KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia and FRANKFURT, Germany, January 27, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Leading Telecommunications Firm Implements a 'First in Malaysia' Cloud-based Applications Model Alongside Installed Software for Greater Visibility, Compliance and Control Over Spend 

Axiata Group Berhad, DBA Axiata, a leading telecommunications company in Asia, selected Bristlecone and SAP as its partners on their journey to transform their sourcing and procurement departments, and to drive best-in-class processes. This would enable the company to gain visibility on their spend across all the Operating Companies (OpCos) and facilitate compliance, identify and harness spend reduction opportunities and identify the inefficient, non-standard processes that were previously in place. By standardizing and streamlining procurement processes across all OpCos, Axiata hopes to improve governance and increase savings.

     (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140902/703601-a)

A first-of-its-kind project to be executed in Malaysia, Axiata are using the on-premise version of the SAP® Supplier Relationship Management application for "Requisition to PO" processes and the SAP Spend Performance Management analytic application for Spend Analytics Process, alongside its cloud-based  procurement applications from Ariba, an SAP company. As a part of this initiative, Bristlecone is also supporting Axiata to streamline and standardize the Sourcing, Procurement and Spend Management processes across the group for greater efficiency, visibility and governance through the deployment of a harmonized, scalable world-class eProcurement platform.

Axiata chose to cooperate with SAP for its best-in-class functionality and flexibility to tailor solutions as needed, and for the high level of security and scalability with which its software is delivered.  As a result of this implementation, Axiata employees now have a centralized system through which they can search, source and buy items, while complying with corporate purchasing procedures. The new system provides functionality for creating Purchase Request/Shopping Cart, generating Purchase Orders (POs) and for automating the goods received and invoicing processes, using SAP Supplier Relationship Management application for Sourcing, Contracting and Supplier Information Management.

Axiata's approach which integrates solutions from SAP and Ariba provides not only an end-to-end experience for users but more importantly, enables a full end-to-end process transparency and full spend visibility.

Axiata recently won the prestigious 'Procurement Transformation Award' in the prominent "Procurement Leaders Awards 2015 in Asia Pacific. Out of nearly 400 entries from 28 countries within the global membership network, Axiata was recognized as the winner in the Procurement Transformation category.

Peter Chen Heng, Head - Process and Compliance of Axiata, said, "The transformation journey has not been an easy one. Bristlecone's dedication, professionalism and commitment have been crucial factors in the implementation of the e-Procurement platform which has been one of the key elements in our transformation process."

He added, "We are also excited about collaborating with SAP, to enable smarter purchasing decisions through improved comprehensive reporting and process functionality. The intended reduction of procurement expenses and the efficient automation of procurement processes will fuel the business growth we are aiming for in the future."

"Axiata was by far the most mature implementation in the Procurement Ecosystem out of our 250+ engagements we have successfully completed. They are truly ahead of the market," said Irfan Khan, CEO and President, Bristlecone.  He added, "The multi-country implementation had many complexities, but resulted in tangible benefits for the Axiata Procurement teams."

Terrence Yong, SAP Malaysia Managing Director also commented,"The 21st century enterprise cannot achieve its cost, revenue and cash flow goals without being connected. Software from SAP will help assist Axiata to organize resources and optimize collaboration across their current procurement structure, to achieve new levels of innovation, efficiency and agility to run simple. We look forward to working with Bristlecone to enable this digital transformation at Axiata."

Along with these success stories, Bristlecone is accelerating its India and Southeast Asia investments to enlarge its footprint in the region.

About Bristlecone 

Bristlecone is a leader in advising clients on how to maximize the strategic value of their supply chains and how to assist them in unleashing that value rapidly through the effective use of enabling technologies. Rated by Gartner among the top Supply Chain Management System Integrators, Bristlecone has enabled strategic, incremental value for over 300 customers across multiple industry verticals. With its singular focus on addressing procurement and supply chain challenges, it helps clients diagnose, design, enable and enhance their operations by encapsulating years of experience into pre-configured solutions, accelerated deployments and enhancement packs for the leading supply chain technologies.

Headquartered in California's Silicon Valley, Bristlecone also has offices located across the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, Switzerland, Singapore, Malaysia and India. To know more visit: http://www.bcone.com  

About SAP 

As market leader in enterprise application software, SAP (NYSE: SAP) helps companies of all sizes and industries run better. From back office to boardroom, warehouse to storefront, desktop to mobile device - SAP empowers people and organizations to work together more efficiently and use business insight more effectively to stay ahead of the competition. SAP applications and services enable more than 304,500 customers to operate profitably, adapt continuously, and grow sustainably. To know more, visit http://www.sap.com .

About Axiata 

Axiata Group, Malaysia, is one of the largest telecommunication conglomerates in Asia with operations in Asian markets including Malaysia, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Cambodia, also holding significant strategic stakes in leading mobile service companies in India, Singapore and Iran.

The "Axiata" Group's mobile service subsidiaries and associates operate under the brands of "Celcom" in Malaysia, "XL" in Indonesia, "Dialog" in Sri Lanka, "Robi" in Bangladesh, "Smart" in Cambodia, "Idea" in India and "m1" in Singapore.

To know more visit: http://www.axiata.com  

SAP and other SAP products and services mentioned herein as well as their respective logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of SAP SE (or an SAP affiliate company) in Germany and other countries. See http://www.sap.com/corporate-en/legal/copyright/index.epx for additional trademark information and notices.

All other product and service names mentioned are the trademarks of their respective companies.

SAP Forward-looking Statement
Any statements contained in this document that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "forecast," "intend," "may," "plan," "project," "predict," "should" and "will" and similar expressions as they relate to SAP are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. SAP undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations The factors that could affect SAP's future financial results are discussed more fully in SAP's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), including SAP's most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the SEC. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of their dates.​​​

Press Contacts
Eugene Ho, +65 6664-6239, eugene.ho@sap.com, SGT
Audrey Pereira - Loong, SAP, +65-6664-4498, audrey.pereira@sap.com

Rama Krishnamurthy, Bristlecone - India and SEA markets - +91 95389 65878, rama.krishnamurthy@bcone.com

Rebecca Nerad, Bristlecone - North America and Global markets - +1-802-999-7641, rebecca.nerad@bcone.com

SOURCE Bristlecone India Limited