SNCF implements its new Oracle procurement portal with Bull and CSC
French national rail company SNCF awards a CSC/Bull partnership the contract to develop its new purchasing portal and procurement database, based on Oracle's PeopleSoft Enterprise ERP platform
Paris,
February
28, 2006 -
SNCF has gone live with its new purchasing management portal (incorporating a procurement database), based on Oracle's PeopleSoft Enterprise solution and developed jointly by CSC and Bull. The new system will enable 5,000 users to process all the annual purchasing requirements for SNCF's activities, including its rail business.
In order to optimize its activities, SNCF chose the eProcurement, Purchasing and Strategic Sourcing modules of PeopleSoft Enterprise. The new portal effectively provides SNCF's procurement teams with a powerful sourcing tool that enables them to manage invitations to tender and reverse bidding on line, and develop a 'family' strategy for categorizing purchases and referencing suppliers.
The system was further supplemented by a paperless billing and supplier accounting system based on the AP module, also implemented by a group led by CSC.
"SNCF is keen to use information technology to its full potential, to improve its internal efficiency and serve its customers better. The new purchasing portal is a key element of its ERP program, which aims to bring the company's business activities, processes and internal management systems up to the same level as the best large businesses in Europe," explained Jean-Pierre Menanteau, SNCF's Director of Finance, Purchasing, Information Systems and Telecommunications.
Working towards simplifying and harmonizing procurement practices
The implementation of the PeopleSoft Enterprise ERP solution at the heart of SNCFs information systems is line with its chosen approach to simplify and harmonize its business practices to improve customer satisfaction and reduce the administrative costs associated with purchasing. The solution that has been implemented will provide:
- A tool to help define the company's procurement strategy
- Automation of certain administrative tasks
- A reduction in the number of purchases not covered by pre-negotiated contracts
- Increased file traceability
- An improvement of working practices to bring them in line with the best practices incorporated in the standard processes offered by the PeopleSoft ERP package.
To achieve this, SNCF turned to a joint team from CSC and Bull, which was responsible for the overall system design and the detailed business process, and the implementation of the Oracle ERP solution, including specific developments, data recovery processes, interfaces and customization, as well as support for implementation and user training.
"Bull's expertise resides in its ability to help its customers all every stage in the reworking of their business processes and in aligning their information systems with business needs. To achieve this, Bull's 300 specialist business intelligence and ERP consultants know how to make the most of the available technologies thanks to their in-depth knowledge of business functions including procurement, finance, the supply chain, manufacturing and human resources. This project is proof of the continued successful development of Bull's consultancy offerings,"affirmed Michel Husson, Director of Bull's Services Management business.
Having successfully gone live in December 2005, the project will continue to be developed during 2006, most notably with a regional roll out. This latest phase of the project will also set in motion the preparations for application maintenance, where CSC and Bull will again be applying their functional and technical expertise.
About SNCF
The company's revenues were 15.5 billion euros in 2004, and the Group's consolidated revenues were 22.05 billion euros.
In 2004 SNCF carried 944 million passengers (compared with 904 million in 2003), including:
- Main-line passenger journeys 329 million
- Local journeys in the Ile-de-France region 615 million
- Rail freight 117 million tonnes
SNCF is a publicly-owned company (Etablissement Public Industriel et Commercial) governed by articles 18 to 26 of the Interior Transportation Orientation Law of 30 December 1982 (LOTI) which came into effect on 1 January 1983, following a 45-year period as a mixed economy private company, established on 1 January 1938.
Following a modification of the law on 13 February 1997 - which led to the creation of a new public body, the RFF (Réseau Ferré de France - French Rail Network) with the aim of renovating the country's rail transport infrastructure - SNCF's mission is to:
- «to deliver rail transport services on the national rail network, according to the principles of public service;
- to be responsible for managing the rail infrastructure, following those same principles&» according to a mandate conferred on the company by RFF in the form of a contract.
SNCF is overseen by an 18-strong Board consisting of:
- seven representatives of the French State,
- five members chosen for their expertise, including at least one passenger representative, appointed by decree,
- six other members including a management representative, elected by the employees of the company and its subsidiaries.
The Chairman of the Board is appointed by Ministerial decree, on the recommendation of the Board.
SNCF is managed by the following Executive Committee:
- Louis GALLOIS Chairman
- Guillaume PEPY Executive Managing Director
- Marc VERON Managing Director - Freight
- Jacques COUVERT Managing Director - Operations
- Mireille FAUGERE Director, France-Europe Travel
- Bernard SINOU Director, Public Transport
- Jean-Pierre MENANTEAU Director of Finance, Purchasing, Information Systems and Telecommunications
- Paul MINGASSON Company Secretary
- Pierre IZARD Director of Human Resources
- Bernard EMSELLEM Director of Corporate Communications
- Elisabeth BORNE Director of Strategy
The following people are also part of the Executive Committee:
- Pierre BLAYAU Chairman of Géodis - Chairman's Adviser
- Claire DREYFUS-CLOAREC Chairman of SNCF Involvement
Directors of the central services units report to the Executive Committee.
The 23 Regional Directors report directly to the Chairman.
SNCF is managed autonomously. A schedule of conditions, approved by decree, sets out its rights and obligations. The application of document determines the various financial arrangements between the State and the company (such as pension contributions, social discounts...). The schedule of conditions also sets out the rules governing passenger fares and freight transport rates: although only passenger fares are ratified by the Ministry of Transport (freight tariffs are simply communicated to customers).
As a State-owned enterprise, SNCF is subject to the scrutiny of the French national audit office (Cour des Comptes). In addition, the State oversees the company's economic and financial control, through a permanent Secretariat based at the company's head office, charged with providing written opinions on all questions submitted to the Board as well as all questions or decisions that might have an impact on SNCF's financial equilibrium.
The Group is divided into 30 divisions, comprising a total of 659 companies.
SNCF employs 167,817 people (as at 31 December 2004) spread across some 280 locations.
SNCF operates 30,880km of rail lines, of which 14,589km are electrified, including the 1,540km of high-speed main lines.
Press contact:
Jean-Paul Boulet - 01.53.25.63.21
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