainstadversemediaandnews.
OrbisandComplianceCatalystareusedtogethertomanage users’workflowsanddecision-makingprocesses.This bringsgreaterunderstandingoftheirsupplierportfolio, including:groupspendanalysis;supplierdependency;
Mark Schwerzel Deputy CEO
distributionofsupplierbasesbylocation,sizeorfinancials; andthelatestdevelopmentsonsuppliers,suchasadverse news,ownership,andmanagement.
HeadingintotheFuture Data–someofitopen-source–havegraduallybecome moredigitallyavailableandmoretransparent.Going forward,dataacrosstheinternetwillinmanycasesbe unstructured.Technologiesmostlikelytoemergeinthe procurementspacetodealwiththeseissuesareAIand automation.BvDislikelytouseelementsofthis technologytointegratedata,addvalueandbecomeusers’ centralpointfordatadiscoveryandbetterduediligence acrossinternationalborders.
Movingforward,BvDwillcarryontryingtomake customers’liveseasier.Itsvisioninvolvesallcompanies, institutionsandpublicbodiesaroundtheworldusingBvD astheirprimarysourceofinformation.Itsmissionisto makecustomersmoresuccessfulbyprovidingthemwith companysolutionsthathelpimprovetheirefficiency,grow theirrevenuesandmitigatetheirrisk.Andthisverymuch appliestoprocurementspecialists.Whetherthroughthe scopeandqualityofitsdata,thenumberofdatasourcesit usesortheaccessibilityandpowerofitsfunctionality,allof whichwillcontinuetoevolvealongwithBvD.
We capture and treat private company information for better decision-making and increased efciency
cquiringorbuyinggoods,
Aservicesandworkoftenvia tenderingorcompetitive biddingprocessisknownas procurement.Corporateandpublic sectorsunitseeksittobeafairand opencompetitionprocessoftradefor theirbusinesswithminimizingrisks, suchasexposuretofraudand collusion.Procurementprocessinclude businessaffectingfactorssuchas marginalbenefit,shipping,delivery andthefluctuatingpricesofmany goodsandservices.Conventional procurementprocessgenerally consumesacertainamountof resourcessuchasemployees,timeand moneyofanorganization,whichis countedingeneralasthenon-liable assetsanditaffectsthegrowthofan organizationinthecurrenttech-arena. Theadvancementintechnologyhas givenaboomtotheprocurement processandfortheleading procurementorganizations;itdoesnot justactasquickdecisionenablerbut alsoakeydriverofnext-level performanceandresults.
Procurementteamsarenow capitalizingoninnovativesourcesof technologytooptimizeprocesses, buildingtrust,andtoenrich relationshipstoimprovetheirstrategic reachanddeploycutting-edge procurementresources.Technologyis continuouslydrivingimprovementsin processes,data,insights,andasall technologiesareultimately implementedtosavings.Followingare thecurrentmarketdrivingtechnology, whichareaffectingprocurement processes:
Theeaseinbuying,sellingandgetting therightresourcesacrossafullarray ofbusinessservicesandgoodsarethe naturalneedsfortheyounggeneration oftech-professionalsto driveinto budgetmanagementroles.Thishas nowbecomepossibleduetocloudorientedservicesavailableinthe marketforprocurementprofessionals.
Leadingtoaquickeningpaceincloud services,thecompaniesarenow lookingtoditchclunky,in-house systemsandarereplacingitwith accessiblecloudsolutionstoavoid beinglumberedwithrapidly supersededsystems.Cloudisproving tobeveryhelpfulindetermining servicessuchassupplychain,a processtopay,purchasing,andmuch more.
Technologicaladvancementin procurementprocessesishelpingto recedegeographicallimitations, resultingingreaterparticipationof organizationstoaccessglobalpoolsof suppliersforbusinessservicesand resources.Withthisadvancement, largerenterpriseswillachievegreater efficienciesandcaneasilyidentify hiddencostsavingsfactorsacrossthe widerareasoftheirbusiness, particularlywithintheirindirect spending.Onlineplatformsare streamliningtheirpurchasingpotential andhelpingthemtogetquickaccessto high-qualitysupplierswhileensuring in-housecompliance.
Manyorganizationsarestrongat expenditureanalysisbutstill,thisonly provestobealittleaspectof expendituremanagement.Eventhis taskisfullofdifficulties,withnosetof particularstandardstodefinehow muchandwhatgoesintowhich categoryduringoperations.Oncean organizationstartslookingatthe detailsacrossitsbudgets,itgetsreally difficulttounderstanditslevelof expendituresandwhetherthebest valueisachieved.Withtheavailability oftechnology,organizationsare improvingtheirviewonfuture expenditures.
AIisgainingtrustacrossdifferent sectorsinalmostallleading organizationsandwillcontinueto evolvetillweadoptmoreconsumer buyingbehaviorsatdifferent workplacesinleadingprocurement organizations.Theareaofexpertise, locations,sizeandthecreditscore requirementsofalmosteverysupplier isrequiredtogetclarityoverproject deliverables.Organizationsaregetting supportfromAIplatformstoincrease thespectrumareaofsearch,speeding uptheirprocessesandavoidingtherisk ofbias,fraudanderrorrectifications producedbyhumans.
AIisprovingtobeaboonfor Procurementorganizationsbutstill, thereisalongwaytogoin advancement.AIcanhelpin
submittinge-biddingoftendersorin purchaseofmaterialbyrelocating resourcesaccordingtorequirements, thearrangementofdataandsheetsin arrayfashion,specialdedicated software’sandmanymorethingswill getlined-upinaccordancetotime evolution.
Mobilechannelsarehelpingmicroserviceslikeraiseofpurchaseorders, approvals&continuouscheckson deliverytimes,andbillingespecially forprocurementsgoodstogetfaster andreliable.Theseserviceswill continuetoadoptlighterclient-side mobileapps.Appsalsohelpwith measurement.Businessgoodsareon
tighttimelineanddatafromAppswill improvemeasurementofeachstepon procurementjourney.Mobile applicationsarealsohelpinginthe transferofdatathroughsecured channel,cost-cuttingandbetter resourcesutilization.
Technologyhasprovidedtheabilityto deployspendmanagementplatforms thatwillhelpinautomatingorenable employeeself-servicefortactical procurementactivitiesandduetoit, procurementorganizationswillfind mundanesupplieractivitieswaning. Thiswillprovideprocurement professionalswithextrahands-ontime tofocusonhighervalue-addfrom
suppliers.Further,technologywill continuetoevolveoverthemediumto longertermtoamodewithacore “container”withamyriadof transactionalapps.Companieswillsee theimpactastheystarttocontrola muchlargerpercentageofindirect spend.Withtheintegrationofsources, purchasingandprocurement technology,anditsinterface,intowider andspecializedbusinessapplications, hasbeensingle-handedly transformationalforeveryorganization thathashadtheacumentoimplement ittodate.Iforganizationshaven’tdone ityet,itisimperativeforthemtostart today!
