The National Library Board (NLB) engaged Activants to develop a supplier management system to effectively handle suppliers’ performance, manage discounts and provide a platform for staff and suppliers to handle the supplier application process more efficiently.
The National Library Board (NLB) was lacking a system that allows them to handle matters relating to the suppliers. Tracking the suppliers’ performance was done manually through the use of Excel spreadsheets. As supplier performance is measured across 6 different departments, these files were sent out to the various head of departments via e-mail. This process is both laborious and time-consuming as manpower has to be allocated to collate the figures and comments, and subsequently send the final version to everyone for final review.
The supplier application process is another tedious procedure for NLB officers. Application forms were submitted by post and after which, the forms were manually passed on to evaluators for their comments. This often resulted in slow response to suppliers, and low work productivity. There is also no standardisation of the operating procedures.
The National Library Board (NLB) and Activants teamed up on the design, development and implementation of the new web-based supplier management system. The team’s major challenge was to shift the current manual process to paper-less process, while minimising resistance to change as the majority of the staff adopted the old way of working for long period of time.
With this in mind, our team carefully transit process by process, while incorporating technologies that would enable staff to perform better in their job. Through this, the team provides a solution that:
As a result of this project, the National Library Board (NLB) finds that the supplier management system enables them to be more efficient operationally. NLB officers are able to:
The following services were provided: