Business Process Automation for BLS AG

The procurement department of BLS sought a new solution to automate the tendering process, as the existing Excel-VBA tool no longer met requirements after migrating to SharePoint Online. The aim was not only to replace the old tool but also to standardize processes for a more efficient tendering process.

BLS AG

BLS AG is a Swiss railway company headquartered in Bern. With over 3,000 employees, it operates an extensive rail network in the cantons of Bern, Valais, and Solothurn, including key routes such as the Lötschbergbahn and the RegioExpress Bern-Neuchâtel. Additionally, it offers shipping services on Lake Thun and Lake Brienz.

www.kibag.ch

Background

BLS's procurement department needed a solution to automate the tendering process. The existing Excel-VBA tool was inadequate due to the transition to SharePoint Online and the complexity of migration. Additional features were required to standardize approval processes and improve the overall tendering process.

Solution: AgilePoint and SharePoint Integration

Therefore, BLS decided to leverage 1stQuad's expertise to develop a new tendering platform. Together, they replaced the old Excel-VBA tool with a platform based on AgilePoint and SharePoint. AgilePoint enabled flexible automation of business processes and seamlessly integrated with SharePoint Online, perfectly meeting the procurement department's needs.

The new solution automates the entire tendering process, establishes clear guidelines and responsibilities, and leads to a structured and transparent process. Here are some of the main features and activities that can be performed with the solution:

Tender management: Users can create new tenders, modify existing ones, and track the status of each tender.
Automation of recurring processes: This includes creating SharePoint pages and document repositories for tenders, populating templates with relevant data, and managing approval processes.
Integration of templates and standard structures: This allows all tenders to run uniformly and structured, facilitating collaboration and making the process more efficient.
Direct real-time communication: Employees can exchange messages and share files.
Centralized access to documents: All relevant files and information are centrally stored, making management and access easier for all project stakeholders.

Thanks to the portal, employees can oversee tenders they are responsible for and conveniently perform the required tasks in the procurement process.

Convenient Search

Using the PnP Modern Search solution, a search function was implemented, allowing employees to quickly and easily find the necessary documents. Employees can filter by date, type of tender, or responsible department to refine the results. They can also search the archive of completed tenders for older projects and documents. The search function suggests possible search terms as users type, increasing search efficiency and avoiding typos.

Implementation

The solution was implemented using 16 AgilePoint apps, three SharePoint Online site collections, and Microsoft Teams channels.

The AgilePoint apps cover all necessary tender processes, such as opening new tenders, making changes to existing tenders, various approval stages, and ensuring compliance. They also generate acceptance and rejection letters for tender participants.

The SharePoint site collections are used to manage tenders, document templates, and archiving. They also contain metadata used by AgilePoint to control workflows and customize document repositories. Employees can edit document templates without affecting the tenders.

Microsoft Teams is used to improve communication and collaboration between project stakeholders. In the MS Teams channels, project teams, tender responsibles, and other stakeholders can communicate directly and centrally store relevant files.

Outcomes

With the new solution, BLS can now track and manage all procurement transactions through a central database for the first time. This resulted in significantly increased efficiency, as even small procurement transactions could be better controlled. The uniform structure and use of basic templates made work easier for all involved and improved collaboration. The digitization of approval processes created clear guidelines and responsibilities, leading to a structured and transparent process.

Thanks to the mobile capabilities of SharePoint and AgilePoint, procurement processes can also be tracked, triggered, and approved on the go, increasing BLS's flexibility and responsiveness.

Thanks to the uniform structuring and basic templates, our employees, even more experienced ones, navigate through the tenders with ease and find everything they need. This makes the tendering process more efficient for our customers and facilitates collaboration with BLS. This innovation allows us to work faster and more effectively.

Silvio Gasparini, Team Leader

Strategic Procurement at BLS