MAN Energy Solutions (ES) has developed a comprehensive supplier management and procurement tool to map all process steps, both in-house and with their suppliers. In this age of hybrid work, it had emerged that the internal document-based collaboration of MAN ES, as well as arrangements made via chat and Meeting, were heading towards Teams.
Campana & Schott, together with Microsoft, ensured that their MANGO business application was embedded in MS Teams as the MAN ES collaboration platform.
The procurement process is crucial for the ability of MAN ES to offer innovative products with a consistent quality at stable prices. The company has developed a tool called MANGO for the supplier management as well as the tendering/contracting process. The procurement department communicates with potential suppliers via this central application.
As part of their introduction of a Microsoft 365-based modern workplace, MAN ES had rolled out Microsoft Teams as their communication and collaboration app by 2020. In the process, it became apparent that one integration was missing: The collaboration in the context of chats, meetings and on documents now happened in MS Teams and thus in a different tool than MANGO. This gap led to interruptions in the process chain and hence to partially extended process times.
To fill this gap, Microsoft was looking for an expert with in-depth technical knowledge of Teams as a platform and in the integration of third-party applications.
Relevant MANGO functions are now made available to all MAN ES employees via Microsoft Teams.
A personal app with bot functions provides a form through which a central purchase request can be created for the department. This provides users with a central channel to initiate a purchasing process that was previously handled in a non-structured manner via email. In addition, the bot allows users to verify the status of their purchase requisitions through the bot alone, without anybody in the procurement department having to take action.
The procurement department members also benefit from additional functions that are available in MS Teams: For them, the app offers a tab with reporting function based on Power BI using MANGO's KPIs.
The bot function notifies procurement staff of relevant status changes of their processes in MANGO. A key feature in this context is when a process step needs to be approved – the bot now sends a message to the employee with relevant process information, and the user is able to provide approval directly in Teams without having to switch to MANGO.
For easy synchronization with specific work objects in MANGO, the advanced Messages feature provides the option to search MANGO records directly from conversations in Teams. To promote collaboration/coordination on specific MANGO processes, MANGO records can be referenced directly in Teams conversations via so-called message extensions.
Suppliers also benefit from additional functions as a result of the developed integration. A booking function in MANGO allows them to arrange a Teams meeting with their competent contact at MAN ES.
The new solution allows MAN ES to combine the collaboration and communication functions with the MANGO platform processes. This results in significantly more efficient and streamlined processes for supplier management, tendering and procurement, which can now be handled directly in MS Teams, supporting the company's strategic goal of effectively using digitization in its products and internal processes.
Headquartered in Germany, MAN Energy Solutions employs around 14,000 people at over 120 sites globally. With products centered around energy & storage, the company enables their customers to achieve sustainable value creation in the transition towards a carbon neutral future. MAN EN is the world’s leading provider of large-bore diesel and gas engines and turbo machines. The company’s portfolio also includes engines for marine and stationary applications, turbochargers and ship propellers as well as gas and steam turbines, compressors and chemical reactors.