Procurementofrelativelylow cost,unpredictableproducts andservicesisstillhighly manual,inefficient,anderrorprone. Typicalprocurementsolutionsfocuson strategicprocurementwithinlarge enterprises,whereasthereisa significantdemandforeasy-to-use toolsformid-marketcompaniesto managethistypeofexpenditure.
Recognizingtheseinefficienciesof purchasingmarketingservicesacross multiplecountries,JamesSamuels andPaulBarkerfoundedClaritumin 2002tohelpcompaniesstreamlinethe purchasingofprintandmarketing services.Today,Claritum’scloudbased spendmanagementplatform streamlinesthebuyingandsellingof productsandservices.Ithelpsmanyof theworld’slargestenterprises,leading businessesandfastest-growingservice providerstocontroltheircomplex, frequentlyorderedexpendituresuchas marketing&operationalprint, promotionalproducts,uniforms& apparel,packaging,IT&consumables andrelatedservices.
OptimizingSpendVisibility,Control, CostSavingsandprocessEfficiencies Claritumautomatessourcing, procurementandinvoicinginone,
easy-to-use,cloudbasedplatform whileenablingbusinessusers, customers,procurementexperts, buyersandsupplierstocollaborate globallyandinrealtime.By streamliningsourcing,supplier management,catalog,procurementand invoicing,itenablessmallandmedium businessesandfastgrowth procurementservicestooptimize spendvisibility,control,costsavings, andprocessefficiencies.Over150,000 usersin35countriesrelyonClaritum todeliversignificant,measurableand sustainablesavings.
AVariedRangeofUnparalleled Solutions Amongstitsvariedrangeof unparalleledsolutions,belowaresome oftheground-breakingones:
Sourcing: Itscloudbasedsourcing capabilitiesareproventodelivera transparentandconsistentbest practice,transactionalsourcingprocess tousers;whetheritbeanovice employee,anexperiencedbuyeror thirdpartyagencyoroutsourced serviceprovider.
Supplier Management: Itsplatform helpssuppliermanagerscreateand managePrivateSupplierNetworks
fromacombinationofitscurrent supplierbaseandbyinvitingsuppliers fromtheClaritumNetworkof thousandsofpre-approvedsuppliers.
Catalog Management: Customerscan captureorders,aggregatedemandand centrallycontrollocalbuyingfrom multipleapprovedsupplierswitheasyto-use,highlyconfigurablestorefronts.
Procurement: Itautomatesyoursales orderandpurchaseorderprocurement processeswhileenablingfasterand morecompliantrequisitions,orders, approvalsandgoodsreceipting.
Invoicing:WithClaritumInvoicing, youwillalwaysknowwhereyouare andwhat’spendingandwhat’s outstanding,hencekeepingyouin completecontrolofyourcash-flow.
Reporting and Analysis: Itenablesyou togetgranularlineitemvisibilityof everytransactiongloballyandreal time.Youcanalsogetshare managementreports,performance dashboardsandanalyticswith customers,suppliersandco-workers.
User Access and Admin: Withits powerfuluseraccessand administrationtools,youcancentrally
controllocaltransactions.Itsintuitiveandeasy-to-use applicationensurescomplianceofbestpracticewhile maximizingefficienciesandqualityofmanagement information.
Web Services API: Claritum’sWebServicesAPIenables youtostreamlineyourentiresource-to-settleworkflowand integratewithbuy-sideandsupply-sidesoftwareplatforms.
ServingastheChiefExecutiveOfficerofClaritum,James has20yearsEMEAmarketingexperienceintheautomotive andtechnologysectorsforenterprisessuchasVAG, Peugeot,IntelandHP.Hisexperienceinmanagingmajor internationalspendshighlightedtheneedformarketing procurementtoolstoaddresstheneedsofbothprocurement andmarketingfunctions.Thiswasthecatalystforstarting Claritum.
WhilstPaulfocusedonproductanddata,Jamesledthe strategy,sales,marketingandservicesteams.Byworking closelywithlargebusinesses,serviceprovidersand suppliers,bothheandPaulestablishedClaritumasoneof themostcapablecloudbasedprocurementplatformsonthe market.Thecompanygrewbyproactivelyservicingand retaininghighqualityclientsandpartners,andnowhas clientsinEurope,USandAsiaPac.
Jamesbelievesthatautomation,globalization,easeofuse,
James Samuels Co-founder & CEO
integrationanddataarekeydriversofprocurement technology.Assuch,Claritumispartofthenewwaveof easytouse,cloudbasedprocurementproductsandreflects thedemandforbusinessuserstobeabletoself-serve,orget assistancefromexpertbuyersoraccessafully-managed purchasingservice.Claritumisoptimizedforcrossborder trading,thereforeenablingcentralisedvisibilityandcontrol ofeverytransactionlocally,nationallyandglobally.
Consideringtheever-growingprocurementindustryandits future,Claritumisautomatingtheentiresourcetosettle processincludingdemandsideintegrationandsupplyside fulfilment.Itisinvestinginhighlyconfigurableworkflows thateliminatetheneedformanualintervention,deliverthe datarequiredforexpertstodeliversignificantand measurablevalueacrossthesupplychain.
ClaritumisalsoworkingtoautomateIoTdevicestoautoreplenishpartsandcomponents,improveservicedelivery throughintelligentservicebots(agents),intelligentlyroute transactionsdirectlyintofulfillmentormanufacturing including3Dprintingondemand.
Our integrated cloud based spend management platform enables our customers to gain granular visibility and control every transaction, globally and in real time
TheconceptofPhysician
PreferenceItems(PPI)has beenthelifebloodofclinical valueanalysisformanyyears.Ithas dominatedtheInterventionaland Perioperativeworldsasoftenthe largestexpenseintheacquisitionof newproductsandtechnologies. However,hospitalprocurementhas witnessedabigshift;hospitalshave movedawayfromPPItohospital “valueanalysis”committees.Value analysiscommitteesrequiretheinput ofmultiplestakeholders,andwith current,manualtoolsforcollaboration, procurementcantakeoverninemonths frominitialrequestinahospital facilitytoavailability.Frustrationson allsidesfromhospitaladministrators, physicians,andmedicalsuppliers cannotbesolvedwithtraditionaltools ofemailandexcelspreadsheetswith processbottlenecksbeingahuge hurdletoovercome.
