Spendsetters Customer Chronicles, Episode 1: Injazat, Philip Clarke

Coupa’s Customer Chronicles is a collection of personal introductions that celebrate our partnerships with new customers.

Philip Clarke — Senior Vice President, 
Strategic Sourcing & Partnerships, Injazat

About Injazat

Injazat empowers organizations to optimize their business goals utilizing cloud and emerging technology solutions and by co-creating transformational digital platforms and services through public-private partnerships (PPP).

A market leader for digital transformation, cloud, and cyber security

Headquartered in Abu Dhabi, the Capital of the United Arab Emirates, Injazat draws on its local expertise and presence combined with several global technology partnership networks to develop market leading services. Injazat’s purpose is to empower human achievement through end-to-end digital solutions that deliver impact and value for customers and communities.

Who are you? Tell us a little about yourself.

I lead the Strategic Sourcing & Partnerships function at Injazat (a Group 42 Company) reporting to the CEO. I fully believe that engaging partners in an ethical, agile, and transparent manner will enable Injazat to deliver our vision to empower human achievement.

I believe that our infused ecosystem of partners and suppliers continues to differentiate our value proposition, enable the introduction of new lines of business, position new markets and territories for expansion, as well as provide scale for solutions that solve complex client challenges — all with velocity. Clearly, together we are stronger.

I vehemently dislike the words “try” and “can’t.” There are always solutions and workarounds if you are willing to look from different perspectives and take calculated risks.

I love spending time with my family, traveling, walking the dog, playing the guitar, and painting.

What is your company’s mission?

Injazat’s vision is to empower human achievement. We exist to create delightful experiences. We do this by orchestrating a wide ecosystem that brings technical design, human design, and business design together to create digital and business solutions that advance communities and enrich those living in them.

Our Strategic Sourcing & Partnerships team provides our stakeholders with agile and seamless digital access to a vibrant ecosystem, infused with innovative, category-leading partners and suppliers that drive co-creation and co-delivery of scalable value propositions.

What were the top challenges before Coupa?

• Ninety percent manual lifecycle execution, which resulted in multiple delays, tactical outcomes, and time delays impacting overall value proposition
• Limited capability to assess, engage, and manage partners, resulting in opportunity loss
• No analytics or data-derived intelligence

What advice would you give to someone facing a similar transformation?

• Alignment in principle that business outcomes will be derived from the deployment of technology infused with accelerated processes
• Work with a partner like Coupa that is committed to your success and works diligently with you to achieve your goals 
• Position 10x leap to align mindsets 
• Ensure overall single thread of ownership and accountability 
• Position for inclusivity rather than exclusivity, bringing stakeholders with you on the journey 
• Deploy in agile sprints which are prioritized to focus on outcomes

What Coupa solutions did you implement?

• Coupa Sourcing and Sourcing Optimization
• Coupa Procurement (P2P) with Coupa Invoicing
• Coupa Risk and Performance Management

What is the best piece of life advice you have ever received?

When I was starting out in my career, a manager once told me, “Philip, do not sit on the sidelines, you have a voice, use it.” This has resonated with me for over 25 years.