Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT)

Overview 

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) plays a pivotal role in managing Australia's international relations, diplomacy, and trade policy. With over 5,300 employees, including over 2,300 deployed overseas, DFAT faces complex operational challenges, particularly in managing its procurement processes and supporting its technology stack.

To address these challenges, DFAT engaged Novabridge to develop a bespoke Procurement Application and provide ongoing support for its ServiceNow platform. This collaboration aimed to optimise procurement workflows, improve asset management, and support DFAT’s broader technology needs.

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The Challenge: Optimising Procurement and Managing Complex Technologies

DFAT's procurement processes were previously supported by a mix of outdated systems and manual workflows, making it difficult to manage contracts, assets, and tenders efficiently. 

As the organisation's procurement needs grew in complexity, especially with remote teams worldwide and nearly 90 representative offices (22 commercial representatives), it became clear that DFAT needed a modern, integrated solution to streamline operations.

Additionally, DFAT’s technology stack included multiple ServiceNow implementations, which, while effective, required ongoing support, integration, and enhancements. The challenge was to ensure that these systems worked seamlessly together while enabling future growth and meeting DFAT’s operational demands.

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Solution: Custom Procurement Application and Ongoing ServiceNow Support

Procurement Application Development

In partnership with DFAT, Novabridge developed a bespoke Procurement, Asset, and Contract Management Solution built on the ServiceNow iCloud platform. This solution was designed to handle the full procurement lifecycle, from tender evaluations to asset management and financial tracking, ensuring that the department could streamline procurement and maintain full visibility over contracts and assets.

Key functionalities of the solution include:

• Workload Coordination: The application allows procurement teams to better coordinate tasks across departments and time zones, optimising resource allocation and ensuring that workflows run smoothly even with remote teams.
  
  
• Tender Evaluations by Remote Participants: The system facilitates remote collaboration, enabling DFAT team members across the globe to participate in tender evaluations and decision-making processes in real-time.
  
  
• Live Dashboards for Stakeholders: Real-time dashboards provide DFAT’s stakeholders with immediate access to procurement progress, contract budgets, and asset tracking information. This enables faster decision-making, with all critical data in one place.
  
  
• Improved Financial Asset Management: The solution integrates seamlessly with DFAT's enterprise finance systems, improving the management and tracking of financial assets, ensuring compliance, and improving reporting accuracy.
  
  
• Custom Training and Ongoing Support: Novabridge provided tailored training for DFAT staff to ensure they were fully equipped to use the system. In addition, our team continues to support DFAT with system enhancements and integration activities to ensure the platform evolves with their needs.
  
  

ServiceNow Platform Support 

Alongside the Procurement Application, DFAT tasked Novabridge specialists with supporting other ServiceNow implementations across the department. The service management team at DFAT relies on Novabridge for ongoing product development and integration, ensuring their ServiceNow platform continues to operate smoothly.

Novabridge’s support focuses on:

• Integration: Ensuring all ServiceNow modules within DFAT work together, creating a unified experience for users and preventing data silos.
  
  
• Continuous Improvement: The Novabridge team provides ongoing support, ensuring the ServiceNow platform is continuously improved to meet DFAT’s evolving needs.
  
  
• Complex Technology Stack Management: DFAT’s technology environment is complex, requiring specialised knowledge to maintain and develop integrations. Novabridge specialists manage these integrations while coordinating with other business areas and technologies within DFAT.

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Key Benefits and Outcomes

The collaboration between Novabridge and DFAT has delivered numerous benefits, significantly enhancing the procurement process and improving the overall efficiency of DFAT’s operations.

• Streamlined Procurement and Asset Management: By automating procurement workflows and integrating asset management with financial systems, the solution has reduced administrative burdens and improved data accuracy.
  
  
• Improved Collaboration Across Global Teams: The ability to include remote team members in tender evaluations and procurement decision-making has facilitated better collaboration across DFAT’s global network.
  
  
• Real-Time Insights: With live dashboards, DFAT’s procurement teams can monitor contract progress, track asset status, and stay on top of budget allocations, leading to more informed decisions and better budget management.
  
  
• Enhanced Financial Reporting: Integrating procurement data with DFAT’s finance systems has improved the department’s ability to manage financial assets, ensuring compliance and facilitating accurate financial reporting.
  
  
• Ongoing Support and Scalability: The ongoing support provided by Novabridge ensures that DFAT’s ServiceNow platform is scalable and adaptable to future needs. The continuous integration and development activities will allow DFAT to stay ahead of future technology demands.
  
  

Feedback from DFAT

"Working with Novabridge has been a game-changer for our procurement processes. Their deep expertise in ServiceNow and their tailored approach to developing our procurement application has transformed how we manage contracts, assets, and budgets. The ability to collaborate with global teams seamlessly and access real-time data has significantly improved our decision-making."
– DFAT Procurement Officer

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Conclusion: A Future-Proof Solution for DFAT’s Procurement and ServiceNow Needs

The bespoke Procurement Application developed by Novabridge has provided DFAT with a robust, scalable solution to manage the complexity of its procurement processes. By integrating asset management, financial tracking, and real-time data dashboards, the department now enjoys enhanced procurement efficiency and improved collaboration across its global workforce.

Furthermore, with Novabridge’s ongoing ServiceNow platform support, DFAT is positioned for long-term success, with continuous improvements and enhancements that ensure their platform evolves with their needs.

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Ready to Optimise Your Procurement and Technology Stack?

If your organisation is facing challenges with procurement processes or technology integration, Novabridge can help. Contact us today to discuss how our ServiceNow expertise can transform your procurement operations and support your future growth.