Procurement Practices Research Articles

Data-Driven Analysis of Supply Chain Integration’s Impact on Procurement Performance in International EPC Projects

Integrated supply chain management is essential for enhancing procurement efficiency and project outcomes in international engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) projects. Despite its acknowledged importance, there is a paucity of understanding regarding the precise effects of supply chain integration on procurement processes in this context. This research analyzes 45 projects overseen by prominent Chinese international contractors to bridge this gap. The research employs Pearson correlation analysis to identify robust correlations among critical components of supply chain integration, procurement management, and procurement performance. Essential elements, including operational performance, procurement contract management, and stakeholder engagement, are identified as critical determinants of project success. The study seeks to examine how international EPC contractors incorporate the complete procurement management process via supply chain integration. Contractors can improve operational efficiency and procurement management by forming partnerships with stakeholders to acquire and integrate resources, hence enhancing project outcomes. This ongoing enhancement process improves procurement efficiency and bolsters the competitiveness of Chinese contractors in the global EPC market. The study underscores the efficiency and sustainability of procurement processes, demonstrating how optimized supply chain integration advances broader sustainability objectives by minimizing waste, enhancing resource utilization, and promoting environmentally and socially responsible procurement practices in international projects. The research offers significant empirical data and insights for academic inquiries and actual company implementations.

NARRATIVE REVIEW: DRUG AVAILABILITY IN HEALTHCARE SERVICES IN INDONESIA

This narrative review delves into the availability of drugs within Indonesia’s healthcare services, analyzing 11 articles to uncover prevalent issues such as drug shortages, inadequate planning, and various factors influencing drug availability. This review underscores the critical need to ensure sufficient drug availability to enhance patient safety across healthcare settings. By examining journal articles, this review sheds light on the multifaceted aspects of drug availability, including planning management and the methods employed to evaluate their ability. The findings provide valuable insights into improving strategies for drug availability in hospitals and primary health care centers in Indonesia. This study found that out of the 11 articles reviewed, six reported insufficient drug availability, highlighting significant challenges in ensuring consistent access to necessary medications across different healthcare settings, including both primary healthcare centers and hospitals. Furthermore, the study identified geographical disparities in drug availability, with studies conducted outside Java Island reporting more severe drug shortages than those within Java Island. In summary, this study highlights the complex interplay between factors affecting drug availability in Indonesia, including geographical location, supply chain management, and procurement practices. This underscores the need for targeted interventions to address these challenges and improve drug availability across the healthcare system. Keywords: drug availability in Indonesia, patient safety, drug procurement in Indonesia, drug shortage.

Achieving sustainable procurement practices: a parallel mediation model of top management support, transformational leadership, and interdepartmental collaboration

This study aims to investigate the role of purchasing in advancing a circular economy by exploring the relationship between external pressure and sustainable procurement practices. While these practices reduce costs and environmental impact, they also align with sustainable development goals. The study investigates both direct effects and the parallel mediating roles of top management support, transformational leadership, and interdepartmental collaboration. A survey of 327 procurement professionals, analyzed using structural equation modeling, reveals that external pressure has an insignificant direct effect but a significant indirect impact on sustainable procurement practices. The authors empirically demonstrate, by testing four different models, that top management support, transformational leadership, and interdepartmental collaboration act as parallel mediators between external pressure and sustainable procurement practices. The findings provide valuable insights into factors influencing sustainable procurement practices and emphasize the need for organizations to enhance their support for sustainable development, benefitting governments, industries, and other supply chain stakeholders.