Havingfirst-handknowledgeof hospitalprocurementandeyeinghow itwouldtransform,AustinDirkslaid thefoundationofGreenLightMedical tomanagetheoverallworkflowneeds specifictohospitalprocurement, aligningallparties,people,data, documents,anddecision-supportin onecloud-basedarchitecture.Nowin itsfourthyearofoperation,GreenLight existsasall-in-onecloudsoftwarefor hospitalvalueanalysisofnewmedical technology;withover50hospitalsand morethan350medicaldevice
companiesusingthesoftware. GreenLight’ssoftwarestreamlines workflowcoordination,project management,decision-support,and comprehensiveproductknowledgeto helphospitalsefficientlyevaluate newlyintroducedproducts.
Likeanyothergrowingstart-upinthe ever-changingecosystem,thejourney forGreenLighthasseenandtackledits challenges.AfterGreenLighthada fullydevelopedproduct,gainingits firstadopterinthehospitalmarketwas anuphillbattle.Abeautiful, sophisticatedproductthatsolvedan unmetneedwasnomatchforthe questionof “Who else is using it?”
Alongsideanabsenceofearlyadopter mentalityinthehospitalsetting, GreenLightfacedchallengesof operatingasasmallcompanyina highlyregulatedmarketwith traditionallylongsalescycles.Gaining thatinitialtractionrequiredpatience andperseverancetogettoahospital partnerwhotrustedinGreenLight.But GreenLightcontinuedtoevolvewith customerneedsandovercameevery obstaclealongtheway
RevolutionizingtheHospital ProcurementProcess
GreenLight’scloudplatformcontinues torevolutionizethehospital procurementprocesswithsome
amazingadvancementswithinthe portal.Hospitalsnowhavefullaccess toGreenLight’send-to-endportalto manageallstakeholders,informationexchange,communication,and decision-makingneeds. Afewofthe solutionsGreenLightequipsuserswith aresummarizedbelow:
Ÿ Project Management:Track incomingnewtechnologyrequests acrossanentiresystemwithone standardizeddataentryportal.
Ÿ Workflow Automation:Information disseminationtoallcorresponding teammembersinone-click,with real-timeprogressupdatesand processtransparencyfor stakeholders.
Ÿ Decision Support:Aggregateall pertinentproductdata,documents, anddecisionsintoonecommon portalforaccessbycriticalteam members.
Ÿ Product Research:Uptodate productinsightsatusers’fingertips includingclinical,reimbursement, pricing,andregulatorydata.
Ÿ Physician Engagement:Harness difficulttoincludeclinicalinput fromphysiciansthroughoutthe reviewprocess.
Ÿ
Connected Hospital System: Connectallhospitalsand stakeholdersinanIDNunderone digitalroof.
Ÿ Team Communication:Cloud basedteamcommunication channelsalignedtomedical technologyinreview.
GreenLightCEO,AustinDirksfoundedGreenLight Medicalwithavision:tocreateatoolthathelpshospitals andphysiciansgetthemedicaltechnologytheyneedto advancesurgicaloutcomesandpatientcare.Aformer biomedicalengineerandmedicaldevicesalesexecutive, Austinnotedtheoutdatedprocesswhichhospitalswere usingtoreviewnewmedicaltechnologywiththerecent surgeofhospitalvalueanalysiscommittees.Fromtherethe conceptofGreenLightMedicalwasborn.Austindeveloped GreenLightMedical’scloudsoftwaretostreamline workflow,projectmanagement,anddecision-supportfor hospitalvalueanalysiscommittees.Today,over50 hospitalsareusingGreenLighttomanagetheirtechnology procurementprocess.
BeforefoundingGreenLightMedical,Austinworkedin businessdevelopmentforThoratecwhereheworkedwith seniorleadershiponimprovingthecompany’smedical deviceportfolio.PriortoThoratec,AustinworkedforSt. JudeMedicalasamedicaldevicesalesrepresentativeinthe CRMandEPdivisions.AustinisaBiomedicalEngineering graduateofVanderbiltUniversityandreceivedanMBA fromHarvardBusinessSchool.
StayingAheadofMovingTrendsintheIndustry Austinbelievesthefutureofthehospitalindustrywill revolvearoundconsolidation,datamining,anddigital organizationneedswithcloudtechnologybeingthe ultimateintegrator.GreenLight,asacloudtechnology,has
awell-positionedopportunitytostayaheadofmoving trendsintheindustry,abletoadaptandcommandnew featuresinanimbleenvironment.Austintruststhat GreenLightMedicalwillbeanessentialtoolforthe procurementofalltypesoftechnologythatenterthedoor ofahospitalfacility.Beyondtheprocurementofnew technology,GreenLightseekstohelphospitalsevolvetheir fullunderstandingoftechnology’sclinicalimpactafterthe pointofpurchase,helpingdoctorsmakethebestdecisions fortheirpatientswithreal-time,shared,instantaneous productperformancedatausingGreenLightasan embeddedpartnerformanyyearstocome.
“Our future perspective is to sit as a direct information and communication conduit between hospital systems, manufacturers, and GPOs to get new technology into the physicians’hands faster. The hospital procurement world will be powered by our digital interface. Medical manufacturers will be able to talk directly to physicians for their clinical feedback on products. Hospital IDNs will be able to talk directly to manufacturers about their product pipeline, breaking down barriers with digital connectivity And ultimately, physicians will be able to provide better outcomes for patients while improving the hospitals’ financial health. As we grow in our footprint we will be able to manage all types of technology introduction from capital equipment to high tech medical devices, solving a great collaboration need, using GreenLight to advance new technology through hospital procurement,” Austin concludes.
We simplify hospital value analysis of new medical technology through a collaborative online platformAustin Dirks Founder & CEO
Withitsresolutefocuson consultinginbusiness processre-engineeringand automation,InspiredChange Solutions(ICS)wasfoundedbackin 2002.Fromitsveryinception,the companyrealizedthatinformation technologycanhaveagreatimpacton theproductivityofcompaniesandsave valuabletime.Oneofthecore motivationsofICSweretomove qualifiedpeopleawayfromtimeconsuming,datacapturing,andreport compiling,insteadhelpingthemfocus ontheanalysisofdata.This empoweredmanagementtomake informeddecisions,whichresultedin greaterefficiencies.
ICSdevelopedcustomizedsolutions formanylistedcompanies,andinthe process,ithasestablishedlong-term relationshipswithmanyofits customers.
