Thesis (MTech (Project Management))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2018. / The purpose of this study was to unearth the challenges that occur in procurement processes and the effects these challenges have on project execution. Project procurement management is the production of associations with outside merchants and providers for merchandise and enterprises expected to finish a task. This process encompasses five stages: initiating and planning, selecting, contract writing, monitoring, and lastly, closing the deal. To clearly illustrate the magnitude of challenges faced in procurement processes, a project management company in Cape Town, South Africa, has been chosen as the subject of study. This study identified that procurement challenges were rooted in the company’s method of execution which comprises supplier-related issues, strategy selection issues, cost reduction and savings achievement factors, data accuracy issues and stakeholder management concerns. The aforementioned challenges resonate with various theoretical connotations by authorities who maintained that challenges in procurement could be narrowed to four areas: cost reduction, ‘going digital’, risk mitigation and supplier relationships. This study adopted a mixed research methodology incorporating both qualitative and quantitative research techniques and relied on field research conducted both through a survey of administered questionnaires as well as structured interviews. The information gathered in field research has been used to augment and corroborate theoretical information existing in literature and to proffer solutions through pragmatic recommendations for improving procurement processes with the intent of enhancing project execution efficacy and effectiveness. This study further aimed to add input to the existing body of knowledge concerning the effects of procurement processes on project execution in project management and also to contribute to the existing literature in procurement management.

The purpose of this thesis is to examine the intra-organisational processes used by businesses operating in the United Kingdom to narrow the gap between their socially and environmentally responsible procurement (SERP) policy and its implementation in buyer-supplier relationships. This is a response both to the wide variety of recent human/labour rights and environmental violations in corporate supply chains as well as to concerns that the corporate policies developed in response to stakeholder pressure regarding such violations may not be sufficient for the effective implementation of their remedy. This examination of corporate efforts to implement SERP policy initiates a line of research aimed at building a theory of internal SERP policy implementation. The theoretical lens used in the component studies of this thesis is a combination of organisational culture and the resource-based view (RBV) of the firm. The former is used to assess how top managers and procurement departments show support for SERP implementation. This is to say that aspects of their cultures are used to perceive this support. The organisational and human resources made available to the procurement department are considered to be the capabilities needed to translate this support into practice. Drawing on data from a survey of 340 buyer-supplier relationships and from two in-depth case studies of businesses operating in the United Kingdom, this thesis contributes both theoretically and empirically to the literature. Prime examples of this thesis‟ contributions include the mapping of commercial processes used to connect stakeholder rights and pressures to procurement activity; the identification of internal subgroups that affect SERP implementation; and the conceptual reconsideration of two core capabilities theorised to facilitate this process. Further research includes the replication of case studies; the consideration of supplier capabilities to implement buyer requirements; and how this research can be more aligned with extant supply chain strategy research.

The thesis provides further details related to the company purchasing activities (procurement). Using both theoretical and practical knowledge it gives further details on new phenomena related to purchasing process. The thesis is made of three main parts. The first one explains terms further used in the thesis. The next section provides more details on the most obvious trend which is movement from traditional understanding of purchasing to the attempts to build a relationship with the supplier. Besides this key phenomenon there are further examples/trends given. The last section relates to the explanation of how the proper purchasing process should be set-up in the global corporation.

