In FY15, we continued to consolidate our procurement functions into a single corporate team, allowing for greater control and consistency in the procurement process across all our regions. This allows the team to focus on different procurement portfolios rather than individual regions.
Through our procurement strategy we established a dedicated team of managers across Australia and the USA to manage all sourcing and procurement activities. We also upgraded our procurement systems to a company-wide platform, allowing a central resource for the review, approval and payment of suppliers. This will increase our visibility over all purchasing decisions made across the business, and also provides a central point for our suppliers to manage their interactions with us.
In October 2014, the procurement team was recognised at the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS) Australasian Awards, winning the award for Best Infrastructure or Capital Works for delivery of the CityLink Tunnel Resurfacing Project. CIPS, the global industry body, holds the awards annually to recognise excellence in procurement and supply throughout Australasia.
The procurement initiative received the award for successfully introducing strategic sourcing into the CityLink tunnel resurfacing project — completed in FY14 — which was one of the most complex road maintenance projects in Victoria and required the closure of CityLink’s two tunnels for seven days.
The award also recognised the expertise of the wider project team who delivered the complex project on-time, under budget and with minimal traffic delays.
In FY15, Transurban continued a number of long-term partnerships with social enterprises in an effort to support local employers, small businesses and people who may be at a disadvantage in seeking work.
In Australia, we partner with Ability Works Australia (AWA), an organisation that employs, trains and supports people with disabilities and provides meaningful employment.
In the USA, we continue to support the Small, Women- and Minority-owned Business (SWaM) Procurement Initiative and the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Program. In FY15, Transurban and its partners awarded over US$33.8 million in contracts to SWaM entities working on the 495 Express Lanes and over US$22.9 million to DBE and SWaM entities involved in the 95 Express Lanes – for a total of over US$56.7 million in contracts.