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CHAPTER 2
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.