User Departments Research Articles

Influence of Electronic Procurement Processes on Procurement Performance of Uasin Gishu County Government, Kenya

This study aimed to investigate the influence of electronic procurement processes (e-procurement) on procurement performance in Uasin Gishu County, Kenya. The growing importance of web-based procurement models and information communication technology (ICT) in enhancing supply chain value generation is the backdrop for this research. Although prior studies have indicated the advantages of e-procurement in terms of reduced processing time, cost savings, enhanced data accuracy, and increased efficiency, several gaps and limitations exist in the existing literature. This study addresses these gaps by providing a comprehensive exploration of the impact of various e-procurement dimensions on procurement performance, with a specific focus on a devolved government entity in Kenya. This examination evaluated the influence electronic on performance of Uasin Gishu County, Kenya. The study sought to establish the effect of electronic sourcing and ordering on procurement performance within the county government. The study drew on theoretical frameworks, including the Disruptive Innovation Theory and the Diffusion of Innovation Theory, to determine extent to which electronic procurement influence the performance of procurement unit. A concurrent parallel mixed design was employed to facilitate an in-depth analysis of the research variables. The target population comprises of supply chain officers, user department heads, and accounting officers in Uasin Gishu County Government, totaling 96 respondents. A census sampling method was employed due to the relatively small population size. Data was collected through questionnaires and analyzed quantitatively. The analysis included descriptive statistics such as frequency distributions, means, and standard deviations. The study findings were presented using tables and figures for clarity and easy interpretation. The study concluded that integrating electronic payment into Uasin Gishu County’s e-procurement framework enhances efficiency by speeding up transactions and reducing manual effort and electronic sourcing strengthens supplier engagement, ensures clear communication of requirements, and enables effective performance tracking. The study recommended that adopting electronic invoicing accelerated payments, reduce errors, and improve accuracy. Additionally, investing in an integrated e-procurement system will facilitate seamless communication among departments involved in procurement.

Monitoring vegetation degradation using remote sensing and machine learning over India – a multi-sensor, multi-temporal and multi-scale approach

Vegetation cover degradation is often a complex phenomenon, exhibiting strong correlation with climatic variation and anthropogenic actions. Conservation of biodiversity is important because millions of people are directly and indirectly dependent on vegetation (forest and crop) and its associated secondary products. United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) propose to quantify the proportion of vegetation as a proportion of total land area of all countries. Satellite images form as one of the main sources of accurate information to capture the fine seasonal changes so that long-term vegetation degradation can be assessed accurately. In the present study, Multi-Sensor, Multi-Temporal and Multi-Scale (MMM) approach was used to estimate vulnerability of vegetation degradation. Open source Cloud computing system Google Earth Engine (GEE) was used to systematically monitor vegetation degradation and evaluate the potential of multiple satellite data with variable spatial resolutions. Hotspots were demarcated using machine learning techniques to identify the greening and the browning effect of vegetation using coarse resolution Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) of MODIS. Rainfall datasets of Climate Hazards Group InfraRed Precipitation with Station data (CHIRPS) for the period 2000–2022 were also used to find rainfall anomaly in the region. Furthermore, hotspot areas were identified using high-resolution datasets in major vegetation degradation areas based on long-term vegetation and rainfall analysis to understand and verify the cause of change whether anthropogenic or climatic in nature. This study is important for several State/Central Government user departments, Universities, and NGOs to lay out managerial plans for the protection of vegetation/forests in India.

