Designed to help complex operations efficiently manage inventory, purchasing, and contracts.
This case study showcases a long-term partnership with a successful mid-tier mining company, where Pulse implemented a robust, feature-rich procurement solution that has provided lasting control, security, and efficiency for over a decade.
About the Client
The client is a highly successful Australian mid-tiermining company with approximately 500 employees operating across multiple mine sites. Their operations are supported by a large network of over 2,000 suppliers.
The Challenge: Establishing Control and Efficiency in Procurement
With hundreds of employees and a vast supplier network, the client needed to replace their existing processes with a robust, controlled system for managing the procurement of all supplies and services.
Key challenges included:
- Supplier Governance: They required a centrally managed supplier database to ensure all suppliers were properly approved and qualified before engagement.
- Approval Integrity: It was critical to have a secure, highly configurable system for requisition approvals, with clear financial limits and designated approvers, including contingencies for when staff were on leave or offsite.
- Data Accuracy: Keeping up with frequently changing product and pricing information from suppliers was a significant challenge that led to inefficiencies and potential errors.
- Risk Mitigation: The client needed full traceability of all procurement actions and safeguards to protect against fraudulent activity and engagement with non-compliant suppliers.
The Solution: A Mature and Scalable Procurement Platform
Pulse Supply was implemented to deliver a secure, controlled, and efficient procurement process featuring numerous safeguards. The solution has been a cornerstone of the client’s operations since 2011, scaling with their business and providing lasting value.
Key elements of the long-term solution include:
- Rigid Approval Hierarchies: Pulse established a strict hierarchy of authorised approvers with defined financial limits. The system includes authorised delegates for leave periods and leverages the Pulse mobile app, which sends notifications to ensure approvals are actioned without delay.
- Centralised Supplier Control: All supplier information is held in a central datastore, with role- based security and mandatory approvals for sensitive changes like bank account details, minimising risk.
- Automated Safeguards & Efficiency: The system automatically checks for valid supplier insurance before a purchase order can be raised. For invoice processing, our DocRocket tool automates the reading and validation of invoices, delivering a significant efficiency improvement.
- Innovative Supplier Integration: To solve the problem of outdated product data, the “Punch-out” feature provides users with direct access to supplier websites for up-to-the-minute product and pricing information, including special offers.
The Outcomes: Lasting Security, Efficiency, and Value
The feature-rich procurement solution has been successfully deployed and utilised by the client for over a decade, proving its scalability and reliability:
- Reduced Organisational Risk: The rigid hierarchy of approvers significantly minimises the risk of fraudulent activity. The client is also protected from engaging suppliers with non-current insurance.
- Significant Process Efficiency: Automatic invoice processing has delivered major time savings for the client’s administration team. Mobile approvals ensure the procurement process keeps moving, regardless of an approver’s location.
- Accurate and Agile Sourcing: Direct integration with supplier websites ensures the client can make purchasing decisions based on the latest product availability and pricing, taking advantage of current specials.
- A Proven, Long-Term Partnership: The solution is mature and has scaled effectively to support the client’s growth, demonstrating a successful and enduring partnership.
