Newsbyte: Al-Futtaim Drives Procure-to-Pay Efficiency with Ariba

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Mar 31, 2015, 08:30 ET

WALLDORF, Germany, March 31, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Procure-to-pay efficiency is something many companies dream about. But with the help of Ariba, an SAP SE (NYSE: SAP) company, Al-Futtaim Group is making it a reality. On April 8, Al-Futtaim will discuss how it is leveraging the world's business network to fuel an automated procure-to-pay process that delivers game-changing improvements. This will take place during an interactive breakout session at Ariba LIVE, the premier business commerce event being held April 7–9 at The Venetian in Las Vegas.

As a diverse automotive company going through a rapid phase of growth, Al-Futtaim understands the need to keep things moving. So when manual processes and lack of standardization began to hamper its procure-to-pay operations, the company set out on a new course.

"We needed to gain better visibility into and control over our spend," said Asad Zaidi, director of Procurement and Performance Improvement, Automotive Division, Al-Futtaim. "And we knew that in order to achieve this, we'd need to automate our operations."

The company tapped into the Ariba® Network and the cloud-based applications for procurement and invoicing delivered on it, and laid out an aggressive plan to:

Create a standard, best-practice procure-to-pay process that would provide a clear view into spend and contracts and improve controls and compliance
Enable suppliers to collaborate electronically on everything from sourcing and orders to invoicing and payment
Give business users a friendly, consumer-like experience by enabling them to procure through catalogs
Digitize invoices to reduce errors and inefficiency

"We needed to change the way we did business," said Zaidi. And since Al-Futtaim implemented Ariba solutions, that change has come. Today, the company has a uniform and centralized process for purchasing goods and services across its operations. It has all but eliminated manual purchase orders, and the majority of its invoices are received and processed electronically.

"Al-Futtaim operates one of the most efficient and effective networks of automotive companies in the Gulf region," said Tim Minahan, senior vice president, Ariba. "In leveraging Ariba's business network and the cloud-based applications delivered on it, the company is driving new levels of efficiency that enhance its performance and the value it delivers to its customers."

Al-Futtaim joins a roster of companies set to attend and present at Ariba LIVE. Registration for the event is now open. For more information or to reserve a place, visit www.aribalive.com.

For more information, visit the SAP News Center. Follow SAP on Twitter at @sapnews.

Media Contact:
Karen Master, +1 (412) 297-8177, [email protected], EDT

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SOURCE SAP SE