The study investigated issues concerning procurement and administration in the Department of Health (DoH) in the Eastern Cape and has further investigated the role of the implementation of the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA), Act 1 of 1999 in the department. That included issues associated with the administration and procurement in relation to service providers from the private sector. The DoH in the Eastern Cape Province delivers:“ … a quality health service to the people of the Eastern Cape Province promoting a better life for all and ensures accessible, comprehensive, and integrated services in the province, emphasising the primary health care approach, as well as utilising and developing all resources to enable present and future generations to enjoy good health and quality of life” (Department of Health [DoH], Eastern Cape, Departmental Annual Performance Plan, 2013:3). Various researchers have investigated the implementation of the PFM Act 1 of 1999 and have identified gaps and made recommendations regarding the identified gaps. The study is based on the following reports from various authors: According to Pillay (2013), since 1994 every public sector department has lost approximately R385 billion to fraud, corruption and maladministration. Government employees have accepted kickbacks in exchange for rigging tenders, including focusing on high levels of corruption (Albert, 2011:1). The fraud and corruption in the Eastern Cape DoH, which involves nepotism, corruption and fraud amounting to a million rand in the audit report of 2013, have prompted calls by the opposition for interventions (PricewaterhouseCoopers [PWC], 2013:9). Departmental Annual Performance Plan for 2013/2014. Impact of accountability and ethics on public service delivery: a South African perspective which involves accountability stating that all government departments have to be efficient to ensure value for public funds including the qualitative and value-laden expectations of the society (Raga & Taylor, 2008:1). EC (2010:9), Audit Report: Health Department, Eastern Cape. King III Report (2009) – Corporate Governance. The study has built on previous research conducted by other researchers who have conducted research on the issue of the implementation of the Public Finance Management Act 1 (PFM Act 1) of 1999, and had identify further gaps not previously identified by other researchers or in the audits. In addition, this study aims to also identify shortcomings that have been described in the recent audits 2013/2014 of the DoH, Eastern Cape. Together with the new gaps identified in the PFM Act 1 of 1999, the researcher aims to make a number of recommendations to improve the effectiveness of the implementation of the PFM Act 1 of 1999. The PFM Act 1 of 1999 was promulgated by the South African government in 1999. The Act promotes the objective of good financial management in order to maximise service delivery through effective and efficient use of available limited resources as well as credible interaction with private sector service providers. A key objective of this Act is to put in place a more effective financial accountability system over public entities. The objectives of the Act are to: Modernise the system of financial management, Enable public sector managers to manage, while at the same time being accountable, Ensure timely provision of quality information, To eliminate waste and corruption in the use of public assets.

Supply Chain Management is a well recognized managerial tool and government initiative, primarily aimed at improving all the aspects of the procurement activities in government organizations or any type of the sector. It focuses on meeting the needs of the service providers as well as of the customers. In 1994, South African Government came up with new initiatives to manage its budget and finance resources to meet the needs of the people. One of the new initiatives that the new Government introduced was the Supply Chain Management (SCM). The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, Act No.108 of 1996, as amended regulates procurement through Section 217. The statutes states that “217(1) when an Organ of State in the national, provincial or local sphere of government, or any institution identified in national legislation, contracts for goods or services, it must do so in accordance with a system which is fair, equitable, transparent, competitive and cost-effective The procurement reform processes were supported by the introduction of a number of legislative measures, including the adoption of the Public Financial Management Act (PFMA) and the Preferential Procurement Policy Framework Act (PPPFA). Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) is a financial act that was developed in 1999 to reform the public financial management of South Africa. The Act promotes the objective of good financial management in order to maximise delivery through the efficient and effective use of limited resources. Public Financial Management Act (PFMA) emphasizes on efficiency, transparency and economic utilization of public funds. The Treasury Regulations 16.5.3 states that, ‘when procuring goods and services, the procurement procedures must be in accordance with a system that is fair, equitable, transparent, competitive and cost-effective. Even though government departments have started implementing the Supply Chain Management strategies, there are still some challenges and deficiencies that hinder appropriate implementation. There are some deficiencies in tender award systems, ineffectiveness of SCM training materials, lack of communication between management and SCM or implementing staff as a result the implementing staff is not aware of the organization’s goals regarding supply chain management activities. Lack of monitoring, evaluation and reporting is also another challenge. Due to these challenges, the Head Office of the Eastern Cape Department of Health had incurred some expenses in trying to address these yet the Supply Chain Management has little impact in improving the service delivery. The key research objective of this study is to investigate and evaluate the implementation of Supply Chain Management in service delivery with specific focus in procurement processes of goods and services in Head Office of Eastern Cape Department of Health. The study intends to establish and highlight the challenges that the Head Office of the Eastern Cape Department of Health is presently faced with in regard to implementation of the Supply Chain Management and the impact it has in service delivery. Data gathering techniques which include interviews and questionnaires had been used. The objectives, methodology and results of the study are presented. The conclusions and recommendations had been made with the basis that they will assist the department in improving the implementation of the Supply Chain Management which will have a positive impact in the service delivery. Further steps needs to be taken by the Provincial Treasuries in assisting department to improve in the implementation of the Supply Chain Management. Further research conduct is recommended for all the institutions of the department of Health as this study was focusing on Head Office only.

