Many multinational corporations find themselves frequently in the dichotomous question of whether to make or buy a given component; but when those companies are operating with a global purchasing strategy, oriented to high levels of centralization and dealing simultaneously with the implications of purchasing and producing the same item, the approach to take the decision becomes difficult to find, even with the current literature and practitioners knowledge This master thesis addresses in a comprehensive proposal the way to undertake this kind of make-or-buy decisions. Through the literature review done, regarding global purchasing strategy, purchasing models, supplier selection methods and make-or-buy frameworks; it was found a convenient model to merge those concepts with the empirical experiences of a single case study in the Italcementi Group, one of the largest Cement producers in the world. The model proposed considers both strategic and economic elements and is designed as an iterative algorithm that evaluates several alternatives in order to arrive to the best make-or-buy approach. The methodologies selected and combined to solve the problem are mostly quantitative, but keeping the importance of qualitative elements within the analysis. The outcome of the thesis is a contribution to academicians and practitioners aiming to turn the existing knowledge about make-or-buy decisions into practical solutions for business management.

Covid-19 has impacted the international business environment on a large scale. Nonetheless, the pandemic has brought shutdowns and lockdowns, which has caused disruption and a decline in supplies. Implementing risk management in supplier selection strategy has been argued to be critical in managing disruption during Covid-19. Henceforth, the research purpose is to explore In order to provide a profound foundation for the topic, the thesis will be utilised with a qualitative approach. The data collection is derived from semi- structured interviews, which enables comprehensive data and is further used based on the literature review. The analysis of the thesis presents the vital changes necessary in the supplier selection strategy derived from the disruption caused by Covid-19. Conclusively, the thesis finalises how a risk- oriented supplier selection strategy has emerged for the company to meet future challenges. Thus, the authors interpreted it to align with the statement, "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade".

Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to investigate ways of improving sustainable sourcing. The focus of this thesis is to identify what data should be collected, the most appropriate ways of gathering it, and how it can be used to improve sustainable sourcing in large and global companies. The objective is to provide insights on how large companies can take informed decisions to address sustainability within their suppliers' operations and their own sourcing practices generally, by investigating supplier specific data.  Method: The approach taken for this research was to conduct an exploratory single case study in a large and global retail company. Furthermore, all three research questions were answered using qualitative methods, which include interviews and analysing documents from the case company. Findings: In this study, it was found that to improve sustainable sourcing, companies should collect data on suppliers’ performance in economic, environmental, and social sustainability and their ability to be transparent and trace the flow of raw materials in the supply chain. Companies can collect data from upstream supply chains through audits, using traceability and transparency tools, and obtaining a chain of custody for all raw materials. Moreover, companies can utilise the collected data for efficient and effective resource allocation, managing supply relationships and planning, and supplier development. Implications: This thesis contributes to existing research within the field of sustainable sourcing as it features a new approach on how to improve current practices by considering the data that should be collected from suppliers. Moreover, it broadens the perspective by featuring sustainable sourcing specifically in the context of a large and global company. The practical implications of the study address how practitioners can improve sustainable sourcing. The implications include bringing awareness to a possible disconnection between the economic criteria and the other dimensions of the triple bottom line, the limitations of exclusively relying on in-house auditing, and a narrow focus on a limited number of raw materials.   Delimitations: This thesis is limited to a single case study of a large and global company. The data discussed in the thesis focuses on data collected from first-tier suppliers; data collected further upstream or downstream from the case company is outside of the scope of the study.

