Eskom Procurement Book 2015

THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS

cycle and types of key documents used to manage the purchasing cycle. The chapter also pointed out the many different types or categories of purchases in addition to buying production items, capital equipment, and maintenance items. Procurement can be responsible for buying services, packaging supplies, MRO items, capital equipment and even jet aircraft in some cases. There is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to all the purchasing functions. Purchases can vary according to type, relative importance, cost, quantities, relative quality, delivery timeframes and volumes. There are rarely procurement experts for every commodity and so many procurement departments have personnel responsible for procuring different items. Procurement personnel tend to have one thing in common, that is the opportunity to effectively manage large amounts of resources through the procurement process. By using e-procurement tools, for example, procurement can satisfy user requirements, increase value-added time, and focus on the use of their professional time to improve the procurement process itself. 2.9 REFERENCES [1] Monczka D., Trent R. and Handfield R., Purchasing and supply chain management, 3 rd ed., Mason, South Western Publishers, 2005.

[2] EPIQ, Advanced supply management, articles, eProcurement: Electronic Procurement, http://www.epiqtech.com/Electronic-Procurement.htm, Accessed on 2 February 2013.

43 CHAPTER 2