Auction-Based Mechanisms for Electronic Procurement

Auction-based mechanisms are extremely relevant in modern day electronic procurement systems since they enable a promising way of automating negotiations with suppliers and achieve the ideal goals of procurement efficiency and cost minimization. This paper surveys recent research and current art in the area of auction-based mechanisms for e-procurement. The survey delineates different representative scenarios in e-procurement where auctions can be deployed and describes the conceptual and mathematical aspects of different categories of procurement auctions. We discuss three broad categories: 1) single-item auctions: auctions for procuring a single unit or multiple units of a single homogeneous type of item; 2) multi-item auctions: auctions for procuring a single unit or multiple units of multiple items; and 3) multiattribute auctions where the procurement decisions are based not only on costs but also on attributes, such as lead times, maintenance contracts, quality, etc. In our review, we present the mathematical formulations under each of the above categories, bring out the game theoretic and computational issues involved in solving the problems, and summarize the current art. We also present a significant case study of auction based e-procurement at General Motors.     

Assessing critical functional and non-functional requirements for web-based procurement systems: a comprehensive survey

World Wide Web (WWW)-based electronic commerce has emerged as a mean to conduct business transactions that were previously handled through traditional interorganizational systems, phone, fax, on-site visits, or mail. Today, electronic procurement (e-procurement) accounts for most of the volume and value of the business transactions conducted over the Internet. As of yet, however, little or no research has assessed the functional and non-functional requirements sought for the WWW-based systems used to support the procurement process. This paper, presents findings of a survey of 133 corporate buyers from about 130 companies on the use of readily available web-based systems for business-to-business transactions and the requirements perceived to be critical to the effective support of supply chain operations.     

The Adoption of Electronic Procurement in Singapore

The emergence of new Internet technologies has far-reaching ramifications on the way business is conducted. Notably, it has given rise to e-commerce, which is the transaction of business via the Internet. Recognizing the importance of the Internet as a powerful business tool, many Asian companies have moved quickly to take advantage of electronic commerce. This study explores the role of business-to-business e-commerce, with an emphasis on e-procurement among companies in Singapore. It examines the impact of Internet-based technology on the buyer side of the procurement function, how e-procurement is helping organizations to enhance their competitiveness and the challenges to its adoption. The study also presents the findings from a survey conducted to gain insight into the adoption of e-procurement among companies in Singapore. Specifically, it seeks to uncover the prevalence of and extent to which companies in Singapore are adopting e-procurement, the benefits reaped and the barriers encountered in the course of implementation.     

A multi-agent based system for e-procurement exception management

E-procurement has become an important function of enterprise information systems. The process of e-procurement includes the automatic definition of product requirements, search and selection for suppliers, negotiation and contracting with suppliers. However, the adoption of e-procurement encounters various uncertainties from internal and external environments, such as inventory failure, sharp increased demand, and delivery delay. In this paper, we propose a novel agent-based architecture for an e-procurement system in which agent technology is applied to deal with the internal and external uncertainties. Through the collaboration and interaction between different agents, the architecture that we propose can enhance the flexibility to handle unexpected exceptions, thus leading to agile procurement management. To valid the feasibility of our approach, a case study has been conducted to investigate how our agents collaborate to manage the inventory failure exception which occurs in restaurant e-procurement.     

An e-government framework for assessing readiness for public sector e-procurement in a lower-middle income country

ABSTRACT

Governments globally are leveraging information and communication technology (ICT) growth towards improving the quality of public procurement services for socio-economic development. However, the extent of its application differs across nations. Notwithstanding the extant theoretical and empirical literature on IT for development, knowledge on how to assess readiness for adopting a full e-procurement system in the public sector of lower and lower-middle income countries (LMICs) begs for understanding. With the narrative of Ghana, we address this gap by drawing on the institutional and economic theory and the United Nations E-Government Development Index towards a holistic framework beyond the dyad of linear website functionalities and internet focus of prior e-government adoption models. Elite interviews gathered from multiple cases from Ghana’s public sector reveals the key readiness determinants for a full public sector e-procurement system. This study has significant implications for shaping the process-oriented management of government e-procurement projects towards socio-economic development in LMICs amid their complex institutional and socio-technical environments.     

Assimilation patterns in the use of electronic procurement innovations: A cluster analysis

Electronic procurement innovations (EPI) have been adopted by many firms as a means of improving their procurement efficiency and effectiveness, but little research has been conducted to determine whether the assimilation of EPI really increases procurement productivity and which factors influence its assimilation. Drawing on data from 166 firms, we conducted an exploratory study to address these questions, using cluster analysis that revealed four different clusters or patterns of EPI assimilation: none, focused niche, asymmetric, and broad-based deployment. The level of EPI assimilation was closely related to procurement productivity. Greater levels of EPI assimilation were associated with higher levels of top management support and greater IT sophistication. Also, interesting patterns emerged between the various elements of EPI infrastructure capability, specifically flexibility and comprehensiveness of standards, EPI security, and the level of EPI assimilation.     

