E-procurement : non-production purchase : an industry analysis & an implementation plan

Abstract

My thesis covers the electronic procurement currently existing, mainly the nonproduction purchase part of it. Since all companies make non-production purchase, this thesis reaches different sectors of the industry. Non-production procurement includes maintenance, repair, and operation, common called MRO, as well as service and outsource purchase. This work is also recommended for those who are interested in a general e-procurement, in an integrated supply-chain management over the Internet, in a Just in Time application, in a vertical and virtual integration, and in a business-to-business e-commerce application. My main goal is to help those who are interested in using e-procurement understand what the industry is doing, what kind of technology is available, and provide a model for implementation. In order to achieve those goals this work is divided into two main parts: An Industry Analysis and an Implementation Plan. The industry analysis covers the three major software providers in the actual US market: Ariba, Commerce One, and Oracle. The work is illustrated with a case study in order to provide a better understanding of the benefits and challenges faced by those who are deploying e-procurement. The implementation plan focuses on a strategy to be followed in order to install eprocurement in the service industry. A Brazilian bank, Itau, is used as an example to develop the plan, since Itau is a large corporation with national presence in South America.