VENDOR MANAGEMENT IN FACTORIES

PROCEDURE FOR SUPPLIER DEVELOPMENT The Vendor Development Process is carried out by the Purchase Department in close consultation with User Three Department 1) R&D 2) Material Testing 3) QA Department. First Step: - VENDOR REGISTRATION • Any vendor i.e., manufacturer/ authorized agents/distributors of the manufacturer /service providers and firms undertaking job works can be registered the Vendor Development Protocol. To register, the vendor should have GST registration (if applicable). The vendor must maintain an office/ shop/ show room registered in its own name, and should have a bank account wherein payments can be sent directly. • Vendors interested in registration shall submit an application furnishing details of their business and product line. On receipt of the application, they will be issued a vendor development questionnaire. The vendor should submit the duly filled questionnaire, along with their credentials, and details of manufacturing capacity, quality control facilities, past performance, after-sales service, financial background etc. • The duly filled development document received is submitted to the VENDOR DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE. The Committee consists of Head of User Dept., Head of Material Testing/R & D Dept. & Head of Purchase and has the following powers: ○ after examining the documents and based on the Protocol for Vendor Development of that material, it, can advise the Purchase Department to call for samples for evaluation / plant trial of the material, or call for additional details / clarifications, if required. ○ In case the sample confirms to the specification, the Committee can advise Purchase Department to include the vendor in the list of approved vendors/recommend to issue plant trial order. ○ The Committee can also depute an officer for facility audit, if necessary. ○ Based on the facility audit, and plant trial reports, the Committee can advise the Purchase Department to include the vendor in the list of approved vendors. • Registered firms can be removed from the list of approved firms if they continuously fail to abide by the terms and conditions of the tender / contract or fail to supply goods on time or supply sub-standard items /goods or any false declaration made to company. Suppliers not taking part in the Tender / not supplying to HLL for a continuous period of 5 years will be removed from the list of approved suppliers Second Step: - VENDOR RATING PROCEDURE FOR SUPPLIER RATING Supplier rating is done based on the following criteria. 1) Quality of the product/service 2) Cost rating 3) Adherence to delivery schedule QUALITY RATING (QR) Quality rating comprises of two factors. 1) Inspection rating: Based on value of parameters of materials inspected. 2) Performance rating: Based on value of parameters of materials inspected during performance inspection. PRICE RATING This criterion compares the relationship of the price of vendors with the effective price of those materials. PRICE RATING = (Vendor’s effective price- Effective price of material)/ Effective price of material*100 DELIVERY RATING (DR) Delivery Rating of raw materials is calculated by Purchase Department on the basis of contracts entered into by concerned User Departments as mentioned below: • delivery in time as per schedule: Full credit 2 deliveries after the scheduled date: a grace period of 10 days is given if the material has been dispatched within the delivery date, and the party would get full credit for delivery. • if the material is received within 15 days from the date of delivery mentioned in the Order, a score of 25 % will be deducted. • if the material is delivered between the 16th day and 30th day stipulated in the Order, the score will go down by another 25 % i.e. a total deduction of 50 % • this will continue for every fortnight for the next two fortnights. • the total score thus obtained forms the basis for the grading. Frequency of supplier rating: The vendor rating shall be done on annual basis, or as detailed in Quality Management System (QMS) manual.

Factors Affecting Preparation and Implementation of Annual Procurement Planning in Parastatal Organisations a Case of Tanesco Zone of Geita

Procurement plan is a document of identified and consolidated requirements and determined timeframes usually an annum for their procurement with the aim of having them as and when they are required for effective execution of an organization. A number of factors may hinder the preparation and implementation of the Procurement Plan in this study termed as Annual Procurement Plan. The Objective of the Study was to assess factors that affect the preparation and implementation of annual procurement plan at TANESCO, Zone of Geita. Purposive sampling technique was employed. Representative sample for the study came from four departments namely, Procurement Management Unit, Finance, Transmission and Distribution. Data was collected using Interview guide and analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively by Thematic and SPSS software respectively. Total number of 36 respondents was selected and interviewed. This study has shown that 62.5% from finance department admitted not to have experienced the use of Budget forecasts in the preparation of annual Procurement Plan. Forty percent of the age category between 45 - 54 years of age seemed to have skills about Annual Procurement Plan. The study has shown that there is a support from Top Management Procurement and Finance Departments as compared to the other departments in terms of allowances. There is less involvement of user departments in the preparation of Annual Procurement Plan and males than females use Information Communication Technology. Top Management TANESCO and other Parastatal Organizations should support use Budget Forecasts and involve all staff in the preparation of Annual Procurement.