Towards an e-Government efficiency agenda: the impact of information and communication behaviour on e-Reverse auctions in public sector procurement

The research in this paper explores how the general context and management information and communication behaviour in electronic Reverse Auctions (e-RAs) may impact on organizational efficiency to ensure procurement excellence. There is evidence that e-RAs improve procurement success by achieving considerable price reductions of externally sourced goods through direct, real-time and transparent competition between suppliers. This paper investigates the conditions for the successful adoption of e-RAs in the U.K. public sector generally and Welsh Unitary Authorities (WUAs) in particular. The research illustrates how e-RAs can support the procurement function and thus, can contribute to organizational efficiency in the context of electronic government (e-Government). A national U.K. survey and an exploratory case analysis in a WUA (Conwy) were undertaken to determine the conditions for the e-RA process. The findings underline the critical importance of the adequate preparation of the e-RA through appropriate information and communication behaviour. Consequently, the paper identifies a set of enabling factors and corresponding guidelines that could be used for the successful adoption of e-RAs in the public sector. The contribution of the research will be of benefit to both academics and practitioners engaged in procurement research and implementation.     

电子商务环境下的供应链采购策略研究

采购管理是供应链企业降低成本、提高竞争优势的重要环节。论文利用单周期连续型报童模型分析和比较了电子采购策略和传统采购策略的利益机制,量化了Internet在供应链采购管理中的作用。     

To be or not to B2B: Evaluating managerial choices for e-procurement channel adoption

E-procurement systems are computer systems and communication networks through which firms buy and sell products. We identify two types of e-procurement systems: extranets and e-markets. Extranets connect the buyer and its suppliers with a closed network, while e-markets create open networks for buyer and supplier interactions. The differences between them lie in system implementation costs, marketplace benefits, and the extent of supplier competitive advantage that develops due to information sharing. In this article, we develop a new theoretical model to analyze the adoption of e-procurement systems from the buyer’s perspective, to explore the set of conditions under which the buyer will prefer to procure via an electronic market instead of using proprietary extranet connections. The primary finding is that a buyer will adopt an e-market approach when the supplier’s competitive advantage derived from access to strategic information is modest compared with the marketplace benefits less the channel costs. In addition, we find that the buyer is likely to have a bigger trading network with an e-market than with an extranet in order to capture the greatest available benefits. Overall, this study offers guidelines for managers to design and select e-procurement channels to fit different procurement needs.     

政府采购信息化建设的现状和思考

政府采购信息化建设对于推动政府采购的发展具有十分重要的意义,电子化采购是政府采购的新趋势,本文从几个方面提出了推行政府采购信息化的重要性,并对现阶段存在的问题进行分析,提出了一些合理的解决办法。     

Assimilation of Internet-based purchasing applications within medical practices

The changing shape of the traditional buyer–supplier relationship between independent medical practices, or office-based physicians, and medical industry suppliers has prompted the proliferation of Internet-based purchasing applications. Healthcare informatics researchers believe that such systems hold great promise for improving the efficiency of medical organizations. We surveyed 216 medical practice adopters of electronic purchasing, to assess the post-adoption benefits following system assimilation. Results showed that Internet-based purchasing applications had a positive impact on both claims management and operational performance outcomes. Moreover, we found that compatibility, facilitating conditions, the IT infrastructure, and preference item purchasing were necessary antecedents to effective Internet-based purchasing application assimilation.     

Determinants of choice of semantic web based Software as a Service: An integrative framework in the context of e-procurement and ERP

The ever increasing Internet bandwidth and the fast changing needs of businesses for effectiveness with the partners in the procurement chain and is leading organizations to adopt information systems infrastructures that are cost effective as well as flexible. The question seems to be: what is driving organizations to go in for Software as a Service (SaaS) based e-procurement and ERP, rather than the packaged model of software provisioning? Whereas there have been studies reporting technology, cost, quality, network externalities and process as the main variables in the utility function of the user, but most of the studies have modelled either one or two in the their models. The study is exploratory in nature and tries to identify, classify and rank dimensions affecting SaaS sourcing decisions. In this study, we developed an integrative framework to identify the determinants of choice of SaaS in the specific context of SaaS based e-procurement and ERP. The framework was then analyzed using the extended Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method suggested by Liberatore (1987) and the relative importance and the weights of the criteria identified using data collected on 8 users and 9 service providers of SaaS based e-procurement and ERP. Although the analysis helped in identifying quality and costs as the two most important determinants of choice of SaaS based e-procurement and ERP, but the other criteria such as network externality benefits, technology and process were also found to be significant determinants of choice.     

