Sydney-based premium fashion distributor True Alliance has successfully transformed its procurement operations through a strategic partnership with global process mining firm Celonis.

The collaboration, implemented through Celonis' Australian partner TEC150, began as a proof of concept focused on True Alliance's troubled procure-to-pay process but has since evolved into a comprehensive solution that provides unprecedented visibility into the company's purchasing operations.

"We were having challenges with our procure-to-pay process," explained True Alliance CEO Roni Perlov.

The company granted TEC150 access to extract relevant system data, allowing experts to analyze standard processes and identify deviations.

"Within a couple of weeks we had a report that was very insightful," Perlov noted.

The implementation centres on Celonis' Process Intelligence Platform, specifically utilizing the Procurement Execution App. Rather than pursuing traditional process optimization, True Alliance has strategically focused on compliance, auditing, and internal control activities - areas critical for a company managing premium global brands.

The solution creates what industry experts call a "living digital twin" of True Alliance's procurement processes, enabling continuous monitoring against defined policies and controls. This approach has delivered three key benefits: enhanced compliance and auditability through simplified audit preparations, strengthened internal controls by identifying procedure deviations, and critical support for the company's upcoming S/4HANA transformation.

"This is invaluable, particularly in supporting our audit requirements and system transformation," Perlov emphasized. "Celonis enables us to operate with greater confidence, maximize the value from new technologies such as AI, and deliver a better user experience for our customers."

Pascal Coubard, VP of APAC at Celonis, highlighted the strategic importance of the partnership. "Our Process Intelligence platform provides the deep process insights True Alliance needs to enhance compliance, strengthen controls, and support critical transformation projects," he said, noting that the technology positions the company to maximize returns on future AI investments.

True Alliance is now expanding its use of Celonis beyond procurement, evaluating the platform for finance compliance activities including duplicate invoice detection, payment terms verification, credit memo management, and GST compliance.

Established in 1982, True Alliance has built a reputation as Australia and New Zealand's premier fashion distributor, representing over 20 world-renowned brands including Speedo, The North Face, and Lacoste.