Procurement

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

Thinking Globally: How ISO 50001 - Energy Management Can Make Industrial Energy Efficiency Standard Practice

Abstract: Industry utilizes very complex systems, consisting of equipment and their human interface, which are organized to meet the production needs of the business. Effective and sustainable energy efficiency programs in an industrial setting require a systems approach to optimize the integrated whole while meeting primary business requirements. Companies that treat energy as a manageable resource and integrate their energy program into their management practices have an organizational context to continually seek opportunities for optimizing their energy use. The purpose of an energy management system standard is to provide guidance for industrial and commercial facilities to integrate energy efficiency into their management practices, including fine-tuning production processes and improving the energy efficiency of industrial systems. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has identified energy management as one of its top five priorities for standards development. The new ISO 50001 will establish an international framework for industrial, commercial, or institutional facilities, or entire companies, to manage their energy, including procurement and use. This standard is expected to achieve major, long-term increases in energy efficiency (20percent or more) in industrial, commercial, and institutional facilities and to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions worldwide. This paper describes the impetus for the international standard, its purpose, scope and significance, and development progress to date. A comparative overview of existing energy management standards is provided, as well as a discussion of capacity-building needs for skilled individuals to assist organizations in adopting the standard. Finally, opportunities and challenges are presented for implementing ISO 50001 in emerging economies and developing countries.

Bidding for contracts

Abstract: In a competitive procurement, a buyer seeks to institute a bidding and contracting procedure which selects the most efficient firm to undertake the contract while offering terms that promote risk sharing between buyer and contractor. This paper develops a model to analyze formally the trade-off between the objectives of risk sharing and efficient contractor selection.

Public Procurement and Innovation: The Role of Institutions

Abstract: Contents: 1. Introduction 2. Public Procurement of Innovation Theory 3. Legal Institutions for Public Procurement of Innovation 4. Public Procurement of Innovation Diffusion 5. Public Procurement of Innovation as Collaboration 6. Public Procurement of Innovation as Endogenous - Exogenous Knowledge Conversion 7. Success Factors Public Procurement of Innovation 8. Concluding Remarks References Index

E‐procurement in the United Nations: influences, issues and impact

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the factors influencing e-procurement adoption in the United Nations (UN) system of organizations are examined. Design/methodology/approach – This paper reports on an extended multi-method case study of e-procurement in the UN. A three stage methodology is adopted – a questionnaire survey of UN organizations, case studies of e-procurement issues in three UN organizations, and an interactive workshop with the heads of purchasing of UN organizations. Findings – The paper finds that e-procurement is being used in the UN for transactions of routine, non-strategic purchases. UN development agencies are more likely to adopt e-procurement than humanitarian aid agencies as their operations are more predictable. The intention of the majority of UN organizations to adopt e-procurement within three years has been reversed following the workshop, which revealed that adoption of e-procurement would run counter to UN policies of supporting less developed nations, regions and organizations. A more cautious, “wait and see” approach has been taken rather than to unilaterally promote e-procurement across the UN system. Research limitations/implications – This research focuses on the UN, yet could have implications for other complex systems of organizations such as the public sector, or multinational companies considering implementing e-procurement with suppliers in developing countries. Practical implications – E-procurement needs to be considered in the context of other procurement policy objectives. What may be good e-procurement practice in a profit-making firm may be viewed as competing with broader policy objectives of not-for-profit organizations. The digital divide is a salient contextual factor for the UN, and brings about unforeseen issues regarding e-procurement adoption which may have resonance for other organisations. Originality/value – Much research on e-procurement has been conducted in the private sector and this paper contributes to the small but growing number of studies of e-procurement in the context of the public and not-for-profit sectors by studying e-procurement in the UN.