Management Audit of Inventory Function (Case Study at Bigland Hotel Bogor)

<p><em>The purpose of this study is: 1) To identify whether the company has a policy procedure related to its inventory function. 2) To assess whether the activities of the inventory function are already running in accordance with the policy procedures established. The approach in this study is qualitative approach, the research technique used is descriptive qualitative with the type of case study research. The data sources of this study are primary and secondary data. Data collection techniques in obtaining the data needed by researchers are interviews, observations, and documentation. The results of the study found that there are weaknesses including: 1) Inadequate storage of goods, 2) Recording on bin cards need to be re-recorded, 3) Errors up to negligence made by the User Department when making requests for goods in the Warehouse. The author can conclude that the inventory function at Bigland Hotel Bogor is already running well. This is evidenced by the policy of Standard Operational Procedure (SOP) which is clearly documented, as evidenced by the existence of internal control systems in the company. The policy has been almost adhered to by every staff. However, there are still weaknesses that may result in losses for the company. In order for the company to run better, the author provides recommendations such as following up on the expansion of the Warehouse area to minimize the loss of goods in the Warehouse, conduct training related to Store Requisition (SR) procedures, and follow up on the re-entry plan on the inventory card (bin card).</em></p>

Research on Multi Variety and Small Batch Material Management

The development of the logistics industry has greatly changed people's lifestyle. More and more enterprises have begun to pay attention to internal management. The purpose of material management is to enable enterprises to meet the needs of the user departments at the right time, at the right amount, at the right price and with the right quality, with the lowest cost and the ideal and rapid process, so as to reduce the loss and maximize the efficiency of materials. Therefore, it is necessary for any enterprise to forecast the future demand of the target market and make production plans. This paper selects six kinds of key materials, comprehensively considers the forecast value of demand, demand characteristics, inventory and out of stock, and reasonably arranges and forecasts the number of material production plans. Further analysis and forecast the demand and production plan when the materials planned to be produced in this week can only be used in k (k ≥ 2) weeks.

The Impact of an Organization-Wide Electronic Health Record (EHR) System Upgrade on Physicians' Daily EHR Activity Time: An EHR Log Data Study

Abstract Objective This article assesses the impact of a health care organization's electronic health record (EHR) upgrade on providers' daily EHR activity time. Methods Daily EHR activity time (minutes/day) was acquired through EHR log data that automatically tracks user activity. Subjects were attending and resident physicians in the departments of family medicine, hospitalist medicine, and the neonatal intensive care unit working in the inpatient setting. The EHR upgrade occurred in August 2020, and the comparison groups were pre-upgrade (May 31, 2020–July 25, 2020) and post-upgrade (August 30, 2020–October 31, 2020). A two-tailed, two-sample t-test was used to assess statistical significance. Results The pre-upgrade group had 146 users, and the post-upgrade group had 140 users. There was no statistically significant difference between the pre-upgrade group (mean (M): 104.74 minutes/day, standard deviation [SD]: 70.64) and post-upgrade group (M: 103.38 minutes/day, SD: 64.77), even after splitting the data by user type and user type and department. Conclusion This study showed no significant difference in daily EHR activity time post-upgrade. More research is needed to truly understand the impact of EHR upgrades on user efficiency. Understanding the content of each upgrade might be key in understanding their effect on users, and we hope to explore that in the future.

Influence of product selection on health commodity security among level four public health facilities in Nairobi County, Kenya

Background: Procurement of health products and technologies in Kenya faces challenges as seen by increased public complaints regarding erratic supplies of the essential drugs and other medical supplies in public health facilities. Often overlooked, is the need to build effective product selection systems which can ensure there is availability of health commodities.Methods: The study adopted a cross sectional survey research design with descriptive approach involving 120 top management team, procurement officers, stores clerks, pharmaceutical officers and head of departments who were involved in procurement of health products and commodities from the 4 level four government health facilities in Nairobi County (Mbagathi Hospital, Pumwani Maternity Hospital, Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital and Mutuini Hospital). The survey used questionnaires to collect data from the respondents. Consent was obtained from participantsabove the age of 18 years was included in to the study. Informed consent was taken prior to conduct of the study.Results: Correlation analysis indicated that product selection and health commodity security were positively correlated (r=0.769, p<0.05) while regression analysis indicated that product selection influenced health commodity security in level four public health facilities in Nairobi City County, Kenya (β=0.457; p=0.05).Conclusions: Product selection is important to ensure health commodity security. The management at the facilities should ensure product selection committees are available in the facilities, products selected are registered for use in the country and ensure that the user departments are involved in product selection.