Towards sustainable energy selection for ships in response to maritime regulation

Ship owners and operators are continuously seeking financially viable ways to comply with the Sulphur emission limits set out by the IMO, which calls for a reduction of sulphur content in ship fuel to less than 0.5% in 2020. The prudent decision in managing required energy sources by shipowners/operators will lead to an efficient ship operating decision, subsequently resulting in long-term financial return. The study aims to identify the factors influencing ship owners and operators to select the energy types in operating their vessels. Furthermore, the research explores the most desired energy sources to address the IMO Sulphur Cap Regulations 2020. One operation research method, namely the Preference Ranking Organization Method for Enrichment Evaluation (PROMETHEE), and one econometrics tool, namely the conditional logit model, have been used to explore the research objectives. The PROMETHEE analysis suggests that clean fuel (VLSFO) is the best alternative to respond IMO 2020, followed by scrubber installation. The conditional logit analysis suggests almost the same, indicating clean fuel as the only alternative for responding to regulation. The decision is driven by the vessel's age negatively and the size of the vessel positively. The study will enormously impact the ship’s energy procurement practices in Bangladesh.

The impact of adopting green procurement practices on the competitiveness of small and medium enterprises: a dual-mediation model

The impact of adopting green procurement practices on the competitiveness of small and medium enterprises: a dual-mediation model

Evaluating the value for money in procurement for EU-funded projects: the perspectives of Slovak regional and local authorities

Awarding public contracts using evaluation criteria that consider price and quality (MEAT) rather than the lowest price allows contracting authorities to pursue broader societal goals, thereby maximising the potential of value for money. This potential becomes even more important when procuring contracts funded by European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF), which aim to promote environmental sustainability, encourage innovations, and support small and medium-sized enterprises. Despite this, there is a limited understanding of how public authorities adopt MEAT award criteria in procurement contracts co-funded by ESIF resources. Therefore, this paper investigates the effect of ESIF on adopting MEAT in the procurement practices of Slovak regional and local authorities. Using a unique dataset of below and above-threshold contracts, we find a positive effect of ESI co-funding on adopting MEAT criteria. However, this positive effect is significant only when projects are procured using more flexible and straightforward below-threshold procurement procedures. Accounting for prior experience and challenges of complying with above-threshold procurement procedures, the findings underline the importance of organisational capacity in navigating through burdensome procurement and ESIF regulations to obtain the best value using taxpayers’ money.

Cost analysis of adding hypertension and diabetes management into routine HIV care in Mbarara and Ibanda districts, Uganda

BackgroundIn 2016, Uganda introduced services for hypertension and diabetes in selected HIV clinics. We evaluated the costs associated with scaling up these services in HIV clinics in Mbarara and Ibanda districts, Uganda.MethodsWe estimated the annual costs of providing hypertension and diabetes services using an activity-based costing approach from the health system perspective in ten randomly selected HIV clinics in Mbarara and Ibanda districts. Cost inputs included 2023 data on costs of medications, health provider time, salaries, training costs, and monitoring costs. We determined the average annual cost and medication costs for hypertension and diabetes treatment per enrolled adult patient, stratified by type of health facility.ResultsThe total annual cost of hypertension and diabetes management services in ten selected HIV clinics was estimated to be $413,850 (range: $8,386 − 186,973). The annual average clinic-level cost per enrolled patient was estimated at $14 (range: $7 − 31). Of the total annual cost, the cost of provider time for initial and follow-up visits represented the largest cost component in 5/10 clinics (mean: 37%, range [13–58%]). In 4/10 clinics, the major cost components were the costs of medication, diagnostic tests, and related supplies (mean: 37%, range [10–75%]). The average cost per enrolled adult patient was $11 at public facilities and $21 in private not-for-profit facilities. The average medication cost per patient for hypertension was $24 (range: $7 − 97) annually; $13 at public facilities and $50 at private not-for-profit facilities. For diabetes treatment, the average annual medication cost per patient was estimated at $14 (range: $6 − 35); $11 at public facilities and $22 at private not-for-profit facilities.ConclusionAdding hypertension and diabetes management to routine HIV care might be feasible based on the estimated annual cost per patient. Hypertension and diabetes treatment was more costly in private not-for-profit facility-based clinics than at public facilities. This variation was primarily driven by higher medication procurement prices at private facilities, revealing a potential area for optimizing costs through improved procurement practices.

