Dubai Airports has upgraded its procurement operations by adopting advanced digital platforms like JAGGAER and Tejari, enhancing transparency, efficiency, and sustainability amidst post-pandemic recovery efforts.
Dubai Airports, responsible for managing Dubai International (DXB) and Dubai World Central – Al Maktoum International (DWC), has undertaken a significant transformation of its procurement operations in response to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath. According to an announcement from the airport authority, this overhaul has focused on enhancing transparency, collaboration, and efficiency in supply management to support both routine procurement and strategic capital projects.
The procurement function, led by Vice President Emmanuel Augustin and Senior Manager Henry Shepperd, faced the dual pressures of increased project volume alongside a reduced workforce as airports across the region prepared to ramp up operations. The need to shift from a cost-saving focus to strategic investment prompted the organisation to expand its use of the JAGGAER platform, a technology solution initially applied to sourcing and spend analytics, to now include procurement planning and tracking.
The rollout of JAGGAER’s enhanced capabilities, beginning in August and fully implemented by January, brought real-time visibility into procurement processes. This enabled stakeholders across departments to monitor projects from the request for proposals stage through to contract completion. Shepperd stated that this shift to a data-driven approach allowed the team to “focus on what the data was telling us and act accordingly, with confidence.” Early identification of bottlenecks in technical evaluations or commercial negotiations helped to maintain on-time delivery and budget adherence.
The company said that improved resource allocation was a key benefit, assisting in balancing workloads and preventing staff from becoming overburdened. Furthermore, consolidating projects across departments uncovered cost-saving opportunities, such as spend consolidation, allowing the reinvestment of freed-up budgets. The procurement transformation also integrated sustainability principles in line with Dubai Airports’ environmental, social, and governance (ESG) commitments.
These initiatives align closely with the broader Dubai government’s drive toward a paperless strategy. Dubai Airports has been committed to digitising procurement activities, aiming to eliminate the over one billion pieces of paper used annually in government transactions by 2021. The JAGGAER platform’s adoption reportedly facilitated this vision by automating procurement workflows and enhancing supplier collaboration — a move that was described in supplementary sources as contributing to improved efficiencies, spend visibility, and strengthened stakeholder relationships.
However, the airport’s journey toward procurement digitisation has not been limited to JAGGAER alone. Other reports highlight a partnership with Tejari, another digital procurement platform, reflecting a multi-faceted approach to streamlining procurement processes and accelerating the paperless initiative. This underscores a broader strategic intent by Dubai Airports to utilise multiple digital tools to meet its operational and environmental goals.
While the company claims significant strides in operational efficiency and stakeholder satisfaction following the transformation, it remains part of a wider trend seen in the aviation sector to deploy intelligent procurement technologies. The case of London Luton Airport, which also selected JAGGAER for its procurement overhaul, illustrates the growing adoption of automation and data integration solutions across global airports seeking to improve their competitive positioning through smarter supply management.
As Dubai Airports adapts to evolving global aviation demands, the procurement transformation driven by enhanced digital tools like JAGGAER will likely continue to underpin its ambitions for growth, sustainability, and operational resilience. The initiative serves as a case study in the potential benefits—and complexities—of integrating advanced procurement technology within major infrastructure organisations operating in dynamic and high-pressure environments.
Source: Noah Wire Services
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