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) System for Educational Organization

The college ERP program provides a simple user retention interface, departments, skills, libraries, and other information. All colleges usually have several departments and educational modules such as courses, teaching halls, etc. Managing all these departments and other modules in person is difficult, inefficient, and costly. So here we are proposing a college ERP system. College ERP program has all the information about students, teachers, events, the library, departments, and other respected information. The program allows the administrator to add students, skills, and any other events. Our system allows faculty to add or add student presence to a site that can be viewed by students and skills. Students can view their presence through a different student entry. The supervisor can upload timetables for the various departments to prepare for the exam. The timeline is then available for viewing by students and students on the web portal. These systems have easy user connections and have a powerful data management system that makes this program very useful.

THE EFFECT OF INTERNAL AUDITING ON PROCUREMENT PERFORMANCE IN PARASTATAL ORGANIZATIONS OF TANZANIA

Despite the critical role of internal audit units along with various strategies undertaken to enhance this role, presence of fraud, corruptions and other unethical practices still discontented with the auditing units inability to undertake auditing functions effectively without being detected and become a common phenomenon in parastatal organizations of Tanzania. This paper determined the role of internal audit on procurement performance. Specifically, it determined the influence of competence, independence, and management support on procurement performance and recommended strategies for improving the same. Quantitative approach was adopted and data were drawn from an explanatory research design sampled with 94 parastatals of Dar es Salaam through questionnaires from head of departments particularly user departments. Descriptive data analysis were employed to get mean and standard deviation of the findings, whereby data were summarized using frequency distribution tables and finally multiple regression model was used to analyze the data. The findings showed that independence and management support had a significant positive association with procurement performance at p<0.05. Competence had a non-significant positive association with procurement performance. The study recommended managements of parastatal organizations to provide training opportunities to the internal audit sections, ensuring the internal auditors to exercise their duties with autonomy as well as be free from any type of influence. Furthermore,management should ensure that internal audit sections are given full support to execute their functions thereby ensuring satisfactory procurement performance

The Role of Planning and Staff Competency on Procurement Performance in Public Institutions in Ghana: A Case Study of Bui Power Authority

The study was conducted to examine the role of procurement planning and staff competency on procurement performance in public institutions in Ghana. The research was conducted at the Bui Power Authority which is a public institution established by an Act of the Parliament of Ghana, BPA Act, 2007 (Act 740). The research adopted the mixed method approach and a purposive sampling to sample twenty-three (23) executives, heads and officers to respond to questionnaires to the case study organisation. Data collected were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Service Solutions (SPSS).Findings suggests that procurement planning and staff competency positively affect the performance of procurement. Both independent variables were found to be statistically significant. It was found that wastages and damages of procured items were minimal and that procurements did not exceed the allocated budget due to proper planning. However, inventory management and delay in procured items were areas that Bui Power Authority performed poorly in. Planning played a role in procurement performance and Bui Power Authority not only had a procurement plan but the procurement plan was developed with user departments and based on approved budgets. Procurement staff had the required competencies: skills and training to perform the procurement functions and having these skilled ensured the promotion of procurement performance. The independent variables were found to have strong relationship on the dependent variable. However, Staff competency was found to have a stronger impact on procurement performance than procurement planning. In addressing the concerns of the findings, some recommendations are outlined: continuous improvement on the capacity of procurement officials, proper planning techniques, and future research should include other variables such as allocation and contract management to evaluate how they affect procurement performance in the public sector.

An Assessment of Procurement Planning Practices on User Perception of Procurement Performance: A Case Study of Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, Kenya

The main purpose of the study was to investigate the impact of procurement strategy on public sector procurement performance perceptions. Owing to the diversity of functions, the use of public funds by a purchasing body to purchase products, facilities, and works is known as public procurement . The study's basic objectives on a case study of Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology were conducted to determine the impact of procurement strategy on user perceptions of procurement performance in the public sector. In this study, a descriptive research design was adopted. Employees of Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology were the target population. The study employed a descriptive design . The target population consisted of 1157 employees from Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology. To generate a sample size of 286 respondents, researchers utilized purposeful, simple random, and stratified sampling procedures. Data was collected using a questionnaire. This study employed the Cronbach alpha coefficient as an indicator of test instrument reliability, at a threshold of 0.7 and beyond. Construct validity and material validity were employed to allow structured modifications of the research instrument for the purpose of enhancement and refinement. The data received from the departments was descriptively analyzed using SPSS version 25 to determine how dependent and independent variables are related. Pearson correlation coefficient was used to evaluate the strength of the association between the dependent and independent variables (r). The metrics for measuring the institutions’ performance was the quality of service to user departments’ satisfaction. The study found out that procurement planning practices contribute significantly on user perception of performance in MMUST. This study recommends that the MMUST management should incorporate procurement planning in their operations to enhance performance.