ICSunderstandsthefraudandrisks involvedintheprocurementprocess.It ispassionateaboutremovingrisksfor thecompanyandthetemptationforthe
employeesbyensuringtherequired internalcontrolsandsegregationof dutiesareimplemented.Additionally, theorganizationalsounderstandsthe stringentrequirementssurrounding budgets,therebyensuringthatthe budgetisdirectlylinkedtothe approvalprocess.
InspiredChangeSolutionshas developeditsownproprietarysoftware solutionsinBusinessIntelligence,and BusinessProcessAutomation.Bothof whichhaveproventobeofgreatvalue intheprocurementprocessforits clients.ICS’ssoftwaresolution–PICS –canbringtogethermultiplepartieson asingleplatform.Thesolutionallows clients,internalstaff,andsuppliersto collaborateregardingrequiredneeds, availablesolutions,andservices,prices andtimeframesonasingleplatform. Theseallowtheprocurementprocess tobecomemoreaccurateandfaster withcostsavings.
ThankstoPICS,theprocurement processiscompletelyautomated, resultingintimesavingsandthe reductionoftheworkloadthatisoften associatedwithprocurementprocesses.
PICSautomatestheprocurement processbycontrollingtheworkflow throughsegmentationofdutiesbutalso allowsforinternalriskmanagementas neededperclient.Thesolutionalso allowsthemanagementofvarious suppliersandtheratingofsuppliers, therebycreatingahistoryofsupplier performancethatcanbepassedfrom onepersontothenextandevenfrom onedepartmenttothenext.PICSalso providesformultiplecustomersand supplierstobeconnectedastheneed arises.
PICSisdesignedwiththreekey strengths,including
Ÿ It can be adapted to the procurement needs of various companies’ by changing the configuration.
Ÿ It is web-based, cloud-based and mobile-based, making it scalable; this way, more and more users can be added very easily.
Ÿ It automates the process so that the workflow between suppliers, staff, and clients is easily set out and tracked. Goals can be set and performance can be monitored. It also allows for internal control
Ÿ measures to be included.
PhillipDeJager,CEOandFounderofInspiredChange Solutions,isatruevisionarywholedthecompanytowhat itisknownastoday.Hismaintargetwastoassist companiesinre-engineeringandautomatingbusiness processes.PriortoICS,heworkedforvariouslarge corporates,duringwhichhesawthemstrugglingwiththe bureaucracyofheavilyloadedprocurementprocesses.His passiontoseeprocessesbeingautomatedcameintofruition throughthePICSsoftwaresolution.Philliphassuccessfully grownICStoscalingheights,whichnowincludemultiple divisionsandhassuccessfullydevelopedmultiplesoftware productsthathaveproventobetheinspiredchangethat manycompaniesneed.
ICS’sprocurementsolutionshaveintroducedrenewed mindsetswithinthecompaniesthatithashelpedtodate. Thecompanyhasseengreaterefficienciesandcostsavings. Addingtoallthat,ICShaswitnessedmanyeffective controlmeasuresthroughautomation.
InspiredChangeSolutionshasavisionofcentralized procurementsolutionsacrosscompanybordersandeven thecreationofsupplierportalsforspecificindustries.This
canincludepublicratingandpricing.Thiskindof collaborationwillplayabigroleinspeedingup procurementapprovalandminimizingriskbyensuringits clientsareworkingwithreliablesuppliers.
WorkingwithasolutionlikePICShasallowedICStolearn andgrowwitheachclient.Asitisaflexiblesolutionitcan easilybeadaptedtotheclientandsupplierneedsas required.Customersaresousedtoworkinginasetway thatwhenInspiredChangeSolutionspresentswhatPICS candoforthem,itishardforthecustomerstobelievethat theprocurementprocesscanbecomesostreamlinedand effectiveatthesametime.Thetimeandcostsavingsseem almostimpossibleinanoldmindset.
Nowadayscompaniesaresittingonlargeamountsof unexploredvaluabledata.Datasciencewillplayabigrole inminingforthegoldindata.Thankstothetriedandtested techniquesandtoolscoupledwithmassiveexperiencein multipleindustries,ICScaneasilyfindgoldfromdata whereothersseedust.TheICSmethodologymakes businessintelligencesystemseasier,moreaccessibleand moreeffectivebysimplifyingandintegratingservicesinto astandardplatform.Thisnotonlyallowscompaniestosave money,buttobemoreefficientandhavebettercontrol.
In our years of experience we have designed our software around four key areas to achieve growth for our customersPhillip De Jager Founder & CEO
Procurementisanimportantconceptasitistheprocessoffinding,agreeingtermsandacquiringgoodsandservices orworksfromanexternalsource,mostlyviacompetitive biddingprocess.Theprocessinprocurementisusedto makesurethatthebuyerreceivesgoods,servicesorworksatthebestpossibleprice,withoutsacrificinginquality, quantity,timeandlocation.Procurementactivitiesareoftendividedintotwodifferentcategories,directandindirect procurement.DirectProcurementreferstothepurchaseofgoodsandservicesthatbecomepartofwhatyourorganization sellstoitsexternalcustomers.Whereas,IndirectProcurementconcernswithpurchaseofgoodsandservicesthatdoesnot becomepartofwhatyourorganizationsellstoitsexternalcustomers.
Intoday’seconomicenvironment,doingwhatyouhavealwaysbeendoing—evenifyouarebestatit—isnolongerupto snuff.Underpressuresupplychainmanagersmustredesigntheoperationsratherthanjustimprovethemtocontaincosts andproduceresults,despitechallengingcircumstances.Thisprovesthatadoptingphilosophies,methods,and processeselevateanorganizationon“top-of-the-line.”
Ifanyorganizationisimplementingsomeofthesebelowmentionedpractices,theycanseea strongimpactonsupplychainexcellence.
NeedforGoverningSupplyChainCouncil–Agoverningcouncilisestablishedso thatobjectivesandstrategiesofsupplychainorganizationsdirectlycorrelateswith thecorporatestrategy.Thecouncilisalsobeneficialinremovingbarriersto successthatexistinsidetheorganization.Sincethesupplychainorganizationis nowawareaboutthebarriers,theyhavetheopportunitytoperformuptotheir potential.
TechnologyShouldWorkforYou–Manycompanieschoosesoftware thattheyhopewillmakethemmoreefficient,andthentheystructuretheir workflowsandprocessesaroundthatchosentechnology.Instead,they shouldfirstreviewtheprocessesthatneedimprovement,andonlythen selectthetechnologythatbestsatisfiesthoseprocessneeds.
