MIDDLE EAST procurement can bring from an end to end perspective ,” Sammallahti says .

Diversification In an enterprise that is diversified through so many business facets within the UAE and globally , support from procurement across the whole board from central Group Procurement out to the procurement teams in each Business Unit ( individual sector ) is key in ensuring maximum efficiency and savings .

For Group Procurement and Sammallahti , the focus is on supporting the Business Unit procurement in all aspects , from e-auctions to defining the processes and the policies which are then adapted by each and every one the Units .

The Heads of the Business Unit procurement teams report back to Sammallahti through matrix .

“ Each year we conduct annual

procurement strategies in which I define the key initiatives for the following year , set the KPIs and ensure that our processes are streamlined across the various different Units ,” he says . Sammallahti will work with the Units to tweak and change the processes where necessary to reflect the expertise and various unique demands of each particular Unit .

Flexibility then , is key .

“ All processes are defined at a Group level , which we as Al Ghurair roll out to our businesses .

We look at cycle times , lead times and define the approval matrix before tailoring the policies to be able to work in any particular Business Unit ,” Sammallahti adds .

Market driven Market dynamics change on a daily basis and for any business it is key to be aware of how those dynamics

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