Frågeställning 1  Bakgrund: Kunskapen om att kunna hantera och åtgärda brister inom social hållbarhet i leverantörsledet utgör grunden i denna studie. Social hållbarhet blir allt viktigare för företag för att kunna behålla sin plats på marknaden. Genom att implementera sociala hållbarhetsstrategier och säkerställa den sociala hållbarheten kan de dessutom skapa en konkurrenskraft. Det finns verktyg som verksamheter kan använda sig av, så som hållbarhetskonsulter som sammanställer rapporter om den sociala hållbarheten hos en leverantör. Däremot råder det brist på modeller att tillämpa för att åtgärda bristerna som eventuellt påvisats.          Syfte: Studien syftar till att ta fram en modell som företag kan tillämpa för att säkerställa social hållbarhet hos sina leverantörer i Kina med hjälp av hållbarhetskonsulter.         Metod: Det har genomförts en kvalitativ fallstudie för att undersöka hur ett företag arbetar med social hållbarhet, deras utmaningar i syfte för att ta fram en passande modell. Studien har främst använt sig av semistrukturerade intervjuer för att samla in empiriskt material för att få en djupgående analys.  Slutsats: Resultatet i forskningen illustreras i figur 12 på sidan 88 som är en utvecklad modell för företag som de kan använda för att säkerställa social hållbarhet. Modellen är indelad i fyra steg, följt av flera understeg som vägleder företag hur de går tillväga vid olika scenarion. De fyra olika stegen benämns: medvetenhet, kravspecifikationer, kommunikation och samarbete samt slutligen uppföljning.  Frågeställning 2 Bakgrund: På senare år har många företag valt att använda leverantörer som är lokaliserade i Kina, på grund av flera positiva aspekter. Dock finns det utmaningar, bland annat den låga lönenivån och sociala hållbarhetsbrister på fabrikerna. Det är känt att arbetarna har det sämre än i andra länder kopplat till lön och arbetsförhållanden. Det finns idag begränsad information om huruvida de olika variablerna är sammanlänkade.       Syfte: Forskningen har i syfte att undersöka ett eventuellt samband mellan den geografiska platsen i Kina, arbetarens lön och sociala hållbarhetsbrister.  Metod: Studiens andra forskningsfråga är främst baserad på en tvärsnittsdesign för att kunna jämföra och identifiera potentiella samband mellan olika variabler. För att kunna visa resultatet i siffror är den utförd utifrån den kvantitativa forskningsstrategin. Det empiriska materialet består av rapporter utformade av företagets hållbarhetskonsult, vilket innebär att det är en sekundärkälla. Slutsats: Forskningens resultat påvisade ingen korrelation mellan de olika variablerna: geografisk plats, lön och sociala hållbarhetsbrister. Indikationen - 0,07183 var så pass svag att inga samband kan dras. / For question 1 Background:The knowledge of being able to manage and remedy deficiencies within social sustainability in the supply chain forms the basis of this study. Social sustainability is becoming increasingly important for companies in order to maintain their place in the market. By implementing social sustainability strategies and ensuring social sustainability, they can create a competitive edge. There are tools that businesses can use, such as sustainability consultants who compile reports on the social sustainability of a supplier. On the other hand, there is a lack of models to apply to remedy the deficiencies that may have been identified.          Purpose: The study aims to develop a model that companies can apply to ensure social sustainability of their suppliers in China with the help of sustainability consultants.          Method: A qualitative case study has been carried out to investigate how a company works with social sustainability, their challenges in order to develop a suitable model. The study has primarily used semi-structured interviews to collect empirical material in order to obtain an in-depth analysis. Conclusion: The result of the research is illustrated in figure 12 on page 88 which is a developed model for companies that they can use to ensure social sustainability. The model is divided into four steps, followed by several sub-steps that guide companies how to proceed in different scenarios. The four different steps are named: awareness, requirement specifications, communication and collaboration and finally follow-up.  For question 2 Background: In recent years, many companies have chosen to use suppliers located in China, due to several positive aspects. However, there are challenges, including the low wage level and social sustainability deficiencies at the factories. It is known that the workers are worse off than in other countries linked to wages and working conditions. There is currently limited information on whether the various variables are linked.      Purpose: The research aims to investigate a possible connection between the geographical location in China, the worker's salary and social sustainability deficiencies.          Method: The study's second research question is primarily based on a cross-sectional design to be able to compare and identify potential relationships between different variables. In order to be able to show the result in numbers, it is carried out based on the quantitative research strategy. The empirical material consists of reports designed by the company's sustainability consultant, which means that it is a secondary source.      Conclusion: The results of the research showed no correlation between the different variables: geographic location, salary and social sustainability deficiencies. The indication - 0.07183 was so weak that no connections could be drawn.

Yes / Increasing reliance on digital technologies has led to a significant shift in how businesses operate, with many now relying heavily on digital platforms for effective planning, communication, sales, marketing, supply chain, and logistics management. In this context, knowledge sharing platforms enable academic–industry collaboration in which exchange of ideas, opinions, experience, and expertise brings collective intelligence in cooperative learning ecosystem thereby expediting decision making. However, establishing long-term commitment among the partners, allocation of time and resources for sharing tacit knowledge, collaboration among partners with different strategic priorities, and real-time knowledge sharing capabilities are essential for effective and rapid learning in knowledge sharing platforms. The present article will examine these benefits and challenges in knowledge sharing and its impact on supplier selection platforms in Asian automakers. The findings of this article will be helpful for researchers and practitioners intending to explore the role of cooperation in knowledge sharing and digital transformation amid competitive environment prevalent in the automotive industry. The potential supplier database is first examined for qualifying the capability requirements put forth in this article and further prioritized using a multicriteria decision-making technique and analytic hierarchy process. The article results reveal that the manufacturer has highly prioritized firms’ financial transparency for supplier evaluation followed by the suppliers’ cost control, quality control, and manufacturing capabilities. The article has significant theoretical and practical implications for developing robust supplier evaluation criteria for automobile industry and a digital ecosystem for original equipment manufacturers in making supplier related decisions.

This thesis investigates the regulatory impact of the EU ETS and CBAM regulations on supplier selection processes for procuring iron ore pellets, lime, and ferromanganese from 2025 to 2035. The study is set within the context of evolving EU environmental regulations, emphasizing the importance of understanding their effects on procurement practices in the steel industry. Employing quantitative multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) through a TOPSIS analysis, the study evaluates suppliers over the specified timeframe based on market price, emissions, shipping cost, and regulatory cost. Additionally, a comprehensive review of current literature within the research area is provided. The methodology section details the research approach, design, data collection, and research quality. A case study conducted at H2 Green Steel, including company background and project execution, is also outlined. The results indicate potential changes over time due to the regulatory effects of the EU ETS and CBAM, with a sensitivity analysis exploring various weight scenarios of TOPSIS results to understand the relationship between the selected criteria. The analysis highlights advantages in integrating sustainability into procurement practices, driven by regulatory incentives. These findings suggest significant implications for procurement managers, emphasizing the importance of considering regulatory costs in supplier selection and adopting long-term monitoring of regulatory changes in the EU ETS and CBAM regulations. The study's implications are discussed in terms of validity, reliability, practical application, and future research directions.

