AN INTERVIEW WITH REGIONAL PROCUREMENT COO LEAD DEEPAK GOPALAKRISHNAN
IN ASSOCIATION WITH
SAP: TRANSFORMATION WITHIN PROCUREMENT
A market leader in enterprise application software, SAP helps organisations generate new opportunities for innovation and growth, to stay ahead of the competition
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he rise of new apps, cloud services and mobile technologies has transformed the way in which consumers live and work. With increased expectations and need for businesses to adapt against ever-changing market conditions, businesses want information at the click of a button in order to gain insights how to manage spend, strengthen relationships with stakeholders and suppliers, and to look at potential processes to unlock savings. With a GDP of $2.4trn, Southeast Asia remains the third largest population in the world, and is a significant driver behind a number of digital services. Businesses are looking for services and technologies which enable increased scalability and efficiency, providing significant value for money. The region has seen an unprecedented rise of small and
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medium sized enterprises (SME’s). Over 7bn people will be connected to the internet by 2020, granting businesses with the need to uncover new opportunities within procurement, and develop a robust, digitally-savvy workforce which enables technical innovation. SAP is responsible for developing solutions, applications and services enable business and public sector customers to operate profitably, adapt continuously, and grow sustainably. The company’s focus is to help customers transform into intelligent enterprises by leveraging the cloud and building a digital business framework. In order to execute this successfully, SAP has had to transform its procurement services. “We’ve been focusing on adopting cutting edge technologies and solutions, and have been adopting SAP Ariba’s full suite,” explains
Regional Procurement COO Lead Deepak Gopalakrishnan. Procurement 2025 By 2025, it is predicted that the procurement sector will become one of the most significant value creators for businesses worldwide. Consequently, SAP is placing increased focus in this area, safeguarding its future interests and enabling further business opportunities. Whilst procurement has mainly been perceived solely as
a traditional governance function, Deepak explains that “SAP Global Procurement Organization has positioned itself as a value enabler,� and focuses on outcomes, rather than solely policies and procedures. SAP now strives to provide longterm sustainable business practices, and drive service value throughout a number of strategic and corporate objectives, communicating these goals to its stakeholders. “We have a very clear ambition to
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Being IoT ready with Bosch There are many inconspicuous components of a vehicle that are largely ignored and taken for granted. However, these parts contribute highly to the running expenses of a vehicle. Tyres are a beautiful example of a complex and intertwined functional product. They contribute more than 25% to the fuel efficiency of the vehicle, determine comfort, speed, traction and other vehicle dynamic parameters and yet, it is the most disconnected amongst all parts. A connected tyre that predicts its own health curve, prevents its own deterioration, diagnoses its own faults and advices its own performance settings is a great example of how IoT can be leveraged for performance and cost benefits. The necessity of building system engineering processes and employing a business case oriented approach to the Internet of Things makes Bosch a frontrunner in this space. Bosch has a proven record of reinventing business models and designing large programs that involve all round aspects of sensors, engineering solutions and accompanied software. We offer a construct to identify IoT readiness and transformation by defining the services and solutions, the current state of the enterprise, and the layers required for transformation. Our array of IoT solutions enable companies to digitize their product development, manufacturing and supply chain processes. If there is a key mechanical part of a vehicle or plant system that needs to be given a voice, Bosch can! With over 20 years of experience in providing quality SAP solutions, and exclusively owning and maintaining several global templates for different customers, Robert Bosch Engineering and Business Solutions Pvt. Ltd has a unique insight into the challenges that customers face. We have been running SAP solutions in over 75 countries worldwide and provide solutions encompassing the entire SAP lifecycle spanning conceptualization, development, rollout and support.
To know more: Robert Bosch Engineering and Business Solutions Pvt. Ltd. 123, Industrial Layout, Hosur Road, Koramangala, Bangalore – 560095, India
help our lines of business by becoming a business value enabler,” he says. Supplier partnerships Transparency and the mitigation of potential risks remain key objectives within SAP’s procurement organisation, which extends towards its relationship with its local, regional and global suppliers. “Our suppliers have been with us for a long time and are trusted partners, bringing innovation and cutting-edge products, technologies and services to our doorstep,” comments Deepak. Increased collaboration through Ariba Business Network will only seek to strengthen these relationships and the development of new products and services. With an understanding of each parties strengths and challenges, SAP is able to deliver value for money through new technological innovations and remain efficient and transparent throughout its procurement services, whilst remaining competitive in the markets in which it operates. SAP Ariba Utilised by over 2.5mn businesses,
SAP’s end-to-end solutions enable businesses to successful manage its risk and supplier information through one centralised platform. Clients are able to receive enhanced analytics, incorporating risk alerts, the delivery of supplier and performance management. “It’s about bringing market knowledge to the table,” Deepak adds. “SAP procurement is helping the lines of business of the company to run better and how to run simple.” “The company has always believed in pioneering in areas that it has expertise in. We’ve got a robust organisational structure which helps us drive strategic initiatives as well as operational efficiency.” With focus on providing increased transparency and credibility, procurement teams will become adaptable to such technological shifts, where it will be essential for the industry to speak with not only suppliers and partners. Staff development These changing shifts within procurement will only become
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“We have a learning development approach and actually encourage people to go cross-functional and cross-geographical, which has worked well for us” DEEPAK GOPALAKRISHNAN Regional Procurement COO Lead
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successful if SAP continues to house a multiskilled workforce, with advanced knowledge in a number of business areas. To this effect, it empowers its staff through a number of training and development programs. Exposing staff to different faces of the business is something highly encouraged within SAP’s procurement organisation. Deepak explains: “Within procurement, we’ve always believed in calling ourselves ONE global team. We give people opportunity in crossgeographical assignments and responsibilities, which help them get maximum exposure. Adopting a learning culture and gaining a diverse workforce, he stresses, is not just about training, but obtaining the best possible knowledge sources in the market. “We encourage people to have a clear development plan and opt for learning opportunities that are relevant to their work Unmatched service delivery SAP continues to improve lives of people in the communities we operate in, and helps businesses run at their best. Supporting businesses in their digital transformation journeys by providing end-to-end solutions which are unmatched in the market, its end-to-end supply chain solutions and exceptional procurement services have led
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Deepak Gopalakrishnan to the delivery of world-class services. “With the fastest growing database in the world with SAP HANA, we are helping people and businesses transform digitally to intelligent enterprises,” Deepak concludes. “We are redefining the way businesses are engaging with their consumers digitally which is key to our vision to help the world run better and improve people’s lives.”
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Regional Procurement COO Lead, Global Procurement Organization, SAP APJ
Deepak Gopalakrishnan joined SAP Global Procurement team to lead the India Procurement team working closely with the Lines of Business delivering value and driving strategic alignment. Over the recent years, he has been focusing on partnering with key regional stakeholders driving strategic partnerships and alignment to help them do what they do even better. Deepak has nearly 15+ years of experience in Procurement across various domains like Retail FMCG and IT/ITeS. While majority of his experience has been in indirect sourcing in the IT/ITeS sector, he has spent considerable time on areas like Compliance, Risk Mitigation with the last few years focused on deploying world class Procurement Solutions like Catalogs, P2P and Business Network to global customers.
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