S1:E19 - MTN Group: How a $12B Telco Turned Procurement into a Value Center Using AI

In this episode, I’m speaking with Guarav Sharma and Laila Kakar about how they used AI and app rationalization (10 ERPs into just one) to transform the procurement function of Africa’s MTN Group, a $12B telco, from a cost center to a profit center.

To solve the many challenges they faced, MTN developed:

• An AI-powered chatbot that stays informed by observing a variety of company data streams

• Robotics process analytics focused on 15 high-impact business processes

• A recommendation engine focused on value generating opportunities, and

• A decision-support system based on game theory to supports negotiations with other vendors in complex multi-unit tenders in part by simulating 50+ million negotiation scenarios.

Guarav is MTN’s senior manager for procurement excellence and Laila is MTN’s senior data analytics manager.

Resource links:
Guarav’s LinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/in/supernegotiate/

Laila’s LinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laila-kakar/

Company website: https://www.mtn.com

Link to Allen’s website http://TechCopy.net

If you would like a shareable edited transcript of this episode, please contact Allen Bernard at [e-mail].

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