Complexity meets flexibility: unintended differentiation in EU public procurement

ABSTRACT The expansion of European Union (EU) regulations often hampers effective policy implementation in the member states. However, little is known about how these diverse states navigate and apply the complex rules in practice, and with what consequences. This study addresses this gap by examining how the 2014 EU public procurement directives impacted procurement practices across the Union. Using a difference-in-difference design, we find that the EU's goals of harmonisation and competition were undermined in practice. First, we observe a rise in single-bid contracts across EU countries compared to non-EU countries, undermining competition. Second, we demonstrate a growing divergence in policy implementation, where member states with varying administrative capacities and corruption risks display different rates of single bids. Third, we show that while a few Eastern European countries with poor procurement records embraced the flexibility to award contracts based on the most economically advantageous tender, Nordic countries largely avoided this flexibility. This divergence raises concerns that the new EU rules have brought about new corruption risks. These findings have important implications, underscoring the unintended consequences of expanding complex and flexible regulations, revealing that efforts to harmonise the internal market can backfire, leading to increased differentiated policy implementation across the member states.

Does government procurement affect corporate carbon emissions? Evidence from China

ABSTRACT Supply-driven government intervention policies aid firm sustainability, but do demand-driven government intervention policies impact corporate carbon emissions? This study examines the impact of demand-driven government intervention, specifically government procurement, on corporate carbon emissions using the data of listed firms from 2015 to 2021. The results uncover that government procurement decreases carbon emissions by stimulating demand-driven effects and enhancing green innovation. The enhanced effect is evident with sustainable procurement practices and a favorable institutional environment, particularly in Eastern and Central China. This study contributes to comprehending demand-side environmental governance policies and informs strategies for optimizing carbon emission control policies.

Corruption in public procurement: Can e-procurement and artificial intelligence make a difference in Africa?

Corruption is a challenge that hinders countries’ development. The huge spending on public procurement, particularly on capital projects, makes it highly prone to corruption. The conventional paper-based procurement process has been linked to inefficiency and corruption in procurement practices. Given the expanding role of technology in an increasingly interconnected world, many leading experts suggest that technology can be a powerful tool to reduce opportunities for corruption in public procurement. In the past three decades, the use of technology, including electronic procurement (e-procurement) and artificial intelligence (AI), in public procurement has globally gained popularity. However, currently, technology in public procurement is not widely used in the African continent. This paper's main hypothesis is that technology can have an impact on reducing corruption in public procurement in Africa, with a particular emphasis on the prospects and challenges for technology adoption in Ghana and South Africa. The paper analyzes the types of initiatives that helped technology implementation in other countries and the utility of adopting such mechanisms in the context of the subject countries under review. The study investigates the critical success factors for adopting technology in public procurement activities in Ghana and South Africa using qualitative data analysis and mixed theories. This paper aims to assist public procurement practitioners, government entities, and funding organizations in a better understanding of the technology role, including public e-procurement and AI, in their efforts to minimize the scourge of corruption in public procurement.

Compliance to Ethical Procurement Practices in Tanzania: A Case of Geita District Council

The main focus of the study was to investigate public compliance with ethical procurement practices in Tanzania. Three specific objectives guided the study were; to evaluate the extent to which compliance with regulations affects the procurement process; to identify the challenges faced in achieving full compliance with ethical procurement practices and to propose recommendations and strategies for enhancing compliance with ethical procurement practices based on best practices. The study adopted a descriptive research design. The target population constituted 71 procurement officers, and a stratified random sampling method was adopted to obtain 60 sampled respondents from the target population. A structured questionnaire was employed to collect primary data from the respondents. The collected data were analyzed through descriptive statistics and SPSS software. The study findings revealed that, there is a positive relationship between compliance with regulation and ethical procurement practices, and that procurement officers are competent and skilled to enhance procurement compliance. Suppliers also stressed improving the tendering system and clearer item specifications. The study recommends that the Government, procurement policymakers, and procuring entities should adhere to the procurement laws and regulations set up by the PPRA which finally leads to the appreciation of the value of money within the institution. In conclusion, it was emphasized that prioritizing ethical conduct in procurement practices is vital and enhances compliance with procurement regulations and procedures

Environmental Sustainability in Dermatological Surgery. Part 2: Reducing Activity and Future Ecological Strategies.

