The objective of this study is to analyse and evaluate the current system of procuring Building Contractors for public sector building projects in Botswana. The study further seeks to find strategies to recommend for improving the current system of procurement. The analysis and evaluation is carried out by first dividing the main problem into sub-problems. The sub-problems help to form the questions for the interviews and the questionnaire. Chapter one introduces the reader to the main problem and defines the scope of the problem and the delimitations. The second Chapter is a review of the related literature and a brief outline of the procurement process and the relevant legislation. The analysis and evaluation of the information and data collected is carried out in Chapter three. This is a very important Chapter since it addresses the questions raised by the main problem and the sub-problems and states the extent to which the hypotheses are affirmed or not affirmed. Chapter four is dedicated to the recommendations and strategies for improving the procurement system. The last Chapter summarises the main findings and outlines and recommends areas for further study. This treatise comprises some important findings and can form a useful initiative towards developing strategies for improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the public sector system of procuring building Contractors in Botswana. / Thesis (MSc (Project Management))--University of Pretoria, 2004. / Construction Economics / unrestricted

Business Administration, Business Process & Supply Chain Management, Degree Project (Master), 30 higher education credits, 5FE02E, Spring 2012   Authors: Kateryna Zubova and Olga Arikainen   Tutor: Åsa Gustavsson Title: Procurement Process Integration in Swedish and Ukrainian Companies Producing Machinery and Equipment Background: Although the science of economics and logistics comprises a great amount of literature on supply chain integration, there is a lack of information on procurement process integration. Procurement process is one the supply chain processes and is one of the most important processes for manufacturing companies. Purpose: To describe the level of procurement process integration (PPI), tools of PPI and barriers to PPI from buyers’ perspective in Swedish and Ukrainian companies producing machinery and equipment, and then to test if there is a significant difference in them between respondents of two countries. Method: Web-based questionnaire was created and sent out to 500 companies producing machinery and equipment in Sweden and to 500 companies in Ukraine.  73 responses were received from Swedish companies and 49 responses from Ukrainian companies. T-test was performed in order to test the differences in procurement process integration between Swedish and Ukrainian companies in terms of levels of integration, tools of integration and barriers to integration. Results, conclusions: There is no significant difference in the level of integration between Swedish and Ukrainian companies. In both countries the average level of integration is medium that means long-term relationships which are reviewed periodically. However, significant differences were found in the tools and barriers to procurement process integration between Swedish and Ukrainian companies.

Bakgrund: Intresset för processer och framförallt utveckling eller förbättring av processer har på senare år ökat. Detta kan ha sin grund i att många företag har behållit föråldrade rutiner och processteg samtidigt som verksamheten utvecklats, något som resulterat i onödigt komplexa processer som påverkat företags ekonomiska och praktiska prestationer. En annan orsak kan vara att företagsklimatet blivit allt tuffare. En process som under senare år fått ökat intresse inom företagvärlden samt kommer sätta stor prägel på denna uppsats är materialanskaffningsprocessen. Materialanskaffning beskrivs som en process innefattande samtliga de aktiviteter som krävs för att säkerställa att material tillförs en organisation. Syfte: Syftet med denna uppsats är inledningsvis att kartlägga samt identifiera brister i Holtabs materialanskaffningsprocess. Vidare är syftet att komma med eventuella förslag till hur Holtab kan reducera kvalitetsbristerna i materialanskaffningsprocessen för att på så sätt minska företagets kvalitetsbristkostnader. Metod: Denna uppsats är en fallstudie på Holtab AB. Studiens metod är i huvudsak kvalitativ med kvantitativa inslag. Uppsatsen har vidtagit en deduktiv forskningsansats med ett positivistiskt synsätt. Det empiriska materialet samlades in genom semi-strukturerade och ostrukturerade intervjuer samt en kvalitetscirkel. Vidare har uppsatsens teoretiska referensram baseras på litterära källor samt vetenskapliga artiklar. Slutsatser: Holtabs materialanskaffningsprocess har beskrivits genom en processkartläggning. Vidare har författarna identifierat materialanskaffningsprocessens kvalitetsbristkostnader samt dess orsaker. Avslutningsvis har författarna tillsammans med medarbetare på Holtab AB tagit fram förbättringsförslag till de brister som identifierats. / Background: In the recent years, the interest of processes and especially the development or improvement of processes has increased. This may be because many companies have kept obsolete routines and process steps while the businesses have developed. As a result the processes have become unnecessarily complex and affect the companies’ financial and operational performance. Another reason may be that the business environment has become tougher. A process that in the recent years has received an increased interest in the business world and will put its mark on this essay is the material procurement process. Material procurement is described as a process including all activities necessary to ensure that all the required material is supplied to an organization.  Purpose: The purpose of this essay is initially the map and identifies poor quality in Holtabs material procurement process. Further the purpose is to present suggestions on how Holtab can reduce their poor quality in order to reduce the company’s cost of poor quality. Method: The following essay is a case study on Holtab AB. The study is mainly performed in the form of a qualitative study which is supplemented by some quantitative elements. The study emanated from a deductive standpoint with a positivistic approach. The empirical data were collected by the usage of semi-structured and unstructured interviews as well as a quality circle. Further the theoretical framework was collected by literature and scientific articles.   Conclusions: Holtabs material procurement process have been defined and mapped through process mapping. Furthermore have the authors identified cost of quality deficiencies and the causes behind said deficiencies. Finally the authors have derived and presented suggestions for improving Holtabs material procurement process by reducing the quality deficiencies and therefore the related costs.