Effect of Material Control Practices on Financial Performance of the Kenya Meat Commission in Kenya

Effective implementation of material control practices significantly improves the effectiveness of purchasing decisions and thus improved firm performance. To achieve this goal, material control practices must be fair, competitive and must control costs. However, in spite of the immense attention given to procurement practices and financial performance and the relationship that exist between the two constructs many organisations both private and public continue experience mixed performance. Anchored on the resource based theory the study sought to determine the effect of material control on financial performance of the Kenya meat commission. Descriptive Research Design was used. The study population comprised of Kenya Meat Commission headquarters in Athi River, Ladhies branch in Nairobi, Mombasa deport and the user department in Athi River. Since the population was small and of manageable sizes, a census study was done. Semi structured questionnaires was used to collect primary data. The respondent argued that the inventory quantities are very important in ensuring that these effective and efficiency in the operation of Kenya meat commission and ensuring that there is constant supply of meat to the users in Nairobi and its environment. It was evident that material planning control system (mean of 4.75) greatly affected the performance of Kenya meat commission. The finding on distribution material in Kenya meat commission as indicated by a mean of 4.00 presented that it greatly affected the financial performance of Kenya meat commission. The study concluded that the relationship between material control and financial performance of meat commission was positive and significant.

PROMOTING INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION THROUGH TRAINING AND EDUCATION IN SPACE TECHNOLOGY APPLICATIONS AND ADVANCES AMONG BIMSTEC COUNTRIES – A GOVERNMENT OF INDIA INITIATIVE

Abstract. India is one of the top space-faring nations in the world, which not only to build satellites and launches them using indigenously developed launch vehicles but also spearheads the use of space technology for many applications at the national and international level. Training, education and capacity building (TECB) are important components in promoting the use of space technology, thereby benefitting the society. North Eastern Space Applications Centre (NESAC) is one of many institutions under the umbrella of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Department of Space (DOS) which is responsible for promoting TECB at National level. ISRO / DOS also supports TECB at an International level through many initiatives such as IIRS – ITC JEP, UN-CSSTEAP, CEOS, UNSPIDER, UN-FAO, WMO, Commonwealth, and BIMSTEC etc. NESAC established in 2000, initiated capacity building and spearheaded Outreach programs from 2019 in the North East Region of India. Prime Minister of India announced in the plenary meeting of BIMSTEC(Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) Summit at Kathmandu, Nepal in August 2018, recognizing NESAC to conduct space technology training programs of two weeks and 3 months for BIMSTEC Countries every year for the next five years with full financial support from Government of India. The first two week training program on “capacity building on the earth observation applications and research” was successfully conducted for 24 participants, four participants each representing Bangladesh, Bhutan, Thailand, Myanmar, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. The participants are from User Departments, Science and Technology Ministries, Space Organizations and Academia and Research Institutions. The training benefitted the participants from state of the art training facilities and experienced faculties from NESAC/ISRO/Academia from across India. The summary of feedback from the participants (excellent – 57%, good – 40%, average – 2.6% and poor – 0.4%) indicates that the course is very much useful as it has enhanced their knowledge in earth observation, geospatial analysis capabilities that will be put into use on their return. The training and capacity building has opened new vistas of cooperation and possible collaboration between BIMSTEC countries ranging from availing satellite data, expansion and access to data sharing portals, creating knowledge network to promote young researchers and expert sharing within the region, further to expand the capacity building by initiating distance learning programs, taking up joint research and application projects, etc. The rich experience of conducting a unique program, one of its kind and detailed feedback and possible expansion of BIMSTEC programs in the future is presented in the paper.

