Inköp har en direkt påverkan på ett företags lönsamhet, vilket gör att fokus på att reducera inköpskostnader kan leda till stora positiva effekter. Inköp i ett företag är i regel organiserad i en hierarkisk struktur som bör anpassas utifrån de utmaningar ett företag ställs inför. En av faktorerna som påverkar inköpsorganisationens struktur är vilken centraliseringsgrad som används. Tenhults Pressgjuteri AB hade år 2011 en omsättning på 90 miljoner SEK och 75st anställda. Företaget har nyligen expanderat kraftigt vilket har lett till strukturella problem i inköpsorganisationen. Dessa problem syns bland annat i ansvarsfördelningen av inköp är otydlig. Företagets ledning har upplevt att inköpsorganisationen har blivit svårare att överblicka och styra vilket har lett till att de överväger att centralisera inköpsorganisationen. Examensarbetets syfte är att utreda inköpsorganisationen på Tenhults Pressgjuteri bland annat genom att applicera teorier framtagna för stora företag. För att uppfylla syftet har följande tre frågeställningar formulerats: Vilka styrkor och svagheter finns i inköpsorganisationen? Vilka förbättringsmöjligheter finns i inköpsorganisationen? Vilken grad av centralisering i inköpsorganisationen är lämplig? Inköpsorganisationen på företaget är fördelat bland olika avdelningar. Totalt har 13 anställda intervjuats under examensarbetet. Att ansvarsfördelningen är otydlig har sin grund i företagets förändring sedan det grundades. Att centralisera inköpsorganisationen är ett beslut från ledningen och är inte en nödvändighet enligt de anställda. Företaget brister i många steg i inköpsprocessen. De största bristerna återfinns vid utvärdering av leverantörsprestationer och genomförda inköp. Val av leverantör baseras ofta på pris. Företaget har hög teknisk kompetens bland de anställda. Företaget behöver skapa en struktur över inköpsorganisationen. De behöver utveckla strategi och taktik vid inköp och börja utvärdera genomförda inköp och leverantörernas prestationer. De bör använda de inköpsverktyg som finns tillgängliga och använda rätt kompetens vid rätt köp. Slutligen så rekommenderas företaget att fortsätta utveckla de områden som har bedömts som bra för att undvika att dessa blir förbisedda. Med hänsyn till Tenhults Pressgjuteris mål att växa 15 % varje år och de förutsättningar som företaget har bedöms den blandade centraliseringsgraden vara mest lämplig. Vissa av företagets inköp flyttas till en central inköpsavdelning medan tekniskt svåra artiklar köps in av lämpliga anställda. Detta alternativ ger god möjlighet för företaget att arbeta strategiskt med inköp och anses vara genomförbart. / Purchasing has a direct impact on a company’s profitability, which means that focusing on reducing purchasing costs can lead to large positive effects. The purchasing function in a company is usually organized in a hierarchical structure which depends on the challenges the company faces. One factor that affects the organization structure is what degree of centralization that is being used. Tenhults Pressgjuteri AB had the year 2011 sales of 90 million SEK and currently employs 75 people. The company has recently expanded significantly which has led to structural problems in the purchasing organization. Company directors have experienced that the purchasing organization is becoming more difficult to monitor and control and are considering a centralized purchasing organization. The purpose of this thesis is to investigate the purchasing organization at Tenhults Pressgjuteri which also includes applying theories developed for large companies. To fulfill this purpose, the following three questions have been formulated: What strengths and weaknesses are there in the purchasing organization? What opportunities for improvement are there in the purchasing organization? What degree of centralization for the purchasing organization is appropriate? The purchasing organization is spread among several departments. A total of 13 employees have been interviewed during this thesis. Responsibilities within the purchasing process are unclear due to changes in the company since it was founded. The decision to centralize the purchasing organization is made by management and not a necessity from the view of the employees. Many steps in the purchasing process are not performed properly. The main inadequacies are found where evaluation of both supplier performance and the purchase is made. Supplier selection is often based on price. The company has a high technical expertise among the employees. The company needs to create a structure in the purchasing organization. They need to develop strategies and tactics for purchasing and start evaluating purchases and supplier’s performance. The company should make use of the purchasing tools that are available and use the right competence for the right purchase. Finally, we recommend the company to continue to develop the areas of the purchasing that have been estimated to be acceptable to avoid that they are overlooked. Considering Tenhults Pressgjuteris goal to grow 15 % each year and the conditions that the company has, the mixed degree of centralization is estimated to be most appropriate. Some of the company’s purchases are moved to a central purchasing department while technically difficult items still remains at appropriate staff. This option provides a good opportunity for the company to work strategically with purchase and is considered viable.

