Fujitsu boosts spend with First Nations suppliers via SAP Ariba

In a stride towards sustainable procurement, Fujitsu has adopted SAP Ariba, markedly enhancing its procurement function. This decisive move has facilitated the company's dedicated support towards First Nations suppliers, raising its spending from a modest $200,000 to an impressive over $5.1 million in recent years.

Fujitsu, encountering challenges in ascertaining a visible supply chain owing to its decentralised procurement process, sought a solution in SAP to establish a consolidated repository for all company expenditures and associated data. As a result, Fujitsu's employees and management have bolstered decision-making capacities, particularly towards empowering and supporting First Nations businesses.

Paving the way for a more inclusive and diverse supply chain, Fujitsu has also partnered with the Indigenous Defence & Infrastructure Consortium (IDIC), an organisation dedicated to developing Indigenous businesses across the nation. As a consequence, Fujitsu has surpassed its initial goal, increasing its spending with First Nations suppliers to $5.1 million and heightened its annual investment with SME partners to $12.5 million.

Nicole Forrester, VP of Purpose, People, and Culture at Fujitsu Asia Pacific, highlights the integral role of the procurement team in driving transformational change in social impact, environmental sustainability, diversity, equity and inclusion. "The SAP solution has provided a platform for Fujitsu to assist our diverse supply chain strategy, which has enabled the increase of spend with First Nations suppliers. When we're able to channel spending towards First Nations suppliers, we're helping to create a prosperous, vibrant and sustainable First Nations engagement," asserted Forrester.

The SAP Ariba has provided the streamlined solution that Fujitsu desired, enhancing the automation of procurement processes which has led to the creation of a centralised hub for end-to-end procurement tasks. This has resulted in a substantial 65% decrease in new vendor processing time, freeing up staff to focus on strategic assignments. Furthermore, the establishment of a central contract repository has resulted in over 2,000 active contract workspaces, where 30% of the contracts have been operationalised for downstream procure-to-pay.

CEO of Indigenous Defence and Infrastructure Consortium Adam Goodes acknowledges the significant impact this initiative has: "This implementation represents a meaningful commitment to supporting First Nations people, and Fujitsu's new guided buying system will provide long-term support and opportunities for Indigenous businesses and communities, helping to shape a rewarding and equitable future." To further increase operational efficiency and promote a diverse supply chain, Fujitsu intends to continue leveraging SAP Ariba to establish hubs for operational support across the APAC region.

Angela Colantuono, President and Managing Director, SAP ANZ, underscored the transformative potential of their tool in Fujitsu's procurement. She said, "We believe that technology has a critical role in helping the world run better and improving people's lives. Fujitsu's implementation of SAP Ariba demonstrates the power of technology in helping drive purposeful procurement and the meaningful impact it can have on the communities in which it operates."