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Pâmela Tonsa on 2015-03-26T14:53:21Z (GMT) / Submitted by Yen-Tsang Chen (yentsang.chen@gmail.com) on 2015-03-26T17:53:18Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Tese Final - Chen - Biblioteca.pdf: 2851494 bytes, checksum: 333f7f24515b050792b3e4eff742b9a3 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by PAMELA BELTRAN TONSA (pamela.tonsa@fgv.br) on 2015-03-30T12:15:34Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Tese Final - Chen - Biblioteca.pdf: 2851494 bytes, checksum: 333f7f24515b050792b3e4eff742b9a3 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2015-03-30T12:27:34Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Tese Final - Chen - Biblioteca.pdf: 2851494 bytes, checksum: 333f7f24515b050792b3e4eff742b9a3 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-02-25 / Choosing properly and efficiently a supplier has been challenging practitioners and academics since 1960’s. Since then, countless studies had been performed and relevant changes in the business scenario were considered such as global sourcing, quality-orientation, just-in-time practices. It is almost consensus that quality should be the selection driver, however, some polemical findings questioned this general agreement. Therefore, one of the objectives of the study was to identify the supplier selection criteria and bring this discussion back again. Moreover, Dickson (1966) suggested existing business relationship as selection criterion, then it was reviewed the importance of business relationship for the company and noted a set of potential negative effects that could rise from it. By considering these side effects of relationship, this research aimed to investigate how the relationship could influence the supplier selection and how its harmful effects could affect the selection process. The impact of this phenomenon was investigated cross-nationally. The research strategy adopted was a controlled experiment via vignette combined with discrete choice analysis. The data collections were performed in China and Brazil. By examining the results, it could be drawn five major findings. First, when purchasers were asked to declare their supplier selection priorities, quality was stated as the most important independently of country and relationship. This result was consistent with diverse studies since 60’s. However, when purchasers were exposed to a multi-criteria trade-off situation, their actual selection priorities deviate from what they had declared. In the actual decision-making without influence of buyer-supplier relationship, Brazilian purchasers focused on price and Chinese buyers prioritized delivery then price. This observation reinforced some controversial prior studies of Verma & Pullman (1998) and Hirakubo & Kublin (1998). Second, through the introduction of the buyer-supplier relationship (operationalized via relational capital) in the supplier selection process, this research extended the existing studies and found that Brazilian buyers still focused on price. The relationship became just another criterion for supplier selection such as quality and delivery. However, from the Chinese sample, the results suggested that quality was totally discarded and the decision was majorly made through price and relationship. The third finding suggested that relational capital could legitimate the quality and sustainability of the supplier and replaces these selection criteria and made the decisional task less complex. Additionally, with the relational capital, the decision-makings were associated to few biases such as availability cognition, commitment, confirmatory and perceived biases. By analyzing the purchasers’ behavior, relational capital inducted buyers of both countries to relax in their purchasing requirements (quality, delivery and sustainability) leading to potential negative effects. In the Brazilian sample, the phenomenon of willing to pay a higher price for a lower quality offer demonstrated to be a potential counterproductive and suboptimal decision. Finally, the last finding was associated to the cultural effect on the buyers’ decisions. From the outcome, it is possible to observe that if a purchaser’s cultural background is more relation-oriented, the more he will tend to use relational capital as a decision heuristic, thus, the purchaser will be more susceptible to the potential relationship’s side effects / Escolher adequadamente e eficientemente um fornecedor tem desafiado gestores e acadêmicos desde 1960. Desde então, inúmeros estudos tem sido realizados e mudanças relevantes do cenário econômico tem sido considerados tais como global sourcing, orientação à qualidade e práticas de just-in-time. É quase consenso que qualidade deveria ser o a diretriz para a seleção, no entanto, alguns resultados polêmicos questionaram esse consenso. Posto isto, um dos objetivos do presente trabalho é identificar os critérios de seleção de fornecedores e trazer de volta esta discussão. Além disso, o presente estudo observou que Dickson (1966) sugeriu a possibilidade de uso da relação comercial como critério de seleção, portanto, uma a importância da relação comercial foi revisada e potenciais efeitos negativos que podem originar da relação debatidos. Ao considerar os efeitos colaterais do relacionamento, este estudo visou investigar como o relacionamento pode influenciar o processo de seleção de fornecedores e como esses potenciais efeitos negativos podem manifestar neste processo. O impacto deste fenômeno foi investigado transnacionalmente. A estratégia de pesquisa adotada é baseada em experimento controlado com analise de escolha discreta. A coleta de dados foi conduzida na China e Brasil. Ao examinar os resultados, foi possível extrair cinco principais achados. Primeiro, quando um comprador é solicitado a declarar suas prioridades de seleção, independentemente do país, a qualidade é declarada como sendo a mais importante e o relacionamento o menos. Este resultado é consistente com diversos estudos desde a década de 60. Entretanto, quando o comprador é submetido a uma situação de multicritério e trade-off, as prioridades reais divergem das declaradas. Na seleção real sem a influência do relacionamento comprador-fornecedor, os compradores brasileiros focaram no preço e os chineses na entrega e preço. Esta observação reforça alguns achados controversos anteriores de Verma & Pullman (1998) e Hirakubo & Kublin (1998). Segundo, ao introduzir o relacionamento comprador-fornecedor no processo de seleção de fornecedores (operacionalizado via capital relacional), esta pesquisa estendeu os estudos anteriores. Os resultados apontaram que os compradores brasileiros ainda focam no preço e a relação é apenas mais um critério de seleção como qualidade e entrega. Entretanto, da amostra chinesa os resultados apontaram que a qualidade foi desconsiderada e a decisão era pautada em preço e relacionamento. O terceiro achado sugere que o capital relacional poderia legitimar a qualidade e práticas de sustentabilidade dos fornecedores e substitui esses critérios, fazendo a decisão menos complexa. Adicionalmente, com o capital relacional, os tomadores de decisão são associados a alguns vieses tais como de disponibilidade cognitiva, de compromisso, de confirmação e de percepção. Analisando o comportamento dos compradores, o capital relacional induziu aos compradores de ambos os países a relaxarem nos requisitos de qualidade, entrega e sustentabilidade, assim, conduzindo a um potencial efeito negativo. Na amostra brasileira foi possível observar também uma predisposição a pagar mais por uma oferta de menor qualidade, o qual demonstra ser contraditório e potencial decisão subotima. Por fim, o ultimo achado está associado ao efeito cultural nas decisões do comprador. Partindo do resultado, pode-se observar que quanto maior é a orientação ao relacionamento do comprador, mais ele tenderá a usar o capital relacional para a heurística de decisão, consequentemente, mais suscetíveis aos potenciais efeitos danosos da relação.

