P&SC LIVE Dubai: MTN's Digital Transformation in Procurement

July 18, 2024

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MTN's journey towards procurement excellence showcased at P&SC LIVE Dubai

Procurement & Supply Chain LIVE Dubai convened industry leaders from top global businesses. The event featured keynotes, fireside chats, and panel discussions where executives and experts shared valuable insights and real-world experiences.

One of the standout moments of the 2024 edition was Dirk Karl, Group Executive and Chief Procurement Officer at MTN, discussing digital transformation in the supply chain.

The journey to data-driven procurement

During his keynote, Dirk Karl detailed MTN's early adoption of data-driven procurement, starting with the hiring of their first data scientist in 2017. This marked the beginning of a significant expansion of their data resources.

MTN developed internal skills to integrate data science with procurement expertise, leveraging technology to enhance strategic sourcing and negotiation capabilities. Dirk explained that MTN achieved a strategic advantage by focusing on six core areas, including strategic negotiation and cost engineering.

He described how MTN's negotiation advisory team, Deal Dynamics, uses data science to create negotiation playbooks, leading to substantial results.

"Procurement innovation at MTN is about developing internal skill sets that blend the data science with procurement expertise, combining technology approaches and the data to enhance strategic sourcing and the negotiation capabilities on a daily basis," Dirk stated.

Examples of MTN's innovative approaches included the supplier governance module and the supplier bid behaviour model, which have proven effective in improving negotiation strategies and overall procurement performance.

Dirk also shared principles for building a high-performance procurement Centre of Excellence, highlighting the importance of a use-case library, digital connectors, effective change management and industry collaboration.

Dirk Karl, Group Executive and Chief Procurement Officer at MTN at P&SC LIVE Dubai 2024

Strategic procurement initiatives

Dirk discussed MTN's in-house development of IT solutions, such as the award-winning PKS 360 platform, which integrates machine learning with procurement to deliver strategic value. This platform, similar to a Google search engine for procurement, employs advanced algorithms to optimise sourcing events and provide real-time insights.

Dirk emphasised the significance of combining technology with procurement practices, showcasing how MTN's in-house data science team has been pivotal in this transformation. He described this integration as a "significant game changer for MTN."

P&SC LIVE continues to expand

Procurement & Supply Chain LIVE continues to expand its repertoire of events, with more to come in 2024 and 2025. Discover our essential diary dates below.
2024 diary dates: