Welcome to IBX Newsletter!
In this issue you can read about the exclusive seminar professor Arjan van Weele held at IBX where he proclaimed that purchasing is heading for some big changes to match the new global business environment.

We will give you some news from IBX customers and partners such as Hydro and SAP, and an interesting story about how Lego managed to bring down spend by ten percent.

Finally, we provide you with IBX plans for the future and the launch of IBX Supplier Search.

Have a nice summer!
/Eva Svensson

Professor Arjan van Weele

Purchasing is evolving from transactions to relationship. Today purchasing is also more and more about creating values. That’s what professor Arjan van Weele told the IBX staff during a much appreciated seminar, recently held in Stockholm.

- The purchasing function needs to be transformed and IBX provides the necessary tools which bring companies forward in this aspect, said professor van Weele.

»Click here to read more about professor van Weele’s seminar at IBX.

IBX has entered into a ten-year cooperation agreement with SAP that constitutes one of many strategic components in the company's continuing European expansion. The agreement is based on SAP's purchasing solution, mySAP SRM, which is an important part of IBX's platform for the development of IBX future on-demand purchasing solutions and services for powerful and cost-efficient purchasing processes.

- We look at the cooperation with IBX as a new and interesting sales channel for our purchasing solution. The positive sales results of IBX, including several European agreements with SAP-customers last year, proves that their deep, functional competence and developed network of purchasing managers work and will benefit both SAP and our customers, says Henrik Rasmussen, President of SAP Nordic

» Click here to read the full press release

Henrik Rasmussen, President of SAP Nordic

Jesper Ovesen COO Lego

Traditional toy manufacturing is not what it used to be. Fierce competition from discount producers and electronic games has led to flat growth and deteriorating profit margins. As in other industrial sectors, toymakers need to meet this challenge by producing innovative high-quality products at low cost. For Danish toy manufacturer Lego, part of the answer was to rethink its procurement operations.

“The foremost challenge was to bring down our EUR 650 million spend. When we reorganized the procurement function, our target was to bring down spend by ten percent. We’ve actually achieved this goal now, in less than two years,” says Jesper Ovesen COO of Lego.

» Click here to read the interesting article of how Lego changed their focus to strategic purchasing

The demand for efficient purchasing solutions is increasing in the public health sector. The most recent partnerships are with Helse Sør and Helse Øst, two out of five regional health authorities in Norway, with a combined annual turnover of approximately EUR 4.5 billion and some 57 000 employees.

– I’m confident the new e-business solution will render major cost-savings in the long run. The new purchasing platform will enhance contract compliance and enable us to better oversee our possibilities when entering new contracts. It will make all our purchasing safer and simpler, thus reducing administratiaion and increase quality for us as well as our suppliers, said Reidar Løkken, Head of Purchasing at Sykehuspartner and Project Manager for this eCommerce project at Helse Sør.

» Click here to read the press release

“During 2005 IBX continued to grow successfully. We have enhanced our cooperation with existing customers, and signed new agreements with leading global players, such as IKEA, Hydro Aluminium and LEGO. We have also been privileged with new talented co-workers, strengthening our position as the single largest competence centre for purchasing in Europe”, said Hans Ahlinder, CEO of IBX.

Net revenues for the full year 2005 increased by 55 percent to SEK 187 million (120), while operating income before depreciation was up to SEK 15 million (9). IBX plans for continued growth during 2006, coupled with strategic acquisitions on prioritized markets.

» Click here to read the full press release

Hans Ahlinder CEO IBX

Supplier search is a crucial step in the strategic sourcing process, but in many cases this step is foreseen or neglected. It is of outmost importance that a broad list of suppliers is identified and evaluated in order to secure savings in the later phases of a strategic sourcing project. IBX Supplier Search includes a Supplier Search Service as well as a classroom training course.

» Click here to read more about the newly launched IBX Supplier Search offering

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