Som ett steg i riktningen mot ett mer miljövänligt och hållbart Stockholm upprättades våren 2013 ett center för samordnad bygglogistik (BLC) i Norra Djurgårdsstaden på initiativ av Stockholms stad. Ett logistikcenter för samordnad bygglogistik av denna storlek är det första av sitt slag i Sverige och kräver obligatorisk anslutning av samtliga byggherrar och entreprenörer inom området. BLC som innovation har medfört ett behov av förändring hos aktörerna vid upphandling av entreprenörer och i arbetssättet under produktion för att till fullo nyttja logistikcentret. Syftet med denna studie har därför varit att se till hur anpassningsförmågan till de förändringar som en innovation som BLC kräver kan främjas eller hämmas vid val av upphandlingsstrategier. Fokus ligger således på att identifiera huruvida upphandlingsstrategier kan nyttjas som ett verktyg för förändringsledning då den upphandlande aktören vill driva igenom en eller ett flertal förändringar. Rapporten är en sammanställning av en fallstudie av två nyproduktionsprojekt med ett abduktivt tillvägagångssätt. Studien grundar sig på en omfattande litteraturstudie, deltagande observationer samt intervjuer av berörda aktörer i de två projekten och kan klassificeras som kvalitativ, empirisk forskning med ett hermeneutiskt förhållningssätt till inbringad empiri. Studien visar att den förändring som skett i sättet att upphandla har varit ett utökat förfrågningsunderlag från byggherrens sida innefattandes information om BLC och dess syfte och omfattning. Utökningen innehåller också rekommendationer på hur BLC kan komma att användas. Tillägget i förfrågningsunderlaget förs på samma sätt vidare till underentreprenörer när dessa upphandlas av respektive huvudentreprenör. Trots byggherrens vision om ett effektivt och innovativt nyttjande av BLC har denne inte lyckats skapa rätt drivkrafter hos entreprenören för ett sådant användande. Svårigheten har visat sig delvis ligga i att BLC ännu inte fungerar på ett smidigt sätt för dess användare. Man upplever också svårigheter i att kalkylera kostnader för användandet av BLC vilket medfört att byggherren tar den största ekonomiska risken avseende BLC i projekten. Hos entreprenörerna är den övergripande uppfattningen att BLC är överflödigt och inte nödvändigt inom området varför mottagandet varit problematiskt och inställningen till att nyttja BLC negativ. För att utöka användandet av BLC och säkerställa att samtliga aktörer delar samma uppfattning om syftet och behovet av BLC bör byggherren vara mer drivande i denna fråga. Ett tidigt involverande av entreprenörerna i upphandlingsskedet samt gemensamt utformade krav på hur BLC ska användas i kombination med finansiella incitament kan ha en upptinande effekt hos entreprenörerna och öka deras mottaglighet för de förändringar som BLC innebär. / As a step towards a more environmentally friendly and sustainable Stockholm, a logistics center for coordinated construction logistics (BLC) was established in 2013 at Stockholm Royal Seaport, an urban area, at the initiative of the municipality of Stockholm. Coordinated construction logistics of this size is rare in Sweden and BLC requires mandatory affiliation for every developer and contractor in the area. BLC has caused a need for change in the different stakeholders’ working processes during production in order to fully utilize the logistic center. Being affiliated to and using BLC also implies increased costs for the project. That is the reason why discussions occur regarding which stakeholder should take the financial risk. This could be managed during the procurement. Thereof, the aim of the study has been to look at how the ability to adjust to changes that innovations as BLC requires could increase or decrease by the choice of procurement strategies. The intention is thereby to identify whether or not procurement could be used as a tool for change management. The report is a compilation of a case study of two new production projects with an abductive approach. The study is based on an extensive literature study, observations and interviews of participants of the two projects and can be classified as qualitative, empirical research with a hermeneutic approach to obtained empirics. The study shows that the procurement strategies have been affected by BLC in such way that the developer has made an addition to the technical specifications that is handed out when procuring contractions. The addition contains information about the purpose and the scope of BLC. It also includes recommendations for how BLC could be used in an effective and innovative way. The main contractors then in turn forward the extended technical specifications to the subcontractors. Despite the developer’s vision of an effective and innovative use of BLC, the right incentives for such use have not been created. It has been proven that the difficulty lies in the fact that BLC does not yet function smoothly for its users and that the users doesn’t fully understand how BLC functions and its purpose. The stakeholders also find it difficult to estimate the costs of using BLC, which is why the developer has taken the biggest economic risk regarding BLC in the projects. The general opinion among the contractors is that BLC is redundant and not necessary in the area. The reception and adoption has therefore been problematic and the attitude towards using BLC has been negative. In order to expand the use of BLC and ensure that all stakeholders share the same view about the purpose of and the need for BLC the developer should be more proactive in this matter. An early involvement of the contractors in the procurement phase and jointly defined ways of using BLC in combination with financial incentives could have a thawing effect on the contractors and increase their ability to accept and adopt the changes BLC requires.

