Objectives
In 2014, Frisian Water Board changed to a process-driven way of working, in which the operational procurement process, from placing orders to invoice processing, was examined. The organization came to the conclusion that many employees did their own orders, their own way, often done without prior approval. Each employee had their own way of working and, as a result, employees or departments often placed orders outside of current contracts. This made it difficult to get a clear picture of agreements, the current status of orders and obligations. It was also not clear what and how much was ordered, or from which suppliers. This, in addition to the need to digitize the entire procurement process, was the reason for a complete review. Purchasers, orderers and other interested parties joined forces to create a joint blueprint for the best way forward.
The objective was to establish one uniform way of ordering and invoicing (Purchase-to-Pay) for the entire organization. By standardizing the operational ordering process and having all purchases from current framework agreements run through one central system, the Purchasing department expected to achieve greater efficiency and transparency in the purchasing process - and ultimately save costs. Any new way of working had to be supported by one integrated system in which contract management, order placement, approvals, the monitoring of budgets, processing of orders and purchase invoices could take place. For the solution, the Water Board did not want the complexity of an ERP system, but the flexibility of a best-of-breed solution that could communicate seamlessly with the existing financial system. Based on these requirements, a tender was launched in the market, with Proactis ultimately being chosen.