Bombardier Transportation extends its partnership with Proactis to standardise procurement processes globally
Bombardier standardised global procurement with Proactis, improving compliance, reducing maverick spend, and supporting over 22,000 catalogue orders annually.
Sector
Transport & Logistics
System Integration
SAP SRM
Operates In
Global
Annual Catalogue Orders
22,000+
Customer Since
2011
How Proactis Helped
“Proactis has helped us in two ways. Firstly, by automating processes, as it would still be a manual transaction without the eCatalogue function. Secondly, the solution allows a certain degree of standardisation to be achieved. This is one of the most important things and provides enormous benefits.”
Bombardier Transportation
Standardised procurement processes across the global organisation, including in countries without SAP software
Automated routine purchasing tasks through eCatalogue ordering and automatic supplier data transfer, eliminating manual transactions
Delivered over 22,000 annual catalogue orders through the platform across 9,444 users worldwide
Improved compliance through automated workflows, PO matching, and a digital Single Source of Truth for all transactions
Reduced maverick spending through the intuitive spot-buy tool, providing a controlled route for spontaneous purchases
Significantly improved the buyer and supplier experience through faster, more interactive information and document exchange
Reduced the risk of supplier non-performance and non-compliance through improved visibility and automated order monitoring
Established a scalable, cloud-based platform capable of supporting ongoing global procurement standardisation and digital transformation
Overview
Bombardier Transportation is one of the world's leading manufacturers of railway technology and a subsidiary of Bombardier Inc., which operates in more than 60 countries and employs over 60,000 people. A Proactis customer since 2011, the company expanded its use of the platform beyond its SAP SRM countries to support the digital transformation and standardisation of procurement processes globally. With 9,444 users and over 22,000 catalogue orders placed annually, Proactis Marketplace provides a central cloud-based procurement portal - automating routine tasks, improving compliance, reducing maverick spend, and delivering a significantly improved experience for both buyers and suppliers worldwide.
Challenge
Bombardier Transportation is one of the world's leading manufacturers of railway technology, operating as a subsidiary of Bombardier Inc. across more than 60 countries. Since 2011, the company had been using Proactis supplier network functionality alongside SAP SRM for supplier management, with the Proactis solution implemented in all countries where SAP software was deployed.
As the company sought to accelerate its digital transformation, the central challenge was to automate and standardise procurement processes across the entire group - including in countries without SAP - through a consistent, globally accessible platform. Manual transaction processing, inconsistent approval workflows, and limited visibility of supplier activity across the network were creating inefficiency and compliance risk.
The primary objective was to increase efficiency and optimise resources whilst making the procurement experience simpler and more intuitive for both buyers and suppliers - and to use digital transformation of workflows and automated approval processes as the core mechanism for achieving group-wide standardisation.
Solution
Proactis Marketplace was extended to create a central cloud-based communications portal for Bombardier Transportation and its global supplier base. Suppliers can upload their catalogues directly to the platform; once approved, these catalogues and punch-out catalogues are searchable by buyers through a built-in eShop. For spontaneous purchases outside catalogued items, a spot-buy mini-tender tool enables buyers to send requests to a defined number of suppliers and add the selected offer to their shopping cart.
Once a purchase is approved, the Proactis system converts the shopping cart into a digital order and makes it available to suppliers via The Supplier Network. Order confirmations, shipping notifications, and any order amendments are communicated back to the buyer electronically - creating a fully digital, auditable exchange of order documents. Automatic transfer of supplier data and PO matching ensures data integrity and compliance across all transactions.
The solution is deployed in all Proactis-supported countries - not just those running SAP - providing Bombardier Transportation with a unified procurement platform that works across its entire global footprint, regardless of the local ERP landscape.
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