Paddy Power Betfair Brochure 2019

PROCUREMENT EFFICIENCY THROUGH TECHNOLOGY TRANSFORMATION

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PADDY POWER BETFAIR TARGETS PROCUREMENT EFFICIENCY WITH DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION WRITTEN BY

SOPHIE CHAPMAN PRODUCED BY

JUSTIN BRAND

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PA D D Y P O W E R B E T F A I R

As the company invests more in technology, Paddy Power Betfair is ensuring efficient procurement processes with spend analytics, as Colum Colbert explains

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ith the gambling industry continuing to evolve with changing legislation and new technologies, Ireland’s

Paddy Power Betfair (PPB) has operations across Europe, America and Australia. The firm manages several brands which have 04

evolved along with the industry. When Paddy Power was founded in 1988, it followed a traditional gambling model with shops on high streets.

As well as growth within its business model, the company has expanded its global presence through mergers and acquisitions. In 2010, Paddy Power acquired Sportsbet, one of Australia’s leading bookmakers. In 2015, Paddy Power and UK-based Betfair agreed to merge. Since the merger, the company has sought to increase its global operations further.

Director of Procurement, Jack McMahon, joined Paddy Power – prior to its merger with Betfair – in April 2015. McMahon has over 20 years’ experience in procurement, operations

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PA D D Y P O W E R B E T F A I R

“ My advice here is clear and simple: choose your suppliers carefully.

Look for those who truly can be your partners.They can be critical to your success” 06

— Colum Colbert, Head of Procurement Services at Paddy Power Betfair

and supply chain. With this he sought to implement standard processes and procedures to support stakeholders within PPB. “Our focus has always been to support the business proactively in engaging with our supply base. Our job is to maximise value and minimise risk,” Jack says.

“Our long term plan is to operate on a common platform for systems, process and procedures. Hence, our Global team can have a standard language and get to best practice.

This also helps offer opportunities

CLICK TO WATCH : ‘PADDY POWER – STANDING OUT’ 07 to staff to transfer between Regions

arranging supply, making sure that the

and develop within PPB.”

supply chain is uninterrupted and

Colum Colbert joined Paddy Power

monitoring quality throughout. The

five years ago. He has been working

second is achieving good value for

with the procurement team for the past

money within that supply chain. Now

two years. “Within procurement, my

that I’ve worked in the industry in PPB

own area of Procurement Services is

for two years, I think these two activities

not about sourcing. Procurement

are part of a bigger picture. I think they

Services manage the procedures,

both fit into a greater overall context of

policies and the systems – what I would

managing supply chain risk. Besides

call the ‘infrastructure’ – that enables

risks around security of quality supply

and supports procurement.” He argues

and value for money, there are also

that procurement has traditionally

legal, tax and IT security risks.”

centered around two things: “The first is security of quality supply, such as

The Procurement Services Head suggests that since joining the w w w.pa ddy po we rbe t fa ir. com

PA D D Y P O W E R B E T F A I R

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company, he has witnessed greater

“With a clearer systems strategy in

embedding of its PO system. Provided

place, we have been introducing various

by Oracle, Colbert notes that the role

tools that enable us to achieve procure-

of this system in the P2P process has

ment excellence, what we call ‘Procure-

become clearer to the wider business

ment 2.0’. A good example has been our

overall. The key message of “No PO –

implementation of spend analytics

No Pay” is gaining traction for an increas-

provided by Efficio. We have achieved

ing share of the company’s spend. The

global spend analytics with spend

PO system has created a greater sense

categorised according to procurement-

of spend governance in the company’s

relevant taxonomy. This facilitates

overall P2P systems strategy.

global category management and

Colbert also observes that over the past two years, operations within his

savings planning,” comments Colbert.

The partnership with Oracle is enabling

team have become more concerned

the firm to transform its process for

with achieving and delivering best

contract preapproval, or Deal Sheet.

practice, policies and procedures.

This process helps manage legal, tax,

E XE CU T I VE PRO FI LE

Colum Colbert A Chartered Accountant, Colum formerly worked for 12 years as a manager in Baxter Healthcare’s Finance Shared Services Centre. Here, he managed areas including Finance Training, AP, Procurement Services and GL. He joined Paddy Power Betfair (PPB) plc in late 2013 as Senior Manager for Disbursements, covering AP and Payroll. Since 2017, Colum has led PPB’s Procurement Services team, responsible for driving Systems strategy.

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“ Efficiency is critical.We don’t want to invest in anything that — Name of Person, makes life Position and company less efficient” — Colum Colbert, Head of Procurement Services at Paddy Power Betfair

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IT security and value-add risks in buying.

enabler for people to engage in

By using the Oracle cloud technology,

procurement activity.”

with the help of developer Namos

This concept of partnership with sup-

Solutions, the betting business is

pliers has been key to PPB’s systems

transitioning from a manual to a more

strategy to date. “Many suppliers may

automated process. Paddy Power

claim to be ‘partners’ of their custom-

Betfair are also implementing Market

ers. However, this may often be a mere

Dojo’s eRFx tool to streamline tendering.

cliché or lip-service”, Colbert states.

“Efficiency is critical. We don’t want to

“On our procurement systems journey,

invest in anything that makes life less

our providers truly have been good to

efficient,” says Colbert. “I hope that this

us and for us. I have been astounded

technology and automation develop-

by their flexibility and customer service

ment makes it easier and becomes an

ethic”, adds Colbert. “For example, w w w.pa ddy po we rbe t fa ir. com

PA D D Y P O W E R B E T F A I R

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“ Our focus has always been to support the business proactively in engaging with our supply base. Our job is to maximise value and minimise risk” — Colum Colbert, Head of Procurement Services at Paddy Power Betfair

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PA D D Y P O W E R B E T F A I R

1988

Year founded

2016

Merged with Betfair

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Shops located in Ireland

Market Dojo sold us an eRFx licence.

meet our bespoke requirements. The

They then stayed with us and ‘held our

common denominator among these

hand’ as we actually launched suc-

providers was that they didn’t simply

cessful eRFx events. Efficio, our spend

sell and then leave us”, Colbert states.

analytics providers, have shown great

He adds “my advice here is clear and

agility in quickly turning around requests

simple: choose your suppliers care-

for data loading, analysis and reporting.

fully. They can be critical to your

Namos Solutions, builders of our Deal

success or failure”.

Sheet tool, invested huge efforts in customising Oracle technology to

In the coming years, Colbert expects the company to have a more globally

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integrated procurement function that

of course have to integrate our procure-

collectively encompasses systems,

ment function with these new compa-

processes, policy, and supplier and

nies too,� Colbert concludes.

risk management. “We will globally integrate more of the procurement activity across the existing Paddy Power Betfair entities. There may even be more entities and brands within our business. If Paddy Power Betfair makes further acquisitions, we would w w w.pa ddy po we rbe t fa ir. com

Paddy Power Betfair Belfield Office Park Beech Hill Road Clonskeagh, Dublin T +1800 238 888 www.paddypowerbetfair.com