According to the International Data Corporation, the Middle East, Turkey and Africa (META) region is expected to spend up to $40 billion on digital transformation initiatives by 2022. In keeping with these new technology disruptions, Protiviti Member Firm for the Middle East Region, a global business consulting firm has partnered with IT consultancy RheinBrücke to enable eProcurement through RheinBrücke’s strategic sourcing solution MeRLIN (Material eResource Linked Information Network).

The agreement was signed by Vetri Selvan, CEO and Managing Partner, RheinBrücke and Arindam De, Deputy CEO and Managing Director, Protiviti Member Firm for the Middle East Region. The event was attended senior leadership from both entities including H.E. Mohamad Hassan Abdullah Alnoman, Chairman of RheinBrücke Middle East.

Protiviti, will be the strategic advisor and partner for the MeRLIN platform in the Middle East market and the team will deliver projects, helping them accelerate procurement digitalization and achieve effective ROI. In addition, Protiviti will also be the cloud integration partner for MeRLIN

Speaking on the sidelines of the event, H.E. Jamal Bin Saif Al Jarwan, Secretary General of UAE International Investment Council (UAEIC) said: “This partnership will enable both parties to deliver value and improve the performances of both manufacturing and public sector enterprises while they continue to adopt spend management solutions to help them gain a competitive advantage by managing complexity, improving supplier relationships, and ensuring supply chain reliability.”

H.E. Alnoman said: “The partnership between Protiviti and RheinBrücke will provide value to businesses, as we are witnessing an upward trend in the market where organizations are attempting to reduce their technology costs and focusing on supply chain transformation through the implementation of procurement digital solutions.”

Globally, supply chain disruptions can cause a 62% loss in finances. This partnership between Protiviti and RheinBrücke will ensure agile procurement operations.

Commenting on the new alliance, Arindam De said, “Our strategic partnership with RheinBrücke supports our endeavour to bring innovative solutions to our clients, aligning to their business requirements and keeping pace with the technological disruptions in the region. Together, we share a commitment to helping enterprises streamline and optimize their purchasing processes through strategic sourcing and eProcurement”.

MeRLIN is recognised by analysts such as Spend Matters for its depth and solution coverage and was recently named as a Notable Vendor in 2022 Gartner® Manufacturing Context: Magic Quadrant™ for Procure-to-Pay Suites.

*Gartner, “Manufacturing Context: Magic Quadrant for Procure-to-Pay Suites”, William McNeill, Cian Curtin, Kaitlynn Sommers, March 7, 2022.

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