Call number: LD2668 .T4 1946 L85 / Master of Science

A literature study was done on the concepts of purchasing and supply management to develop a framework of purchasing and supply management in a mine. A questionnaire was designed, based on the findings in the literature, and to assist to develop a framework of sustainable purchasing and supply management process and procedure towards value creation in a mine. The state of the internal purchasing and supply management process and procedures was assessed through a survey questionnaire to extract the data. The elements of procurement and supply management were broken down into clear activities towards the creation of value in a mine. The key area of concern is to ensure adherence to proper processes and procedures to create an environment that is conducive towards the objectives of the mine and install a mechanism that is measurable. The focus on procurement and supply management towards value creation has became the key determining factor in the mine. A practical development framework of sustainable purchasing and supply management manage towards value is proposed for a mine and to address the gaps found after analysing the questionnaires. The findings of the empirical study and the literature review were used as the basis of the framework. In this thesis the main focus was Purchasing and Supply Management process and procedures, and Contract Management. The relationship between procurement in the supply chain management process and its functional departments is critical towards sustainable development and value creation. Purchasing and Supply Management are one of the key value drivers in a mine and in particular assisting with governance of purchasing activities which contribute significance towards value adding and cost. Finally, conclusions and recommendations are drawn and rendered in order to develop a framework of purchasing and supply management in a mine. / MBA, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

A literature study was done on the concepts of purchasing and supply management to develop a framework of purchasing and supply management in a mine. A questionnaire was designed, based on the findings in the literature, and to assist to develop a framework of sustainable purchasing and supply management process and procedure towards value creation in a mine. The state of the internal purchasing and supply management process and procedures was assessed through a survey questionnaire to extract the data. The elements of procurement and supply management were broken down into clear activities towards the creation of value in a mine. The key area of concern is to ensure adherence to proper processes and procedures to create an environment that is conducive towards the objectives of the mine and install a mechanism that is measurable. The focus on procurement and supply management towards value creation has became the key determining factor in the mine. A practical development framework of sustainable purchasing and supply management manage towards value is proposed for a mine and to address the gaps found after analysing the questionnaires. The findings of the empirical study and the literature review were used as the basis of the framework. In this thesis the main focus was Purchasing and Supply Management process and procedures, and Contract Management. The relationship between procurement in the supply chain management process and its functional departments is critical towards sustainable development and value creation. Purchasing and Supply Management are one of the key value drivers in a mine and in particular assisting with governance of purchasing activities which contribute significance towards value adding and cost. Finally, conclusions and recommendations are drawn and rendered in order to develop a framework of purchasing and supply management in a mine. / MBA, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

published_or_final_version / Business Administration / Master / Master of Business Administration

published_or_final_version / Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering / Master / Master of Philosophy

<p>Nowadays, companies are facing several competitive pressures, which push them to seek for new and better ways to conduct their internal processes.</p><p>One of this ways is throughout processes innovations that allow the company to establish and maintain competitive advantages; one example of this new trend is the emergence of eProcurement, an electronic system aimed to automate purchasing processes in organizations, which, if it is properly implemented, will derive in processes cost reduction and efficiency improvement on those same procedures.</p><p>This study is focused on identifying the propeller factors that make companies to engage in this kind of ventures; as well as studying which are the outcomes generated inside the organizations once the electronic system has been implemented.</p><p><strong>Purpose</strong></p><p>The purpose of this thesis is to identify the elements that trigger automation of procurement processes in organizations; as well as describing the implications derived from automation during and after such implementation. The study was conducted through interviews with managers and final user from two Mexican companies which are currently using Oracle as their eProcurement tool.</p><p><strong>Conclusions</strong></p><p>The study found that depending on how well organizations prepare themselves and their staff for the upcoming change, different results may be obtained in terms of benefits and acceptability from final users.</p><p>In order to avoid potential pitfalls, firms must bear in mind that, both operational and social awareness are key factors for a successful implementation.</p><p>If a company takes into consideration their internal operational needs and staff opinions to base their decision of engaging on eProcurement, it will be more likely to obtain benefits related to cost reduction, improved efficiency and final user satisfaction.</p>

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No description available.

The purpose of this paper is to provide an understanding of the factors affecting consumer foreign online purchase process when taking country of origin, the company’s website and the company itself into account. Four narrative stories were used to describe consumers’ buying process before the purchase, during the purchase and after the purchase. The results show that the website level and country of origin level played a significant role only during the pre-purchase and purchase phase when the factors included in the company level were not known to the consumer. However, when the consumer was familiarized with factors related to the company level, the website level and country level factors lost significance. The factors concerning the company seemed to be the most important during the majority of the foreign online purchase processes.