Bigorganizationsrecognizetheimportanceofanefficientpurchase-topayprocessandhaveadoptedstrategiesandmechanismstogetthe greatestbenefitsfromtechnology
AnalliancewithKeySuppliers–Bigcompaniesworkalongwith suppliersevenafteradealhasbeensigned.Inmanyorganizationsthese days,itiscalled“supplierrelationshipmanagement.”Butthatonly impliesone-waycommunication(tellingthesupplierhowtodoit).For
moreeffectiverelationshipbetweenbuyersandsellerstwowaycommunicationisrequired.
CollaborativeStrategicSourcing-Strategicsourcingis thecoreofboomingsupplychainmanagement,althougha collaborativestrategicsourcingdrivedeliversbetter outcomes.Feworganizationsalsoincludecustomersin decisionmakingprocess.Thisapproachnotonlyensures accessibilityofsupplies,butalsoresultsinreducing aggregatecost,streamlinedprocedures,andincreased understandingtocustomers’evolvingneeds.
TotalCostofOwnership(TCO)overPrice–Settingupa “TotalCostofOwnership”outlookisanobjectivethatthe supplymanagementorganizationneedstoembraceand sustainthroughouttheentireenterprise.Itwon’tbesimple, however,toconvinceyourcompany’sexecutiveleadership totrulyprioritizevalueoverprice.
ContractsUndertheSupplyChainNetwork-More companiesaremovingresponsibilityregardingcontract managementtothesupplychainorganizationinsteadof leavingitinbuying,legal,finance,oroperations.One advantageofthismoveisthatitensuresthecontracts aregatheredandkeptupinacentralstore. Themigrationofthecontract managementnetworktothe supplychainorganizationalso
permitsthesupplychainleadertomoreviablyusethe company’sspend,especiallyintheareaofserviceswhere thereisahugechanceforcost-reductionandrisk moderation.
EnhanceCompany-OwnedInventory-Theworldwide economicdownturnimpliesthatmanyCFOshavekept inventoryontheirradarscreens,andtheirfinancialteams arecontinuouslysearchingfornewideastoenhancethe bottomlineandreduceworkingcapital.Supplychain organizationsshouldthereforecontinuouslyreviewthe inventoryquantitiesandendeavortokeepthematanideal level.
Lack of planning and forecasting are direct causes of inventories that are out of stock with the business's needs. Hence, best-in-class organizations also are placing more emphasisondemandplanningandforecastingasothermeans ofensuringidealinventorystocks.
SetupAppropriateLevelsofControlandReducing Risk-Supplychainmanagementpoliciesandprocedures oughttofollowasuitablesequenceandstructure,anditis essentialtoreviewthemconstantlyandupdatethemfrom timetotime.
However,goingtoofarinbuildingpoliciesandprocedures isapossibility.Thisiswhybestcompaniesregularlyaudit theirpoliciesandcontrolstoconfirmthattheyarenot creatingcongestions.
Someorganizationsareinducingsoundtechniquesthat include:(1)Analyzingalltheriskelements;(2)Figureout thechancesoftheriskincidentoccurring;(3)Estimating thedollarimpactonthesourcingdecisioniftherisk incidentcertainlytakesplace;and(4)determinetheorder fordealingwithrisksformonitoringandprevention.
TakingSocialResponsibilitySeriously-Whilemaking anypurchases,socialresponsibilitiesarealsoconsideredby buyersandconsumers.Socialresponsibilityisdeignedin suchamannersothatitisofmeasurablecorporatepolicies andproceduresthatresultsinfavorofbetterworkplace. Whenitcomestoriskevaluationandpurchasingofgoods, socialresponsibilityplaysavitalroleinbestinclasssupply management.
Acompanythathasameaningfulsocialresponsibility programprotectsoffensivecommentsfromworkersand/or consumers.
Thefactorsaresimplytoocompellingtoignore.Inthe followingparagraphs,Ihopetogiveyouasnapshotofhow embracingtheconvergenceofstorytellingandtechnology, changedourbusinessdramatically.
JocelynandIsetupBeachHousePictures12yearsagoto createcontentthatwearepassionateabout.Sure,itwas alsoimportantthattherewasagapintheAsianmarketplace forgreatinternationalqualityprograms,andthatSingapore supportedthemediainamyriadofways,butfromthevery beginning,ithasalwaysbeenaboutthestorytelling.
JocelynLittle ManagingDirector
Welearnedquicklythatrunningthecompanyislike runningamarathon.Youkeeponeeyeonthefuture,while youbuildonwhatyou’vegot.So,whilewewereatwomanteammovingourownfurniture,wekeptinvestingin diversificationandscalingup.Welearnttoremainsteadfast toourvision(greatstories,globally),buttostayflexibleto adapt.Goodthingtoo,becauseinthelast12years, technologythrewuscurveballaftercurveball.
Waboutthepeople.Talentsfromdifferentfields–writing,producing,editing,thelistgoeson–cometogethertocraftamazingvideocontentthatgoonto inform,inspireandentertainpeoplethroughtheirtelevision sets.
eusedtosaythatthestorytellingbusinessisall
Withinthefirsttwoyears,aco-productionforDiscovery Channelcalled Man Made Marvels challengedusto upgradefromStandardDefinition(SD)programdeliveries toHighDefinition(HD)deliveries,tokeepupwith internationalbenchmarks.Forasmalloutfitwithlimited resources,itwasatoughlearningcurve.Youcaneitherturn itintoanopportunitytogrow.Orfailandbeviewedas inadequatetocompetewiththerestoftheworld.The choicewassimple.
Thesedays,technologicalinnovationplaysahugerolein notonlydemocratizingthefilmmakingprocess;makingit moreaffordabletotellstoriesataprofessionalquality.Itis alsotransforming what kindofstorieswetell, where people cangetitand how theyconsumeit.Andit’snotjustabout thetelevisionanymore,it’sthesecondscreen,waitno,it’s alsothe virtual screen.Technologyisreshapingthevery faceandfateofthecontentbusinessandthosewhocan graspitstruepotentialearlyandmakethebraveleap forward,couldreaptherewards.
Thattransitionpavedthewayforournexttechnological leap–3Dfilmmaking.Nottoolongago,theworldwas goingga-gaoverAvatarandthelatest3DTVsets. Manufacturerssawanopportunitytomakealotofmoney, butmakingthecontentthatwouldkeeppeoplegluedtothe devicewasnoeasytask.Themainproblemwasmakingit fastenough,goodenough,affordableenough,andat volume.Wecouldn’tcompetewiththelargercompanies throwingmillionsatmega-productions,butwecould
Donovan is a founding partner of Beach House Pictures and spearheads strategy and content development. He also executive produces, writes and directs many of the company’s international productions, and is overseeing BHP’s expansion into online content with the integration of new technologies. One of Asia’s most experienced factual filmmakers, Donovan has worked on award winning shows including Lonely Planet Six Degrees for TLC (Best Entertainment & Best Editing –Asian TV Awards) and Megastructures: Singapore’s Vegas for Nat Geo International (Silver World Medal – New York Festivals).
developcosteffectivemethodsoffilming3Dthatachieved adocumentaryaesthetic(most3Dfootagewereslavestoa tripod,wemadeourshandheld)andpassedQCatthe highestlevels.Moreimportantly,theyhadtobegood stories.Wemadeover15hoursofcontentinjusttwoyears, whichwasagreatmeasureofsuccess.
