First Quantum Minerals, Ltd. is a global copper company, is now one of the world’s top 10 copper producers, exporting millions of tons of concentrate from multiple countries to customers worldwide. The company’s E&I department performs extensive procurement for projects across the world. The team sources materials available for projects, from all corners of the globe. The process was manually tracked through email, spreadsheets and paperwork physically exchanged for authorization. It was challenging to compare quotations from suppliers in different currencies and assorted units of measure. The process was onerous and prone to clerical and entry errors, resulting in delays and pressure for the team expected to deliver accurately and on time.
Seeking to integrate and streamline the processes, the team chose the flexibility of Nintex Automation K2 workflows to deploy automation for some aspects of its procurement and cost-reporting systems, beginning with materials requests, adding a line-level quote rationalization and optimization function. Further enhancements included process automation through shipping, to onsite delivery. This has allowed field employees to access forms and documents and submit proof of delivery, predict delivery mapped to purchase orders and expedite accurate on-time payments.
Procurement process automated with Nintex Automation K2
Within the first nine months of the application going live, over 1,000 requisitions and more than 12,000 requisition lines were processed. Not only was Nintex Automation K2 a more cost-effective option by 50%, but it also provided a richer user experience with powerful and feature-rich workflows that fit the business requirements better than alternatives. Processing time and management of the procurement process was reduced by 30%, enabling the business to respond more effectively to fluctuations in demand from the project teams and operations. Additionally, the solution implemented standard currency and unit of measure conversions, and established system access and reporting from anywhere in the world – supporting accessibility and overall project productivity.