This two-part review addresses the pressing need for environmental sustainability in dermatological surgery, driven by the NHS's commitment to net-zero emissions. Part 2 of this review extends the discussion of sustainability in dermatological surgery by focusing on system-wide changes in service delivery and identifying future opportunities for reducing environmental impact. Building on the strategies outlined in Part 1, which explored low-carbon alternatives and operational resource optimisation, Part 2 advocates for a comprehensive shift in the skin surgery service. Key strategies include reducing overall surgical activity, advancing research and innovation, and enhancing management practices to align with sustainability goals. Reducing surgical activity mainly involves the prevention of skin cancers, in addition to optimising current patient pathways and empowering patients to take ownership of their follow-up. Outside of immediate clinical decision-making at the individual level, the review highlights the importance of managerial policy, procurement practices and supply chain factors in driving broader national and international sustainability efforts. Advancing the sustainability agenda will also require targeted research and innovation, particularly in digital health solutions using evidence-based practices. By integrating these strategies, this review aims to provide a framework for reducing the environmental footprint of dermatological surgery and advancing towards a more sustainable healthcare system.

Implementing Sustainable Procurement Practices in International Hotel

This research investigates integrating sustainable procurement practices within international hotel chains, particularly examining their effects on food safety, encountered challenges, stakeholder involvement, and eco-friendly initiatives. It analyzes the impact of sustainable procurement on food quality and safety, highlighting measures undertaken to ensure these standards. The study addresses challenges like balancing quality, cost, and sustainability in food procurement and evaluates hotels' eco-friendly strategies, such as using locally sourced products and effective environmental management. Employing a holistic approach through multiple case studies, the research emphasizes the nexus between food safety and sustainable procurement, offering practical insights for the hospitality industry. The primary principle across international hotel chains is to consider environmental impacts comprehensively in procurement processes, serving as a foundational guideline.

E-Tendering and Performance of Humanitarian United Nations Agencies and Non-Governmental Organizations in South Sudan

Purpose: Manual procurement processes are expensive in terms of human resource cost, purchasing cost, wastage due to errors of commission or omissions, cause of delays in delivery of goods, services, and works which accounts for 40% of losses due to inefficiencies, and attracts corruption in the system amongst others. The study aimed to assess the effect of e-tendering on performance of humanitarian United Nations agencies and non-governmental organizations in South Sudan. Methodology: The study methodology adopted an explanatory research design of cross-sectional type for the population under study. There were over 235 National Non-governmental organizations, 150 International organizations in addition to over 15 United Nations agencies, bringing the total target population to 400 organizations. This study targeted 400 humanitarian organizations operating in South Sudan. Therefore, the sample size of 200 humanitarian organizations operating in South Sudan was selected using a stratified random sampling technique. Data was collected using structured questionnaires and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: Reliability findings indicated that e-tendering had a Cronbach Alpha Coefficient of 0.873, and performance had 0.859. The study established that e-tendering had a positive and significant relationship with performance significant (β=0.282, P=0.000). Conclusion: The study concluded that e-tendering has a positive and significant effect on performance of humanitarian United Nations agencies and non-governmental organizations. This study hence suggested that all NGOs and humanitarian agencies should ensure they adopt the use of e-tendering in their solicitation and sourcing processes in conducting procurement activities. The study cited advantages such saving time, wide coverage of markets and reaching more potential suppliers and finally save environment from printing more paper works attaining sustainable procurement practice.