The diploma thesis deals with procurement process and ensuring of sources in a manufacturing company. The thesis is split into two parts. The first theoretical one deals with importance of procurement in creating economic value in a company, defines procurement, its goals and factors influencing it, describes procurement process, i.e. strategic sourcing, operational purchasing, procurement controlling, supplier relationship management, and procurement process support by IS/ICT. The second practical one analyses procurement process in a selected Czech manufacturing company in the mentioned areas and proposes recommendations for improvement.

Municipalities and regions in Sweden have an increasing need to purchase security technology to secure their properties and their operations. However this procurement process is strictly regulated by the Swedish procurement act (“Lagen om Offentlig Upphandling”, LoU), leading to a similar procurement process. However no academic studies have been done on the procurement of security technology in local authorities.This thesis explores and maps this process and the important aspects which affect how the process is carried out. This was done via a multiple case study, primarily involving interviews with experts from seven municipalities and six regions in Sweden. It analyses the public procurement from a process perspective from the initiation via the purchase to the follow-up and monitoring. Hence, the study is using a wider definition of the procurement process than most previous studies on public procurement. The aspects which affect this procurement process were also identified in this study.The results show that the procurement process has a cyclic nature, based on framework agreements in most of the studied case organizations. This cyclic nature gives both the planning and the follow-up central parts in a successful procurement process. The main identified aspects affecting the procurement process of security technology identified were: Supplier lock-in Procurement complexity The role LoU plays in the case organizationsOther themes related to main aspects presented above are also discussed in this thesis such as the suitability to implement SecaaS (Security as a Service) in the case organizations and the stakeholder dimension. The main conceptual contribution of this thesis is the usefulness of adapting a comprehensive process perspective when studying public procurement.