However,3DTVeventuallyfadedawayduetoalackof demand,withanothervideoformatrisingthroughtheranks –Ultra-HighDefinition(UHD),commonlyknownas4K. Withinaspaceofafewyears,wehadtoinnovateagainto stayaheadofthecurve.Bythispoint,wehadgrownasa companyfromatwototwenty-manteam.Wehada
growingbusinesstofeed,yetwecouldnotignorethe opportunitiesofUHD.Alotofeffortandtimewasputinto multi-taskinginbothgrowthareas.Culminatingin successfulearlyUHDdeliveriestoNatGeoWild(Otter Town)andChannelNewsAsia(Aerial India).With Otter Town gettingthenodasfinalistsatthe2017NewYork FestivalsforBestNature&WildlifeandBestSound Design.
AsUHDlookssetforexplosivegrowth,anotherexciting newareaofstory-techconvergencecametoourattention. Andthetimingwastoogoodtoignore.
Bythistime,wewerea70-mancompanywithmoreresourcestoinvestinthepotentialnewrevenuestream-VirtualReality Webelievethatthe’experiential’contenthavecomeandgoneandthatVR(especially360video)needtobeenhancedby greatstorytellinganddirectedtowardsdefinitiveusergroups,likeeducation.BHPsoonbecamethefirstcompanythatthe MinistryofEducationallowedtopilotVRinSingaporeschoolsand,inadditiontotheMOEwealsoworkedwithSamsung forhardware.Thissingleexperiencehasledtoevenmoreopportunities,whichcouldfundamentallychangeourbusinessyet again.
Youcouldsaythatthemoralofthestory,istowell,sticktotellingagreatstory, your story,whileembracingchange.Less simplyput,neverignorehowseeminglydivergentideascouldconvergetotransformyourbusiness.Weliveinarapidly evolvingstatusquo.Andwhileitcanbeveryscary,itisalsofullofhope.
Nowadays,thereseemstobea lotofpaperworkinvolvedin thetransportationindustryand muchlessusageoftechnologythen onewouldexpect,especiallyin commercialbusinessprocesses,which arestilllargelyperformedinExcel sheets.BasedinBrno,CzechRepublic, 3kg isonesuchcompanywithits eSourcingsoftwareforfreightthat deliversreducedratesforshippersby bringing-forwardtransparencytothe wholeprocess.
Whilemanagingglobalfreight procurementatelectronics manufacturerCelestica,LeeEden–3Founderofkg –spentafewyears pushingExceltoitslimitsbefore decidingthatthiswasaprocessindire needofapropersoftwaresolution,and hencethecompanywasestablishedin 32013.kg boaststwodistinctfreight procurementproducts,eachofwhich approachesadifferentaspectofthe freightbuyer’sjob.
Thefirstproduct,titledProcurement,is forrunninglargetenders:goingoutto marketforratesthatshouldbevalid for6-12monthsonregularlanes.The
LogisticsServiceProviders(LSPs) quoterateseitheronlineorby uploadingavalidatedExceltemplate 3tothekg system.Thisway,insteadof spendingweekstryingtocleanup, validate,andcompareExcelfiles,the customergetsanimmediateapples-toapplesoverviewofcompletingoffers andcanevenusethesystem’spowerful analysisandscenario-modelling capabilitiestobuildaward-winning strategies.
Thesystemmakesiteasytorelease targetedandconstructivefeedback, therebydrivingimprovedratesover thenextround.Afterthebidprocess, 3kg becomesthecustomer’sratemanagementsystemand communicationplatformforfuelsurchargeupdates,forbothnew-lane quotationsandforfreight-invoice verification.Bytakingcareofthemath involved,thesystemallowsthe customertofocusonthemorestrategic elementsofthenegotiationandupon LSPrelationships,hencepushingthe freight-buyer’sjobfurtherupthevalue chainandmakingitalotmore rewarding.
Thesecondproduct,SpotQuote,isfor one-offad-hocshipments.Theslick requestprocessdeliverstheRFQto
LSPswhoquotetheirall-inrateonline forthespecificshipment.Thecustomer 3selectsthebestofferandcanusekg forinternalapprovalstokeepthe premiumfreightcostundercontroland addressitsrootcauses,instead.
Anyfirmwillingtolaunchastart-up shouldrecognizetheirexpertiseand chooseanindustrywhichthey understandwell.LeeEdenhadbeen deliveringexcellentsavingsyear-onyearatCelestica,usingatransparent processwithconstructivefeedbackto bidparticipantstoleveragehis$50m freightspend.Addtothat,aproficient ITdepartment,andtheresultswould surelybeevenbetter
“Transportation does not fit nicely into generic eSourcing software: ratestructures are typically just too complex and you need to be able to model the impact of unpredictable shipment sizes and volumes over a large number of shipping lanes. The procurement module of the Transportation Management System we were using at Celestica did not understand incoterms or non-USD currencies and did not have enough columns to cope with our LCL ocean-
freight rates. There was clearly a gap in the market to which we could apply our expertise,” mentionsLeeEden.
3kg runswithoutanyexternalfinancing,therebyallowingit toprimarilyfocusontheproductratherthanworrying aboutkeepingtheVChappy Thecompanydoesn’t necessarilyhavealargemarketingbudget,nordoesit possessabigteam(buteffectivenonetheless),butitgets ampleamountofsupportfromitsfirstbigcustomer A globalfreightforwarder,whichusesthecompany’s 3softwareforTenderManagement,pushedkg todevelop functionalitythatithadnotplannedoriginally.Though,the TenderManagementproductlooksattheprocessfromthe othersideofthetable,ithasreallystrengthenedthe 3Procurementsolution,askg nowhassomethingthatworks bothforthecustomerandforthebidparticipants.