Submitted by Caroline Falcao (caroline.rfalcao@ufpe.br) on 2017-06-01T18:14:47Z No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 811 bytes, checksum: e39d27027a6cc9cb039ad269a5db8e34 (MD5) Fernando TESE.pdf: 6232408 bytes, checksum: 2758b5fef89a3422ca1f59c9255a8e14 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-06-01T18:14:47Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 811 bytes, checksum: e39d27027a6cc9cb039ad269a5db8e34 (MD5) Fernando TESE.pdf: 6232408 bytes, checksum: 2758b5fef89a3422ca1f59c9255a8e14 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-05-21 / A complexidade de um processo licitatório, o princípio da isonomia e a tentativa de obter a proposta mais vantajosa têm induzido a administração pública a adotar uma abordagem de seleção de fornecedores, onde o preço é o único aspecto considerado. Com o objetivo de apoiar este processo, esta tese propõe um modelo de seleção de fornecedores, baseado na legislação brasileira de licitação, que contempla uma etapa de negociação sobre múltiplos aspectos. O modelo estrutura o processo de compras de bens na administração pública em um fluxo de atividades: (i) captação das propostas; (ii) etapa de negociação; e (iii) homologação e adjudicação das propostas. A etapa de negociação consiste de um modelo de apoio à negociação multibilateral e multiaspecto, cuja estratégia adotada garanta ganhos mútuos máximos para as partes envolvidas. O modelo proposto é ilustrado por meio de um processo licitatório já finalizado. Através desta ilustração é possível verificar que o modelo agrega maior dinâmica a lei de licitações, pois as ofertas dos fornecedores são intervalos de valores em diferentes aspectos ao invés de uma oferta fixa e única apenas no aspecto preço. Verificou-se também que a proposta pode ser utilizada para apoiar processos de seleção de fornecedores de empresas do setor privado. / The complexity of bidding process, the equality principle and the attempt to obtain the most advantageous bid have led the government to adopt a selection supplier approach, in which the price is the only issue considered. In order to support this process, this thesis proposes a supplier selection model based on the Brazilian bidding law, which includes a negotiation stage on multiple issues. The model organizes the public bidding process in a flow of activities: (i) bids reception; (ii) negotiation stage; and (iii) approval and award of bids. The negotiation stage is developed as a model to support multi-bilateral and multi-issue negotiations, whose adopted strategy ensures joint maximum gains for the parties involved. The proposed model is illustrated through its application for a bidding process already concluded. This illustration showed that the model aggregates more dynamic to the bidding law since the suppliers bids are ranges of values in different issues instead of a single bid in the price issue only. It was verified that the proposal can be used to support suppliers selection processes in private sector companies.

This master thesis entitled “The study of Logistics procurement with a view to Purchase” is aimed at reducing costs in relation to obtaining, storing and maintaining material resources. The first part of this thesis introduces the company's production program and material standards. After which the relating processes are analyzed and by using theoretical approaches, measures to ensure savings are then proposed. The final part offers a summary of the benefits of the proposed solutions.

The main theme of this work is the purchasing and supplier selection in the public sector. The thesis deals with public procurement, supplier selection and public purchasing at the theoretical level. The next part is devoted to the directives for small-scale public procurement and their analysis.