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Bakgrund och problem: Bakgrunden till denna studie är Statistiska Centralbyråns uppmärksammande om att kommunala gymnasieskolor har 7000 kronor dyrare kostnad per elev än den fristående gymnasieskolan. En av de bidragande faktorerna till att kostnaden är lägre hos fristående skolor kan vara att de har en mer effektiv inköpsprocess. Tidigare studier beskriver fristående skolornas situation som mer flexibel medan de kommunala skolorna präglas av mer byråkrati. Den problemformulering vi förhållit oss till var: Vad finns det för skillnad i inköpsprocessen vid kommunala respektive fristående skolor som leder till att kommunala skolor har en högre kostnad per elev? Syfte: Syftet med studien är att utifrån en komparativ fallstudie finna de likheter och skillnader som återfinns i inköpsprocessen hos de olika skolverksamheterna. Därefter analyseras orsaker till inköpsrelaterade olikheter fram. Metod: Vi har gjort en komparativ fallstudie av inköpsprocesser i gymnasieskolor som bedrivs av offentlig sektor och privata aktörer. Vår empiri bygger på semistrukturerade intervjuer med nyckelpersoner som berörs av hur inköpen går till på skolorna. Empiri: Det empiriska resultatet visar att de aktiviteter som skiljer sig åt i inköpsprocessen är val av leverantör och tilldelning av kontrakt. De fristående skolorna har ett relationsfokus i sitt arbete med leverantörerna, något som de kommunala skolorna inte har möjlighet att skapa på grund av att de är tvingade att följa Lagen om offentlig upphandling. De fristående skolorna är mer flexibla vid val av leverantör då deras ramavtal inte är bindande. Det kan även konstateras att de fristående skolorna har ett större fokus på att hålla ner sina kostnader då de har ett vinstsyfte med sin verksamhet, medan de kommunala skolorna endast behöver sträva efter att hålla sin budget och att bedriva bra undervisning. Slutsatser: Den största uppmärksammade skillnaden vi kunnat urskilja i studie är att friskolorna arbetar på ett mer flexibelt sätt. Friskolorna bygger sina ramavtal på en kostnadsorientering där relationen till leverantören ligger i fokus. De kommunala skolorna har istället en prisorientering vid val av produkt. / Background and problem: The drawn much attention to that community schools' have 7000 Swedish Crowns higher cost per pupil than independent schools', published by Statistics Sweden, is the background to this study. One of the contributing factors to the fact that the cost is lower in independent schools' may be that they have a more efficient purchasing process. Previous studies describe the independent schools' situation more flexible, while the municipal schools' are characterized by bureaucracy. The issue to relate to was: What is the difference in the purchasing process at the municipal and independent schools, which leads to the municipal schools have a higher cost per pupil? Purpose: The purpose of the study is based on a comparative case study to find the similarities and differences found in the purchasing process of the independent school operations and the activity in municipal schools, to consequently analyze purchases related causes to differences. Method: We have made a comparative case study of the purchasing processes in secondary schools' run by the public sector and private operators. Our empirical data is collected through semi-structured interviews with key people involved in the purchasing process. Empiricism: The empiric results show that the activities that differ in the purchase process are supplier selection and contract award. The independent school has a relationship focus in its work with suppliers, something that public schools' do not have the option to create because they are forced to follow the Public Procurement Act. The independent schools' are more flexible in the choice of provider as their framework agreement is not binding. It may also be noted that the independent school has a greater focus on keeping down their costs since they have a profit with their business while municipal schools' only need to strive to keep their budget and to pursue good education. Conclusions: The biggest noticeable difference we have been able to identify in our comparative study of independents schools' purchasing process and the municipal schools' purchasing process is that independent schools' are working in a more flexible way. Independent schools are building their framework agreement on the modern approach of purchasing theory, that is through a cost-orientation, where the relationship with the supplier is in focus.

Background: The market for eProcurement is expected to increase from from US$ 3,6 miljarder to US$ 1.375 billions under the period 1999-2003. Nevertheless, there is still a widespread unsecurity among companies surrounding eProcurement, partly due to that procurement for a long time has played a remote role in the companies, and partly since procurement is a far from a homogeneous function. Purpose: To examine how eProcurement is defined, what advantages eProcurement implies and how it affects the procurement strategies and the procurement processes of companies. Research method: The empiric work comes from interviews with persons in connection with procurement at four companies that today are using an eProcurement-system or are about to introduce one, and at two companies that delivers applications. Result: From the persons we have interviewed we conclude that there is a rather strong unanimity as how eProcurement is being defined, and which advantages it can imply. Furthermore, eProcurement should not be seen as a solution of a company's eventuall procurement problems, but as a tool to strengthen and refine its procurement strategies and a possibility for rationalizing the procurement processes of the company. In other words, you shall not just pave old paths.