Trends in public procurement and innovation: a bibliometric analysis and future research agenda

PurposeIn recent years, there has been a growing academic interest in incorporating innovation into the public procurement practices. Nevertheless, a noticeable scarcity of current bibliometric studies in this particular field exists. To fill this gap, the study analyzes trends in public procurement and innovation.Design/methodology/approachThe study conducts a bibliometric analysis on data from 354 journal articles and reviews retrieved from the Scopus database. Specifically, performance analysis was conducted to gain an overview of the field in terms of research productivity, while science mapping was performed to analyze the relationship networks between concepts through co-word analysis.FindingsThe initial part of the analysis focused on publication trends and compiled a list of the most influential journals that delve into the field. Generally, the findings indicate an increase in research on public procurement and innovation since 2012, despite fluctuations in the number of publications over the years. The geographical distribution highlighted that countries from Europe have been the most prolific contributors to this field, with limited representation of developing countries especially from Africa. A co-word analysis through VOSviewer identified 11 key clusters that present relevant knowledge themes and future research agenda in the field. The themes revolve around aspects such as sustiainability, development strategies, efficiency in construction industry, societal and regional development, small and medium-sized enterprises' involvement, sustainable public procurement, and tendering.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the body of knowledge by uniquely presenting the trends on publications related to public procurement and innovation, considering recent developments in the field. It identifies key research themes and delves into the identified clusters, concluding with a discussion on potential avenues for future research.

Unlocking innovation and sustainability: lessons from Dubai Expo 2020 for business transformation

Research methodology The data used in the case are collected through both primary and secondary sources. The interview method was used to collect data on the experience of the protagonist on visiting the expo and details about the Expo was collected using secondary sources. Case overview/synopsis The case study examines the success factors of initiatives implemented by the Dubai Expo 2020 team, with a focus on sustainable transportation, energy efficiency, people-centric spaces, biodiversity preservation, water efficiency, waste management, green building and communication. Even though not all objectives were met, the overall progress demonstrates a strong commitment to sustainability and positive effects on environmental, social and economic aspects. In addition, the case study demonstrates how businesses can incorporate social and environmental factors into their decision-making processes, supply chain management and responsible procurement practices. It highlights the significance of sustainability in business operations, stakeholder collaboration and continuous improvement. In addition, the case study provides innovative business models and practices that promote circular economy principles, waste reduction, resource efficiency and inclusivity. This case provides business students with valuable insights into successful sustainability initiatives and strategies for creating a more inclusive and equitable economy. Complexity academic level This case study is appropriate for intermediate undergraduate students in their third year or postgraduate students in their first year, particularly those enrolled in courses on sustainability, operations management, strategic management, supply chain management and corporate social responsibility. The case study is designed to enhance cognitive skills by analyzing and evaluating real-world examples of successful initiatives in sustainability, energy efficiency, people-centric spaces, biodiversity preservation, water efficiency, waste management, green building and open communication. It also aims to develop affective skills by fostering a commitment to sustainable practices and psychomotor skills through practical applications and projects. By analyzing these initiatives, students can comprehend how businesses can integrate social and environmental factors into their decision-making processes, supply chain management and responsible procurement practices to create a more inclusive and equitable economy. In addition, the case study introduces innovative business models and practices that promote circular economy principles, waste reduction and resource efficiency while fostering economic inclusion and equity. Overall, the case study equips students with the knowledge and motivation necessary to drive sustainable change within organizations and contribute to a more sustainable and equitable future.

Strategic Procurement Practices and Performance of Export Processing Zone Firms in Machakos County, Kenya.

Export Processing Zones (EPZs) were established in Kenya to boost industrialization, attract foreign investment, and drive economic growth. However, despite significant government efforts, the performance of EPZ firms has been below expectations. This study investigates whether strategic procurement practices could improve the performance of EPZ firms in Machakos County, Kenya. Strategic procurement, which aligns procurement with organizational goals and emphasizes long-term value creation, was the focus. The study specifically explored the impact of strategic sourcing, strategic partnerships, strategic inventory management, and strategic contract management on the performance of EPZ firms in Machakos County. Using a descriptive research design, all 99 EPZ firms in Machakos County were surveyed through a census approach. Data was collected via structured questionnaires, with a pilot study conducted to ensure content validity and clarity. Both qualitative and quantitative data were analyzed, with results presented in tables and charts. The findings showed that the four strategic procurement practices adopted improved the performance of export processing zone (EPZ) firms in Machakos County. Strategic sourcing for instance significantly improved the operational efficiency and cost-effectiveness of EPZ firms. Firms that developed strategic partnerships with suppliers experienced enhanced product quality and supply chain reliability. Effective inventory management practices led to reduced waste and better resource allocation, positively impacting overall performance. Proper contract management was associated with improved compliance and reduced legal disputes, contributing to better performance metrics. The study concluded that adopting strategic procurement practices substantially enhances the performance of EPZ firms in Machakos County. By aligning procurement strategies with organizational goals and focusing on long-term value, firms can achieve greater efficiency, reliability, and cost savings. Policymakers should promote the adoption of strategic procurement practices within EPZs to boost economic performance.