AspecialistinTransportationProcurement,LeeEden, boasts20yearsofextensiveexperienceinSupplyChain andLogistics.Initially,Leeusedtowritemuchofthecode himselfbutowingtohispositionatthecompany,todayhe ismuchlessactiveonthedevelopmentfrontandmore focusedonthebusinessaspectandlookingafterthe 3customers.Whenkg implementsitssolutionsupona
customer’sreal-worldchallenges,Lee’sexperienceand backgroundplaysakeyenabler
AFutureDrivenbyContinualImprovement Leementionsthat “Transportation procurement will not be Excel-based ten years from now. It will take time because it is complex, but there are massive efficiency gains for all parties in moving the process online. The combination of 3kg Tender Management (for LSPs) with Procurement software (for shippers) is unique in the industry and will drive adoption on both sides of the table.”
3kg hopestogetbiggerandleveragethatescalationtoadd morefunctionality,improvethesolutionfurtherand becomeTHEplatformforfreightprocurement;something thatisalreadyonthevergeofhappening.
We aim to offer innovative, lean and easily manageable technology solutionsLee Eden Founder
Theworldreliesuponthe brainpowerofscientiststo discoveranddevelopnovel andinnovativeproducts.However, therearepressingoperational challengesthatscientistsface, includingR&Dproductivityissues. Companieshaveexploredamyriadof strategiestooptimizeproductivity–includingacquisitionsand reorganizations–withmanyturningto outsourcedR&D–nowagrowing, globalindustry.However,thecost, inherentdelaysincontractingand managingprojects,andintellectual property(IP)anddatasecurityissues canchallengethebenefitsoftraditional outsourcing.ElizabethIorns,Ph.D.,–ascientistandentrepreneur–realized theneedtostreamlineR&D outsourcingandfacilitateaccessto qualifiedscientificserviceproviders. Alongwithco-founderDanKnox, Elizabethsetouttodemocratizeaccess totheworld’sscientificexpertise,in ordertoincreaseinnovationandmove theresearchworldforwardatafaster pace,resultinginthefoundingof ScienceExchange
Sixyearsfromitsinception,Science Exchangetodayistheworld’sleading andmostsecureplatformfor outsourcedresearch,providingan efficientprocure-to-payplatformfor orderingover6,000servicesfroma networkofmorethan2,500qualified scientificserviceproviders,allwith pre-establishedcontractsinplacethat protectclientintellectualproperty(IP) andconfidentiality.Increasing
scientists’accesstoinnovationand improvingproductivity,whilefreeing themupfromtheadministrativetasks anddelays,ScienceExchangeserves theentireR&Doutsourcing continuum.Fromprocurementand financetoR&Dleadershipandthe researcherswhoareusingoutsourced servicesforcriticalscientificprojects, ScienceExchangeenablesR&D organizationstoconsolidateresearch outsourcingspendintoasingle strategicrelationship,therebydriving efficiencyandcostsavings,whilealso increasingthespeedofinnovation.
UniquelyCombiningSoftware InnovationwithAnExperienced& QualifiedTeam ScienceExchangeuniquelycombinesa softwareplatformwiththesupportofa 60+employeeteamtodeliveranendto-endsolutionforstreamlinedR&D outsourcing.TheScienceExchange platformwasalsothefirsttooffer accesstothousandsofscientific serviceprovidersunderasingle, comprehensivecontract,whichis managedbycontractsandcompliance teamthatbringsdecadesofindustry experienceandhaspersonally negotiatedmorethan$2billionin R&Dservicesagreements.
Additionally,ScienceExchange employsthelargestandmostqualified teamofadvanced-degreeandindustrytrainedstaffscientiststoassistwith sourcingofcomplexstudiesand projectmanagement.Itsscientists publishinpeer-reviewedjournals,
comefromdiversescientific backgrounds,andhavecollectively sourcedandmanagedthousandsof studies,includingthe Reproducibility Project: Cancer Biology —thelargest replicationstudyeverconducted. Thefirmalsosupportsitscustomers procurementstrategiesbymerging R&Dservices,sourcing,contracts,and paymentprocessingintoasingle strategicserviceproviderrelationship. Itconfigurescategory-specific approvalworkflowsintoits marketplacemodelanddelivers real timetrackingofkeyperformance indicators(KPIs)relatedtooutsourced R&Dinvestments.
Moreover,standingapartfromthe otherindustrymarketplaces,Science ExchangeisSOC2-Certifiedand PrivacyShieldcertified,ensuringthat customers’dataaresecureandthat theyremaincompliantwithlaws regulatingthetransferofpersonaldata. Additionally,ScienceExchangeisthe onlyR&Doutsourcingplatformthat operatesunderanISO9001-certified qualityassuranceprogram,with continuousperformancemonitoring ensuringthatthenetworkcontainsonly thehighestqualityofsuppliers.
Enteringinanindustrylikebiopharma thatisriskaverseandreluctantto change,ScienceExchange’smission–toenablebreakthroughresearchby fundamentallychangingtheway scienceisdone–wasnotaneasy proposition.Attheoutset,Science
Exchangeexploredseveralapproachestoconnectscientists withserviceproviders,uncoveringchallengeswith protectingIPandenablingfulltransparencyinpricingfor thecustomersandserviceproviders.Thecompanyhas sinceremainedconsistentwithabusinessmodelthataligns growthincentiveswithitsclient’sROI.
ScienceExchangechargesavolume-basedtransactionfee, withitscustomersrealizingmoreinannualdirectcost savingsthroughcompetitivebiddingandtimesavedthan thetotalamountpaidinfees.ScienceExchangeisalsothe onlyplatformtoensurefullcosttransparencybynot chargingfeestoitsserviceproviders,removingbarriersto entryandeliminatingtheneedforproviderstomarkup pricingtocoverlostmargins.Thebusinessmodelhas proventobesuccessfulasthecompanyhasgrownits enterprise-widestrategicsourcingagreementswithleading pharmaceuticalcompaniesbymorethan2000percentsince 2015.
Co-founderandCEOofScienceExchange,Elizabeth leadsthefirmfromthefront.Thelifesciencesresearch communityhasbeentransformedbyElizabeth’sabilityto executeuponhervisiontotransformtheprocurementand deliveryofoutsourcedR&Dservices.Thankstoher tenacityanddrive,andherdeepunderstandingoftheneed forimprovedR&Defficiency,ScienceExchangeis enablingbreakthroughscientificdiscoveriesbyproviding researcherswithanonlineplatformforefficientaccessto theworld’sbestoutsourcedR&Dserviceproviders.
Becauseoftheplatform’sclearbenefitstoprocurementand scientificleadersatbiopharmaR&Dorganizations, Elizabethhassuccessfullynegotiatedenterprise-level agreementsbetweenScienceExchangeand12outofthe world’stop20biopharmacompanies,aswellaswith numerousbiotechandpharmastartupincubators.
