Digital transformation for procurement and contract process efficiency.
Using Adobe Document Cloud, EDF – DIPDE boosts document workflows, streamlines procurement process, and enhances security.
Reduced document validation
time up to 88%
Objectives
Increasing order validation rates on suppliers’ Market Framework
Accelerating document workflows without impacting document security
Eliminating costs of printing and mailing orders
Results
Reduced document validation time up to 88%, from 16 days to 16 hours
More efficient and less costly workflows
Provides visibility into document status
Improves security and traceability of documents
Greener clean energy
With a large portfolio of facilities in Europe, South America, North America, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa, Électricité de France (EDF) is a major player in providing nuclear energy—along with other forms of traditional, renewable, and alternative energy—to millions of customers. Proud to produce more than 90% of all its energy without releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, EDF is working to push that number higher with every new innovation.
The company’s commitment to delivering clean energy resources extends beyond its power plants into its offices. The DIPDE (Division of Nuclear Power Plant Engineering, Deconstruction, and Environment) based in Marseille has dedicated itself to adopting paperless processes throughout every stage of its operations, particularly in procurement, to reduce its carbon footprint.
In addition to greener processes, EDF – DIPDE sees enhanced electronic document workflows as a key opportunity for improving operational efficiencies and performance. “Traditional document workflows have many built-in inefficiencies and costs that can easily be avoided,” says Thierry Belloeil, Purchasing Policy Coordinator within the Contractual Performance Department of DIPDE. “Electronic document processes enable us to be much more agile and Adobe Document Cloud provides the nucleus of our ecosystem.”\
“Added visibility with Adobe Document Cloud also means that we have better oversight and control over complex documents. Some of the document files we work with are quite lengthy. We can now easily track workflows to confirm progress and keep information secure.”
Thierry Belloeil
Purchasing Policy Coordinator, Contractual Performance Department, DIPDE
Speed and security
To drive its document processes, the DIPDE’s Contractual Performance service adopted Adobe Acrobat Pro DC and Adobe Sign for document sharing and electronic signatures for EDF – DIPDE and its partners. Document exchanges are now managed electronically and the company gets the orders it needs faster and more securely.
EDF used to only receive about 50% of documents it sent for signature, on average, and it took up to 16 days. The company wasn’t certain when or if the document reached the people who could sign an order, which resulted in considerable follow-up effort. With Adobe Sign, the company currently receives the signatures required for more than 135 contracts from 60 suppliers and a volume of more than 2,500 orders per year.
“We are now able to process orders from our suppliers’ Market Framework in one day and validate 100% of them,” says Belloeil. “Adobe Sign also gives us visibility into the status of the order and whether it has been received, opened, or signed by the holder, which reduces our traceability efforts and means fewer round trips to validate orders.”
Key document procedures are now also automated, helping to further accelerate document approval processes. EDF - DIPDE has full control over the progress of orders and thus avoids numerous exchanges, round trips, and errors during the signature process.
Due to the nature of its nuclear energy activities, EDF - DIPDE manages sensitive documents and the security of information is a real priority. In addition to gaining agility, EDF - DIPDE uses Adobe Document Cloud to improve security throughout its purchasing processes. Using Adobe Acrobat and Adobe Sign, EDF - DIPDE complies with ISO 25000 security standards, helping to ensure sensitive information from the procurement process is only shared with people authorized to receive it.
“Added visibility with Adobe Document Cloud also means that we have better oversight and control over complex documents,” says Belloeil. “Some of the document files we work with are quite lengthy. We can now easily track workflows to confirm progress and keep information secure.”\
“In terms of paper, stamps, envelopes, and human resources, we estimate that we’ve saved more than €64,000 and 30,000 pages since the project was commissioned, which translates into €16 saved per order. Adobe Document Cloud helps us reduce our environmental impact and enables us to have significant savings by moving to zero paper.”
Thierry Belloeil
Purchasing Policy Coordinator, Contractual Performance Department, DIPDE
Smaller carbon footprint
Leveraging Adobe Document Cloud and electronic document management means that EDF’s Nuclear Power Plant, Decommissioning, and Environment Engineering Division works more efficiently and productively while reducing its environmental impact. The company spends less on paper, envelopes, document copies, mailings—and the associated resources—to operate its business.
“In terms of paper, stamps, envelopes, and human resources, we estimate that we’ve saved more than €64,000 and 30,000 pages since the project was commissioned, which translates into €16 saved per order,” says Belloeil. “Adobe Document Cloud helps us reduce our environmental impact and enables us to have significant savings by moving to zero paper. You can only imagine these same savings at the level of the EDF Group!”
The cost, time, and environmental savings achieved by DIPDE’s Contractual Performance department has raised the interest of several other entities within EDF. The EDF Group is already studying an approach similar to that put in place, in order to multiply the benefits.
Says Belloeil, “My team plays a pilot role for Adobe Sign in our company. Colleagues from other EDF departments are interested in our project and we are convinced that Adobe Sign could be implemented throughout the company.”
“We’ve been able to achieve substantial results with Adobe Document Cloud—saving time, money, and resources while generating important efficiencies,” Belloeil continues. “It’s a project that our customers and the public should hear about as we continue to work toward delivering greener, smarter, and more efficient energy solutions.”
Recommended for you
https://main--bacom--adobecom.hlx.page/fragments/customer-success-stories/contact-footer
