Vanguard Magazine

berger, is leading the front on leveraging technology to help companies and govern- ment "purchase with purpose." SAP Ariba is the world's largest business network, with more than 3 million companies who drive nearly $1 trillion in commerce on an annual basis. OMX is proud to be an Ariba part- ner, sharing procurement opportunities to allow the "network of networks" effect to have the biggest possible impact. Leveraging the historical and real-time purchasing data and supplier intelligence that lives on both the OMX and SAP Ariba networks, companies can do things like connect with and create opportunities for diverse suppliers or shine a light on the materials, regions, and suppliers that are most likely to have forced labour. Atzberger is committed to doing busi- ness with a purpose with technology, to help bring greater purpose from the mas- sive procurement opportunities that exist and to increase the value-add throughout society that can come from these efforts. "SAP Ariba and SAP are purpose-driven businesses, and many of our customers are too," Atzberger said. "We believe it is our role to find like-minded companies and figure out ways that we can work together to do things like building more ethical supply chains, eradicating slave labour, and levelling the playing field for everyone." He went on to explain that when you stop and think about the power procure- ment organizations have when they work together, it's truly humbling. Collectively, the Global 2000 spend $12 trillion on goods and services annually. "These com- panies have the buying power to ensure they provide fair labour practices across their supply chain. That they make op- portunities available to minority and women-owned businesses. And that no slave labour is being used to make their products." Atzberger said that what makes procure- ment awesome is the collective purpose of the profession. "Yes, procurement is about doing the right thing for your business, but improving people's lives is the ultimate leadership challenge. And I think now is the time for procurement professionals to accept this challenge, articulate a collective purpose, and dedicate themselves to it." He talked about how procurement has certainly made great strides over the last decade, becoming more efficient and au- tomated. It has also suddenly become top of mind because it adds enormous value. Atzberger highlighted how this is be- ing looked at. "The CPO who comes in and says, 'I'm saving the company a lot of money' isn't going to get a seat at the table because that's expected. But the CPO who says, 'I'm saving lives or cre- ating opportunities for minority-owned businesses' will be valued. Why? Because consumers are actually looking at whether they buy from companies that support Technology WatCh www.vanguardcanada.com DECEMBER 2017/JANUARY 2018 49 Councillor Michelle Holland of the City of Toronto Eric Miller, President, Rideau Potomac Strategy Group Kevin Thomas, Director of Shareholder Engagement at Shareholder Association for Research and Education (SHARE) Through identifying lower supply chain tiers, contractors can gain full insight into the benefits that they are bringing to different communities, as well as the potential risks within their supply chain.

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