Chicago August 7, 2001 The American Cancer Society (ACS) is installing an Ariba Buyer e-procurement system with the goal of cutting costs and increasing purchasing efficiency by allowing company employees nationwide to buy internal company supplies directly from suppliers.
The society announced this week that it will tap Technology Solutions Company (TSC) to install the e-procurement system. The society announced its selection of Ariba to provide its electronic purchasing platform in May.
Robert Bruder-Mattson, vice president of shared services at the society, cited TSC's experience with the Ariba technology and the business process experience of TSC's consultants as the reasons for the society's selection of the integrator.
In addition to overseeing the project management component of the implementation, TSC will also provide application-hosting services for the society. The ACS project will involve integrating the e-procurement system into the society's backend enterprise resource planning system. When the project is complete, the society will have the ability to expand its available supplier pool through a networked e-business community.
ACS employs more than 4,000 people across the country and has more than 2 million volunteer supporters nationwide. Bruder-Mattson has estimated that moving to an e-procurement system will saving the society about $5 million.
"Giving our employees the ability to purchase company supplies directly from suppliers is a tremendous improvement from our prior methods of procurement, including paper-based, multi-supplier purchasing," said Bruder-Mattson.
Joseph Brucia, vice president of e-procurement at TSC, said: "With the functionality of Ariba's e-procurement solution, the American Cancer Society now has an effective way to streamline formerly cumbersome ordering processes. The cost-savings to a not-for-profit organization such as the [society] will make a huge difference to its bottom line, as well as its ability to help further the battle against cancer."