Influence of Procurement Process on the Performance of Public Entities (A Case Study of Nairobi County Government)

Globally public procurement plays a pivotal role in the provision of goods, works and services in every economy. Enhancement in the performance of the public procurement system is key ingredient for ensuring value for money is achieved in order to safeguard public funds particularly in the implementation of economic pillars such as the “Big Four Agenda” and Vision 2030. This is the case because 60% of Kenyan budget is spent through procurement contracts. This study sought to investigate the influence of user departments on the performance of procurement process in Kenya. Specific objectives of the study included: To examine the role of specification writing on the performance of public entities in Kenya, To investigate the influence of procurement plan on the performance of public entities in Kenya, To assess the effect of tender evaluation on the performance of public entities in Kenya and To determine the influence of receiving procedure on the performance the public entities in Kenya. The study will be guided by the following theories: resource based theory, systems theory, Expectancy theory and institutional Theory. Descriptive research design as well as quantitative research design were adopted using both qualitative and quantitative approaches. The target population was 1000 employees of Nairobi County government. The study adopted stratified random sampling to select the sample size of 100 respondents. Data was collected using questionnaires and oral interview . Descriptive statistics was employed aided by statistical package for social sciences version 21 to compute the percentages. Inferential statistics using regression and correlation analysis was applied to assist in examining the relationship between variables.

Contextual Factors Influencing the Implementation of Radio Frequency Identification Technology in Academic Libraries in Ghana

The implementation of radio frequency identification (RFID) technology in libraries is common across the globe, and many academic libraries, especially in technologically advanced countries, are using it. The use of RFID increases the efficiency of collection management and security in academic libraries. In Ghana, academic libraries, especially those at major tertiary institutions, are the most vibrant in the library system; they provide access to subscription-based online resources, including research databases and ebook collections, in addition to physical books and journals. The fast-increasing enrolment numbers in Ghanaian tertiary institutions translates into an increased number of academic library users, making it difficult for library staff to manage libraries effectively. The amount of work carried out by librarians in these academic libraries has created a need for implementing technology, for example RFID, that can promote efficiency and effectiveness. The purpose of this study was to examine the contextual factors influencing the implementation of RFID technology in academic libraries in Ghana’s tertiary institutions. A qualitative approach was used following a single-case study method, and data were collected through semi-structured interviews. We conducted interviews with 18 senior academic librarians, covering six academic libraries comprising three traditional university libraries, two technical university libraries and one college of education library in Ghana. We found that no academic library in Ghana had implemented RFID at the time of this study. Several challenges, including a low budget, lack of skilled personnel, weak coordination between user departments and procurement units, were identified. The study suggested that if these challenges were handled effectively and efficiently, implementing RFID in Ghana’s academic libraries could be successful and beneficial.

Neurological Dashboards and Consultation Turnaround Time at an Academic Medical Center.

Neurologists perform a significant amount of consultative work. Aggregative electronic health record (EHR) dashboards may help to reduce consultation turnaround time (TAT) which may reflect time spent interfacing with the EHR. This study was aimed to measure the difference in TAT before and after the implementation of a neurological dashboard. We retrospectively studied a neurological dashboard in a read-only, web-based, clinical data review platform at an academic medical center that was separate from our institutional EHR. Using our EHR, we identified all distinct initial neurological consultations at our institution that were completed in the 5 months before, 5 months after, and 12 months after the dashboard go-live in December 2017. Using log data, we determined total dashboard users, unique page hits, patient-chart accesses, and user departments at 5 months after go-live. We calculated TAT as the difference in time between the placement of the consultation order and completion of the consultation note in the EHR. By April 30th in 2018, we identified 269 unique users, 684 dashboard page hits (median hits/user 1.0, interquartile range [IQR] = 1.0), and 510 unique patient-chart accesses. In 5 months before the go-live, 1,434 neurology consultations were completed with a median TAT of 2.0 hours (IQR = 2.5) which was significantly longer than during 5 months after the go-live, with 1,672 neurology consultations completed with a median TAT of 1.8 hours (IQR = 2.2; p = 0.001). Over the following 7 months, 2,160 consultations were completed and median TAT remained unchanged at 1.8 hours (IQR = 2.5). At a large academic institution, we found a significant decrease in inpatient consult TAT 5 and 12 months after the implementation of a neurological dashboard. Further study is necessary to investigate the cognitive and operational effects of aggregative dashboards in neurology and to optimize their use.

END USER INVOLVEMENT AND SUPPLY CHAIN PERFORMANCE IN KENYAN UNIVERSITIES, A CASE OF CHUKA UNIVERSITY, KENYA.

