Procurement

About: Procurement is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 25669 publications have been published within this topic receiving 334145 citations.

Modelling the price, performance and contract characteristics of IT outsourcing

Abstract: The rapidly increasing use of outsourcing for IT services, both in the public and private sectors, has attracted much interest from researchers and practitioners alike. While early studies of IT outsourcing were largely qualitative in nature, more recent studies have attempted to analyse the outcomes achieved in quantitative terms. This paper is consistent with the latter, but goes further by modelling the price, performance and contract characteristics that are relevant to IT outsourcing. A two-equation recursive regression model was used to analyse 48 contracts for IT support and maintenance. The results did not reveal any quantitatively significant price–performance trade-off, but did suggest that first-term contracts (i.e. the first ever contract awarded by a client for the provision of a particular IT service) were more expensive than repeat contracts. Although competitive tendering did not result in lower prices than directly negotiated contracts, it was associated with comparatively better performa...

Renewable energy gathers steam in South Africa

Abstract: South Africa׳s Renewable Energy Independent Power Producers Procurement Programme (the REI4P) is an extensive initiative to install 17.8 GW of electricity generation capacity from renewables – wind, solar, biomass, biogas and hydropower – over the period 2012–2030. Although at the outset the REI4P seemed an expensive option, designed only to deflect criticism of South Africa׳s high carbon footprint and excessive dependence on coal-based electricity generation, the escalating costs of the latter, the rapidly falling costs of photovoltaic and wind power, and the increasingly competitive bidding process of the REI4P have changed this prospect. At the conclusion of round three, the weighted cost of energy has reached a 23% discount to the cost of new coal-based generation and a 28% discount to global renewable energy prices. The bidders׳ commitments to local employment creation have similarly increased from 11 to 18 jobs/MW. The programme is now well placed to deliver on a broad range of objectives, including regional development and black economic empowerment. However, maximum benefit from the REI4P will not be secured without some revision to aspects of the bidding and procurement process. More specifically, the local content provisions need to be tightened to drive higher levels of local manufacturing.

Insurance system related to a vehicle-to-vehicle communication system

Abstract: System and methods are disclosed for determining, through vehicle-to-vehicle communication, whether vehicles are involved in autonomous droning. Vehicle driving data and other information may be used to calculate a autonomous droning reward amount. In addition, vehicle involved in a drafting relationship in addition to, or apart from, an autonomous droning relationship may be financially rewarded. Moreover, aspects of the disclosure related to determining ruminative rewards and/or aspects of vehicle insurance procurement/underwriting.