Re-thinking the concept of embedded procurement: Insights from the lower Paleolithic of the Levant

Binford’s concept of embedded procurement, proposed over half a century ago, which suggests that lithic procurement was typically integrated with other subsistence activities, has become a cornerstone of raw material studies, and continues to dominate interpretations by many archeologists studying Lower and Middle Paleolithic flint sourcing. However, evidence from Lower Paleolithic Acheulo-Yabrudian Qesem Cave, and the Lower and Middle Paleolithic Dishon and Achbara flint extraction and reduction complexes, in Israel, suggests that this view warrants reconsideration. At Qesem Cave, significant proportions of non-local materials, particularly within specific typo-technological categories, indicate a selective approach to the procurement and exploitation of different flint types, including evidence of long-distant procurement. At Dishon and Achbara, multiple flint extraction and reduction tailing piles have been identified, featuring rejected handaxes and Levallois cores, and the geochemical composition similarity between this flint and handaxes from the Acheulian sites of at Ma’ayan Barukh and Gesher Benot Ya’aqov (GBY), both located ∼ 20 km from the Dishon complex, suggesting the existence of task-specific forays, dedicated to the organized extraction of flint. Based on these finds, we propose that the predominance of the embedded procurement model should be reassessed, as direct procurement strategies were already in use during the Lower Paleolithic of the Levant. Moreover, drawing on archaeological and ethnographic data, we argue that cultural, social, cosmological, and ontological factors also influenced lithic materials procurement practices among Lower Paleolithic populations.

​​Labile Bodies​: A Hospital Ethnography of Medical Professionals’ Struggles in Deceased Organ Donation

This article presents an ethnographic study of the donor body in deceased organ donation. Drawing on the science and technology studies’ incitement to study bodies being enacted and acted upon in situated practices, I explore the body being done and becoming undone in the practices of organ procurement at a Catalan hospital. The hospital has uniquely high rates of organ donation and transplantation, and deceased organ donation has become routinised and integrated into everyday hospital activities. I attend ethnographically to the medical professionals’ accounts of and interactions with bodies and organs in their work dealing with both donors after brain death diagnosis and uncontrolled donors after circulatory death diagnosis. During fieldwork, I followed the struggles of the transplant coordination team grappling with unruly bodies under different maintenance technologies. The body being done in these hospital practices is an active and unstable materiality that must be contended with: a labile body, or a fragile assemblage of interdependent functions, requiring multiple interventions provided by a host of dedicated hospital practitioners. The article shows that staying close to the medical professionals’ situated accounts is a valuable route to gaining novel understandings of the donor body.

Lessons for a Fairer, More Transparent, and More Competitive Public Procurement in the European Union

Public procurement is one of the main instruments of State action and resource allocation and it is used in a wide range of public policies. It is a particularly vital tool for social, environmental and innovation policies. However, it entails many challenges, as public funds are expected to be used to obtain maximum profitability; and market development opportunities must be seized to strategically contribute to innovation, social inclusion, and financial and environmental sustainability of a country. This article, eminently macro-conceptual, discusses the topic of public procurement, characterizing it as a framework for boosting contracting activity in public bodies across Europe, and highlighting the evolution of this practice and its corresponding regulation. Attention will then turn to its main implementation instruments, considering the fundamental principles of public procurement and the EU law restrictions that underpin them. Draws lessons on issues of systematic monitoring of public procurement performance in various European countries, with a view to the concerted practice of public procurement, in compliance with the principles of fairer, more transparent, and more competitive Public Administration.