Thesis (M.A.)--Naval Postgraduate School, 2005. / Title from title screen (viewed Apr. 16, 2008). Cites June 2003 GAO report GAO-03-695, "Contractors provide vital services to deployed forces but are not adequately addressed in DoD plans." "June 2005." The original document contains color images. "ADA435597"--URL. Includes bibliographical references (p. 91-96). Also issued in paper format.

This thesis covers an area of procurement of companies. It's specifically orientated on supporting the procurement processes by electronic purchasing system. In the first part there are by literature search, identified and analyzed key factors for successful realization of the implementation and management of electronic purchasing system. In the second part there is comparison of the case study in Unipetrol Services s.r.o. and the key factors of the first part, which is resulting in a deduction and generalization of best practices for implementation and management of electronic purchasing systems. The main benefit and also the outcome of this work is an extension of the reference model MBI, based on a facts and practical experience in procurement area.

This study explores the flawed procurement and delivery of Learner Teacher Support Materials (LTSM) in East London district at public secondary schools in the Eastern Cape province. Poor management of the procurement of LTSM has the result that some schools in the country have limited access to LTSM because of late delivery, non-delivery, incorrect and, or delivery shortages. These problems have contributed to under-achievement in the affected schools and in turn undermine the learners’ constitutional rights and educational aims and goals. Like many other provinces, the Eastern Cape also encountered difficulties with the procurement and delivery of textbooks to various public schools. To investigate the problem, a qualitative and exploratory study was carried out. The data were collected from a sample of 19 participants involved in the three levels of the procurement process; that is, district officials, school principals and the provincial head office officials. The researcher conducted face-to-face interviews using open-ended questions. The research results showed that although the procurement process of LTSM is centralised at the head office level, the other two levels, namely the district office and the school levels, play a significant part. While these levels play an important role in determining and collating the textbook needs, they require additional communication processes and systems to be in place to avoid prolonged timeframes and follow ups that bring about delays of the overall procurement process. Between communication of the relevant guidelines, and collating and submitting book needs information, delays happen along the way at one or more levels and these ultimately lead to either late procurement, late or non-delivery of books to the relevant schools. The study showed that although there are rules, regulations and various policies that serve as guidelines in the procurement process, the actual implementation and monitoring is flawed. The lack of coherence promotes mistrust and conflict between the relevant stakeholders, which in turn brings about minimal consultation on changes relating to effective management processes during procurement and distribution of LTSM. The study recommends changes that are needed to achieve effective management to alleviate problems encountered during the procurement and distribution of LTSM in the East London district public secondary schools / Entrepreneurship, Supply Chain, Transport, Tourism and Logistics Management / M. Com. (Logistics)