InadditiontosupportinginnovationacrossR&D organizations,ScienceExchangeoffersreportingtoolsto helpitsclients,includingsomeoftheworld’stoppharma andbiotechcompanies,toperformreal timeKPI monitoring.
“The Science Exchange enterprise dynamic report gives me the ability to tease out diverse suppliers and export spend data. Our procurement management team has been thrilled with the report,” isthetestimonyofGregSmith,Associate Director,IndirectR&DProcurement,TevaPharmaceuticals Industries,Ltd,provingScienceExchange’simportanceto theprocurementindustry.
Withventurecapitalfundingofcloseto$60millionsecured sinceitsinception,ScienceExchangeisembarkingupon continuedexpansionofitsplatform.Inadditionto continueddominanceofthebiopharmaindustry,Science ExchangeisquicklygainingtractionwiththeR&D organizationswiththeagriscience,cosmetics,animalhealth andnutritionindustries.
We exist to enable innovation in scientic research, making it faster, more effective, and more accessible to researchers everywhereElizabeth Iorns Co-founder & CEO
Procurement’ssignificanceasa keybusinessprocesshas expandedprofoundlyinrecent times.Initially,procurementbeganas anapproachtoincorporatepurchasing intosupplychainmanagementamida periodwhenmostlargeorganizations wereattemptingtodealwiththeir operationalexpenses.Truthbetold,the exactdateofprocurement’s ascendancecanbetracedbackto October1983whenPeterKraljic recognizedthatpurchasingmustbea strategicimplementationinan organization,insteadofasimple strategyintheirsupplychain managementprocess.Beforethis change,organizationshadjust consideredprocurementasasubdisciplineofthesupplymanagement process.
Today,procurementisseparatedinto directandindirectprocurement.
Indirectprocurementisthe demonstrationofpurchasingservices orsuppliesrequiredtokeepthe everydaybusinessalive.Without indirectprocurementcapacities, organizationswouldn’tbeabletowork inapowerfulmanner.Realizingthe complexneedsofindirectprocurement
solutions,DilipDubeyformedXeeva in2014.Sincethen,Xeevaisdriving thedevelopmentanddeliveryof intelligentprocurementandfinancial solutions.
IntelligentSource-to-PayProcess DrivenbyArtificialIntelligence Today,Xeevaisaglobalproviderof intelligentcloud-basedprocurement softwareandfinancialsolutionsfor indirectspendandMRO.Usedinover 45countriesandavailablein18 differentlanguages,itssoftwaresuite automatesthesource-to-payprocess withopencommunicationforeinvoicing,procurement,andsourcing. Xeeva’sinnovativeandpatented technologyisdrivenbyadvanced artificialintelligenceandsimplifiesthe procure-to-payprocesswithafocuson drivingresults–leadingtoincreased productivity,improvedcomplianceand control,andasustainablebottomline impact.
Xeevaoffers4solutionsthatmakeupa fullsourcetopaysuite–procurement results,sourcingresults,visibility results,andsupplierresults.Xeebot,
thecompany’sAI,isactiveacrossall4 solutions.Xeebotispart-human,partrobot,andentirelyawesome.Itsunique artificialintelligencemixedwith embeddeddomainexpertiseiswhat powersXeeva. “With Xeeva, the steps involved are reduced and there is less human intervention required to manage your procurement and sourcing effectively. Putting our unique AI technology in place, it continues to learn and provides you with continued results,” Dilipexplains.
Xeebotdoestheheavyliftingforyou–pickingsuppliers,automatingtasks, providingrecommendations,andmost importantly,findingyousavings.He takesunstructuredspenddatathatis scatteredacrossvarioussystemsand quicklycleansesandcategorizesitin ordertoprovideyoudetailed,granular visibilityintoopportunitiestosave.He alsotakestheoutcomesfromstrategic sourcinginitiativesandconvertsthem intousablecatalogitems,makingsure thatyougainoptimalresults.
Xeevaiseasytouse,ITfriendly,ERP agnostic,andsupportsallmajorfile formats.Itisaccessibleanywhere, secure,reliable,andeasilyscalable.
Xeeva’spatentedAItechnologyispowerful,enablingyou tooptimizeyourindirectspend,discovervaluerapidly,and realizeresultsimmediately.
AbouttheKeyExecutive DilipisthefounderofXeeva,andservesastheChief ExecutiveOfficer.Dilipisresponsibleforbusiness strategy,talentmanagement,andisthechiefarchitect behindthecompany’sintelligentprocurementandeinvoicingsolutions.Dilipisalsotheco-founderand chairmanofNetlink.Underhisableleadership,Netlinkwas namedasan Inc. 500 company multipletimesand recognizedasthefastestgrowingcompanyandlargest privatelyheldcompanyinMichiganbyCrain’sBusiness.
Diliphasreceivednumerousawards,including Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year, Automation Alley Emerging Leader of the Year,andhasevenbeeninducted intothe Automotive Hall of Fame forhisprofessionalwork. Hehasalsobeenfeaturedin WDIV TV, WJR AM and National Public Radio’s Morning Edition.Dilipserveson multiplecorporateandcommunityboards.Thisincludes servingasthechairmanof Little Caesars’s Pizza Bowl (MotorCityBowl)andamemberoftheBoardofTrustees atthe Detroit Music Hall.In2009,hesupportedthelaunch oftheNetlinkFoundationforChildren.TheNetlink Foundationsupportsnon-profitorganizationsincluding UNICEF Child Rights andVIPMentoringtohelpchildren achievetheirpotential.
Dilip Dubey Founder & CEO
DilipreceivedhisBEinMechanicalEngineeringfrom Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology andhis MSE,Engineeringfrom The University of Michigan.He alsoattended S.P Jain Institute of Management & Research.
BuildingaTechnologythatMakesitEasiertoFind Savings
Simplifyingtheprocurementprocessfortheenterprise, Xeevabuildsatechnologythatmakesiteasiertofind savings.Itsinnovativesoftwarehelpsorganizations automatetheP2Pprocess,trackspending,andhandle requestsandinvoicesusingitspatentedtechnology. AccordingtoDilip,thefutureofprocurementisAIand machinelearningandtheyarerightattheforefrontofthat. XeevahasmultiplepatentsonitsAItechnologyandis expandingonthatandincreasingthescopeofwhatits softwarecando.Duetoitsadvancedtechnologyandthe wayitdeliversimmediateresults,Xeevaisexperiencinga massivegrowth.Xeevaiscontinuingtorolloutonnew featuresandcomponentsofitssourcetopaysuite.
For organizations that struggle with controlling spend, driving down costs, and gaining complete visibility into indirect spend, we provide intelligent procurement solutions that deliver sustainable results