The Effects of Process Characteristics on the Value of B2B E-Procurement

Even as more organizations are moving towards implementing Web-based B2B procurement solutions, they are unsure of the real benefits of the Web. In other words, what is the value of B2B e-procurement to an organization and how to measure this value? What factors affect this value? In this paper, we discuss an evaluation framework to determine the value of B2B e-procurement and the effect of process characteristics on the value. We use an empirical study to highlight the different value created by different procurement types. We then develop a more comprehensive economic model to capture the additional effects of demand volume and process complexity. The integration of theoretical and empirical approaches provides a strong foundation to develop and evaluate useful adoption strategies for B2B e-procurement.     

Vendor satisfaction of E-government procurement systems in developing countries: an empirical research in Indonesia

ABSTRACT

Adoption of e-government services persists as a prime concern among scholars and practitioners. Although much progress has been attained in comprehending how e-government services have been adopted by citizens, our understanding of vendors’ willingness to engage in Government-to-Business transactions (e.g. e-procurement) is much more limited by comparison, especially from the perspectives of service convenience and performance failure. For this reason, there have been increasing calls for further investigations into the factors affecting vendors’ adoption of e-government services and especially those operating in developing countries. Drawing on the compatibility principle, we advance a theoretical model that posits performance failure of e-government systems as object-based beliefs affecting vendors’ behavioral-based belief of service convenience. Upon analyzing survey data gathered from 227 vendors based in Indonesia on their experiences with e-government procurement systems, we discover that vendors’ evaluations of service convenience are negatively influenced by the presence of information, function, and system failures and that the effects of these failures vary across different dimensions of service convenience. In turn, service convenience and performance failure exert opposite impact on vendors’ satisfaction with e-government systems.     

一种科研所级网上采购系统

中国科学院动物研究网上采购管理系统由中国科学院资源规划 (ARP) 应用系统网上审批模块和网上采购平台组成,提供仪器设备和试剂耗材的采购申请审批、网上报价采购、采购合同审批管理、试剂耗材验货管理等功能。系统开发基于 B/S 架构,结构清晰、功能完善、数据流转通畅,规范了采购管理流程,提高了采购效率,提升了服务能力,极大方便了科研人员及管理部门的使用。进入大数据时代,随着智能手机的普及,引入移动互联技术后,采购管理系统功能将得到进一步的提升和扩展。     

B2B Procurement and Marketplace Transformation

Emerging web technologies and systems have started a revolutionary path that will have a profound impact on procurement processes and systems, especially in the area of indirect procurement and the management of operating resources. In fact, what started as more narrowly focused procurement systems only a couple of years ago, has transformed into a web of technologies, markets, and business strategies that have ramifications well beyond the purchasing function. The focus of this paper is on the marketplace structure, functionality and capabilities of systems, and key factors that buyers need to take into consideration when transforming their procurement processes. Contents management, markets, standards, and outsourcing are important problems that are discussed in this paper.     

基于B/S架构的高校物资管理系统设计与实现

物资管理信息系统作为企事业单位现代化管理的重要组成部分,对于提高管理效率和物资利用率有着不可替代的作用。通过对物资管理系统的架构、需求分析、流程控制、功能实现、关键技术的详细分析,研究基于Internet、B/S架构和.NET平台的物资信息管理系统,较好地解决了高校物资管理从计划、采购、入库、出库、使用等环节的管理问题,实现了企事业物资集约化管理的目标。     

基于Web的招投标采购系统的设计与开发

阐述基于Web招投标采购系统的开发过程，包括：对采购管理系统的用户需求、功能需求、业务流程、数据流程等进行分析和设计，确定了系统的开发环境，提出整个系统的总体框架，基本实现了招标、投标、开标、评标、定标全过程的电子化和自动化，达到提高招投标及采购工作的效率。     

基于Python的高校电子文档管理系统

随着高校采购任务的剧增,采购业务积累了大量的电子文档资料,原一站式采购管理平台的文档管理功能已经无法满足现有的工作需要.综合分析现有文件和资料管理的需求,并根据文档实际生命周期的业务流程,确定了系统功能模块的划分.利用模型驱动工程思想建立系统的对象模型,使用Rational建模工具建立系统类图和时序图来描述系统整体架构和业务逻辑,选择轻量级Flask框架模型进行研发,采用文档型数据库MongoDB解决大并发量和数据服务器的读写压力,为今后大数据分析提供保障提出PyPDF方法解决PDF元数据提取功能.最终解决了电子文档流转最后归档环节缺乏信息化管理的问题.     

An explorative study of industry influences: on vertical e-marketplaces’ adoption of e-procurement auction

Vertical electronic marketplace (EM) is a new inter-organizational intermediary within a single industry that enables participating buyers and sellers to exchange information about price and product offerings and to cooperate on commodity exchange. Prior research on EM design has given a heavy weight on auction mechanism design. However, the feasibility of e-procurement auction to auction providers has long been ignored in academic. With an analysis on 157 vertical EMs from six different industries, this paper empirically demonstrates that industry contingencies exist in vertical EMs’ adoption of e-procurement auction service.