<p>Background: The market for eProcurement is expected to increase from from US$ 3,6 miljarder to US$ 1.375 billions under the period 1999-2003. Nevertheless, there is still a widespread unsecurity among companies surrounding eProcurement, partly due to that procurement for a long time has played a remote role in the companies, and partly since procurement is a far from a homogeneous function. </p><p>Purpose: To examine how eProcurement is defined, what advantages eProcurement implies and how it affects the procurement strategies and the procurement processes of companies. </p><p>Research method: The empiric work comes from interviews with persons in connection with procurement at four companies that today are using an eProcurement-system or are about to introduce one, and at two companies that delivers applications. </p><p>Result: From the persons we have interviewed we conclude that there is a rather strong unanimity as how eProcurement is being defined, and which advantages it can imply. Furthermore, eProcurement should not be seen as a solution of a company's eventuall procurement problems, but as a tool to strengthen and refine its procurement strategies and a possibility for rationalizing the procurement processes of the company. In other words, you shall not just pave old paths.</p>

Bakgrund – För kundorderdrivna företag lyfts vikten av att hålla en hög leveransprecision. Avsaknaden av material är något som påverkar leveransprecisionen negativt, genom att förbättra anskaffningsprocessen ökar chanserna till att köpt material inkommer när det efterfrågas. Syfte – Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka hur leveransprecisionen kan ökas genom att förbättra anskaffningsprocessen hos ett kundorderdrivet företag. För att uppnå syftet kommer följande frågeställningar att besvaras: 1. Vilka brister kan identifieras i en anskaffningsprocess hos ett kundorderdrivet företag? 2. Hur kan bristerna hanteras för att uppnå en ökad leveransprecision? Metod och genomförande – För att uppnå studien syfte och besvara de två frågeställningarna har en fallstudie utförts på ett kundorderdrivet företag. Genom litteraturstudier har ett teoretiskt ramverk skapats för att ge en djup kunskapsgrund inom området. Observationer, intervjuer och dokumentstudier har utförts på fallföretget för att samla in empiri som sedan har analyserats mot den insamlade teorin. Resultat – Studiens resultat bygger på den insamlade empirin och genomförda litteraturstudier. Resultatet visar vilka brister som författarna har identifierat inom en anskaffningsprocess som har en påverkan på leveransprecisionen ut till kunderna. Genom att besvara studiens två frågeställningar visar resultatet att bristande informationsflöde, manuell hantering, brist på rutiner och bristande helhetssyn är samtliga faktorer som har en påverkan på anskaffningsprocessen och i slutändan fallföretagets leveransprecision. Implikationer – De framtagna lösningarna bör implementeras på fallföretaget först efter det att en kartläggning av samtliga processer på fallföretaget har utförts, för att finna gemensamma utmaningar och undvika suboptimeringar. Slutsatser – Enligt författarna hänger många av de identifierade bristerna ihop med avsaknaden av en helhetssyn i anskaffningsprocessen och de ingående aktiviteterna och avdelningar hos fallföretaget. / Background – For customer-order-driven companies it is very important to maintain high delivery dependability. The lack of materials is something that affects delivery dependability negatively and by improving the procurement process the chances increases that the purchased materials are received when requested. Purpose – The purpose of this study is to examine how improving the procurement process in a customer-order-driven company can increase delivery dependability. To achieve the purpose, the following questions will be answered:1. Which areas of improvement can be identified in the procurement process at a customer-order-driven company? 2. How can the areas of improvement be handled to achieve increased delivery dependability? Method and implementation – In order to achieve the purpose of the study and answer the two questions a case study has been conducted at a customer-order-driven company. Through literature studies a theoretical framework have been created to provide a deep knowledge base in the field. Observations, interviews and document studies have been conducted at the case company to collect empirical data which then were analysed against the collected theory. Findings – The results of the study are based on the collected empirical data and performed literature studies. The results show which areas of improvement the authors have identified in the procurement process that has an impact on delivery dependability. By answering the study's two questions the result shows that a lack of information flow, manual handling, lack of procedures and lack of holistic view are all factors that have an impact on the procurement process and ultimately the case company's delivery dependability. Implications – The proposed solutions should be implemented at case company only after mapping all processes within the case company, in order to find common challenges and avoid sub-optimization. Conclusion – According to the authors depends many of the identified areas of improvement on the lack of a holistic view of the procurement process and the included activities and departments at the case company.