Client Name

Matco Foods Limited

Faculty Advisor

Dr. Muhammad Asif Jaffer, Assistant Professor, Department of Accounting & Law

SBS Thought Leadership Areas

Entrepreneurship and Innovation

SBS Thought Leadership Area Justification

In terms of IBA thought leadership area, this ELP is most closely associated with Entrepreneurship and Innovation thought. Although done in an existing organization, the project was entrepreneurial in spirit by suggesting innovative and scalable solutions. It promoted low-cost automation approaches and innovative utilization of current tools (like Microsoft Dynamics) to streamline legacy processes. The resultant recommendations from this project can be used as a model to be replicated in other mid-sized organizations with similar issues.

Aligned SDGs

GOAL 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

Aligned SDGs Justification

This project closely relates to SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure, as it updates organizational systems and fosters innovation in supply chain management.

NDA

Yes

Abstract

This Experiential Learning Project (ELP) was executed to evaluate and digitally optimize the Procurement-to-Pay (P2P) cycle in Matco Foods Limited, Pakistan's largest Basmati rice exporter. Given Matco's complex supply chain activities and dependence on Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009, the project intended to realize structural and procedural inefficiencies within the P2P cycle and recommend cost-effective, scalable digital interventions that reflect best industry practices. The overall goal was to enhance the transparency in procurement, reduce delays, eliminate redundant manual processes, and facilitate improved internal controls and supplier relationships. The study employed a qualitative exploratory research strategy based on structured interviews. Stakeholders representing main departments of procurement, finance, IT, audit, and warehousing were interviewed to map the end-to-end P2P process. The research approach focused on interview analysis, process flow mapping, and gap identification in comparison to global and local industry standards such as APQC standards, IBM, Novartis, and local companies like PPL and Chase Up. A major methodological strength was the multi-stakeholder view, which allowed for a comprehensive understanding of not just system-level limitations but human-centered challenges in the existing workflow. The outcome showed considerable gaps in all stages of the P2P cycle. Manual processing of Purchase Requisitions (PRs), email-based quotation management, physical Purchase Order (PO) approvals, and isolated invoice and payment tracking systems were some of the key inefficiencies. The lack of real-time status, disjointed workflows between departments, and limited ERP integration were causing delays, and inefficiencies. The new model, which is guided by Business Process Reengineering (BPR) and Lean Thinking, envisions an entirely digitized process utilizing Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009. Its salient features are digital PR generation with automatic routing of approvals, RFQ and vendor assessment through systems, PO approvals integrated with ERP, real-time Material Receipt Note (MRN) generation linked to Gate Pass Inward (GPI) postings, and centralized invoice and payment tracking. The above transformations are suggested for improving the Procurement-to-Pay (P2P) process. Overall, this ELP provides Matco Foods with an operationally realistic, technologically feasible, and culturally aware transformational roadmap. The proposed solutions provide scalable solutions for mid-sized organizations that experience similar ERP challenges. These changes will position Matco for more effective procurement, improve sustained competitive advantage in an increasingly digitized landscape if implemented correctly. Keywords: Procurement to Pay, Gap Analysis, Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009.

Document Type

Restricted Access

Document Name for Citation

Experiential Learning Project

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