ASTRA launches its centralized purchasing and procurement with AREGON

Arab Supplies and Trading Company (ASTRA Group), using the services of Aregon - a leading regional management consulting firm, has successfully launched its new centralized purchasing and procurement system for all their indirect materials, supplies and services for the group's 35 business units, companies, and subsidiaries.
“ASTRA group have already achieved savings ranging from 10% - 24% for different commodities with an average savings rate of 13.5%. But we are not merely talking money here, By implementing the best practices in strategic sourcing, and supplier relationship management and enabling the requisition and purchase order processes with the appropriate e-procurement technology, we have achieved a great leap forward towards efficiency and responsiveness.” Ghassan Akeel, ASTRA Group Deputy Managing Director commented.
The newly established Central Procurement and purchasing service unit will be based in Riyadh with the following strategic goals – manage strategic sourcing contracts, suppliers' relationship management, order fulfilment, and electronic catalogue management.
ASTRA Group deployed Aregon’s Supply Chain Management offerings, commented Saif Khoury, Aregon Director, to provide ASTRA Group with Value Procurement Best Practices, including management solutions for strategic sourcing, contracts management and supplier relations, and the deployment of an electronic Procurement Application to enable the streamlining of the processes across all companies and business units.
“ASTRA group of companies have many diversified and remarkable fields of operations from agriculture and healthcare, to trading and manufacturing. We, at Aregon, are proud to have worked with the creative team at ASTRA group, to give their management greater visibility of group purchases, at the same time drive savings and efficiencies," said Mr. Hazem Malhas, President of Aregon. He further added that, “ASTRA employees can now send requisition orders and purchase orders electronically for goods and services such as office supplies, pre-printed stationary and IT consumables."