Purpose: The study sought to establish the effects of end user involvement in the supply chain performance of higher learning institutions in Kenya.Methodology: The study was conducted at Chuka University procurement department and user departments comprising of 64 respondents from user departments and procurement. The study employed cross-sectional research design. Structured questionnaires were used for data collection. In order to determine the validity and reliability of the questionnaire, pretesting of the research instruments was conducted. To establish the validity of the research instrument, content validity was used while internal consistency method was used to determine the reliability. Correlation analysis followed by multivariate regression analysis was conducted between the independent variables and the dependent variable.Results: Results showed strong statistical significance between supply chain performance and procurement planning. The study also established that there was a strong statistical significance between supply chain performance and specification preparation. It was also established that there was strong statistical significance between supply chain performance and monitoring and evaluation. Lastly, there was strong statistical significance between supply chain performance and inspection and receipt of goods. The findings also revealed that the four independent variables under study only contributed to 63.4% of the dependent variable’s outcome..Conclusion: The study concludes that procurement planning, specification preparation, monitoring and evaluation, and inspection and receipt of goods are good measures of the end user involvement in the effective performance of supply chain, but that more studies need to be done to unearth the hidden variables contributing to the remaining 36.6% factors/variables, in order to get a full picture of the impact of the end-users on supply chain performance. Contribution to policy and practice: Research institutes and scholars will gain vital insights from the study when they want to research further and lastly government together with all its agencies will also gain important information that will inform the policies they come up with in future

END USER INVOLVEMENT AND SUPPLY CHAIN PERFORMANCE IN KENYAN UNIVERSITIES, A CASE OF CHUKA UNIVERSITY, KENYA.

Purpose: The study sought to establish the effects of end user involvement in the supply chain performance of higher learning institutions in Kenya.Methodology: The study was conducted at Chuka University procurement department and user departments comprising of 64 respondents from user departments and procurement. The study employed cross-sectional research design. Structured questionnaires were used for data collection. In order to determine the validity and reliability of the questionnaire, pretesting of the research instruments was conducted. To establish the validity of the research instrument, content validity was used while internal consistency method was used to determine the reliability. Correlation analysis followed by multivariate regression analysis was conducted between the independent variables and the dependent variable.Results: Results showed strong statistical significance between supply chain performance and procurement planning. The study also established that there was a strong statistical significance between supply chain performance and specification preparation. It was also established that there was strong statistical significance between supply chain performance and monitoring and evaluation. Lastly, there was strong statistical significance between supply chain performance and inspection and receipt of goods. The findings also revealed that the four independent variables under study only contributed to 63.4% of the dependent variable’s outcome..Conclusion: The study concludes that procurement planning, specification preparation, monitoring and evaluation, and inspection and receipt of goods are good measures of the end user involvement in the effective performance of supply chain, but that more studies need to be done to unearth the hidden variables contributing to the remaining 36.6% factors/variables, in order to get a full picture of the impact of the end-users on supply chain performance. Contribution to policy and practice: Research institutes and scholars will gain vital insights from the study when they want to research further and lastly government together with all its agencies will also gain important information that will inform the policies they come up with in future

Factors Affecting Acceptance of Hospital Information Systems in Public Hospitals of Zahedan University of Medical Sciences: A Cross-Sectional Study.

A hospital information system is used to support a wide range of operations and activities in the hospital. This study was conducted to determine the factors affecting hospital information system acceptance by users.A cross-sectional, descriptive, analytic study was performed in 2018. The study population included 550 users of the system. The data were collected using a questionnaire and analyzed using the SPSS software.A significant moderate positive correlation was found between hospital information system acceptance and perceived usefulness (r = 0.54, P < 0.01), perceived ease of use (r = 0.41, P < 0.01), human factors (r = 0.46, P < 0.01) and technological factors (r = 0.54, P < 0.01). A significant weak positive correlation was detected between the acceptance of the hospital information system and organizational factors (r = 0.35, P < 0.01).Perceived usefulness of the system, social influence, system quality, perceived ease of use of the system, and top managers’ supports had the most substantial influence on the users’ intention to accept a hospital information system. User education, preparation of guidelines suited to the user specialty or department, incorporating users’ work needs into the capabilities of the hospital information system, and improving the system to an ideal level are important considerations.