and that ' s the draft that we give to our suppliers to base their bids on . Once we get the quotes back , we finalise the contract agreement , then use DocuSign to get a quick signature on those contracts .”
Once contracts have been signed , they have an automated bot – referred to as an RPA ( Robotic Process Automation ) – that then releases the outline agreement of the contract on the SAP ERP system , from which the volume of spending for individual contacts is monitored .
The sheer volume and complexity of data that is sifted through and analysed highlights the extraordinary productivity and efficiency that AI is able to achieve compared to its relative human elements . Shell also employs a selection of other ( AI ) systems to bolster and complete their operations .
One of these is Microsoft Power BI ( Business Intelligence ), which is used in conjunction with SAP Ariba to allow procurement staff and stakeholders to easily follow contract journeys . A new Suite Dashboard for Shell ’ s Contract Management Teams ( CMTs ) is to be implemented into Salesforce , too , where they can see and collaborate on the contract relevant to each party .
Digital contracts , the limitations of AI and the need for human intervention Voorn ’ s position is that , even as part of the Shell procurement process – widely recognised as one of the most effective in the world – it is not yet perfect . And this is , he believes , due to the fact much of it still requires a certain amount of human intervention : “ Presently , from a workflow
58 October 2022