Current Purchasing and Supply Chain Practices in E-procurement Essay

Current Purchasing and Supply Chain Practices in E-procurement - Essay Example Indeed as e-commerce continues to gain root courtesy of the developments realized in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) it seems every single sector is being transformed. E-procurement therefore involves the use of Electronic Data Interchange and Enterprise Resource Planning. It is basically facilitated through the use of various software applications which enhance the process of supplier management and complex auctions. The value chain process of e-procurement consists of e-tendering, indent management, e-auctioning, catalogue management, order notice, e-invoicing, e-payment and contract management. It basically involves the conventional supply chain processes which are enhanced through the use of information systems. In public sector organizations, e-procurement is becoming a common affair given its increased benefits. Some of the benefits realized through e-procurement include increased efficiency and cost savings. Indeed, these have always been major concern in govern ment contracting. Similarly, e-procurement improves the transparency of the procurement process. Conventional procurement is normally characterized by rampant corruption especially in the public sector. A supply chain network enables the distribution options for the procurement of both raw material and finished products. In this regard, the major aim of a supply chain network is to satisfy the needs of the consumer as soon as they appear. This is certainly an important component of e-procurement (Ageshin, 2001). It should be realized that e-procurement is not simply a process of making online purchases. It must provide an open and effective communication line with all the potential suppliers throughout the business process (Waters, 2007). Research and New trends Businesses are today compelled to adapt and reconfigure their IT systems, assets and business operations in order to meet the increasingly changing demands of the customers. There is a growing need to compress the long busin ess cycles and to differentiate from the increased competition (2007). In this respect, new trends in e-procurement are constantly adopted with the major aim of enhancing operations through efficiency, costs reduction and output maximization. The systems are facilitated through the adoption of new architectural styles. The e-procurement and purchasing process involves the following steps (Dolgui, Soa, & Zaikin, 2005). Purchase approval and supplier evaluation The e-procurement supply chain process normally begins by the demand or need of the material by a user. In this respect, a number of electronic documents are normally used. They include forecasts and customer orders, purchase requisitions, stock checks and material requirements. The process of purchase approval involves a number of steps and will normally depend on the size of the purchase and whether the client is making first time purchases. Depending on the size of the purchase, there can be a need for supplier evaluation wh ich begins with from the determination of the purchase need (Forrest, 2006). Bidding and supplier selection The selection of suppliers is actually one of the most important activities in this respect. In any case, any mistakes or errors at this time can be very damaging and long-lasting. Once all the bids are received and the negotiation process has occurred, the sourcing team will then select an appropriate supplier and the approval is then authorized through the purchase approval step (Foust, 2013). Purchase approval Once the supplier has been selected, purchasing grants an authority or approval to purchase the product or service. This is facilitated through the use of an electronic drafting of a purchase order (PO). This is also

Quantity Surveyors Role in Construction Dispute Resolution Assignment

Quantity Surveyors Role in Construction Dispute Resolution - Assignment Example The system being young is in a phase of evolution, hence some of them are the there are several techniques that are devised for the execution of the approach. This paper will cover the most relevant and applied ones with respect to the construction industry of UK. In addition, I strongly believe that we discuss techniques which are being discussed and administered under Arbitration Act 1996. The techniques that are discussed in this paper would be as following, 1. Negotiation, 2. Arbitration, 3. Mini-trial , 4. Dispute Review Boards/ Dispute resolution boards, 5. Mediation 1. Negotiation One of the foremost and basic techniques is negotiation. This technique is discussed first due to the fact that it occurs first in the process of dispute resolution. In this the parties in dispute resolve the issue themselves and no third party is involved in the process. The process of conducting this technique is simple and basic, where the two parties meet, preferable face to face, discuss upon th e issues, finally coming to a mutually agreeable point. If this point is reached than normally the process end with an issues of a letter of agreement or memorandum of understanding, which will act as partial bidding for future line of action for both parties. The advantages of this technique are that it cheapest and quickest for the parties. Then this technique helps in retention of the commercial relationship between the parties. Most importantly there is least preach of confidentiality under this technique, as no or very little information is transmitted to other external sources and the engaged parties have the full control. Whereas the disadvantage of this technique is that it is not applicable incase the difference claims from the parties is too much and if either party is not interested to continue the work or maintain commercial relation. The role of the quantity surveyor is the most crucial one in this technique, due to the fact that whenever there is a dispute, both partie s have to evaluate and quantify there loss/gain which will act as a decision support system. As mentioned earlier in the start of a dispute it is all about the number game and there is very less input required from the side of the lawyers at this stage, so the project manager or management in general are very dependent on Quantity Surveyors for advice and evaluation of the cost and benefit analysis. Lastly when the two parties meet for negotiation, only the quantity surveyor has the precise knowledge about cost, associated resources and issues related to certain activities of the project. Hence the role of QS is most relevant in this technique as there is very less involvement of law and very high level of involvement of numbers and activity monitoring. I believe the process can be improved if this process start from the lower levels of management and then go up. As it is suggested that the lower management must first meet and try to resolve the disputes. 2. Arbitration Arbitration is one of the two oldest techniques to dispute resolution, hence several newly devised are somewhat rooted out of this technique. The arbitration is initiated if the initial negotiations fail, and several of the times it is invoked by the clauses of the contract that was written between the parties. If there is no provision of Arbitration in the contract then a voluntary agreement is made between the partie

ISLM model Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

ISLM model - Essay Example money demand equals to money supply. In the IS-LM model, money demand is assumed to be given exogenously at any point of time. It is the Central Bank, which determines money supply in any economy at any given point of time. The intersection of the two curves is known to be as the point of general equilibrium at which both the money market and the goods market are in equilibrium. In the above figure, the positively sloped curve is the LM curve, while the negatively sloped curve is the IS curve. E* is the intersection point of the two curves and represents general equilibrium. r* and y* is the general equilibrium values of r and y at which goods and money markets are simultaneously in equilibrium. Whether an economic model is reliable in terms of the values of different variables that it predicts and/or whether an economic model is capable enough of capturing what is actually happening in the real world depends on the reasonability of the assumptions it is based on. To examine how well IS-LM model captures what actually happens in the economy, one needs to check whether the two basic assumptions of the IS-LM model are reasonable. The major problem with the IS-LM model is that its two basic assumptions mentioned above have certain limitations and for this reason in spite of being a fundamental macroeconomic model, economists not very frequently use it for estimating the parameters involved in this model as well as the future values of output. (Clarida and Gertler, 1999 First, consider the problem with the assumption of price rigidity. IS-LM model always makes a prediction that equilibrium can be obtained at any level a it considers a passive kind of supply. According to this model, producers produce whatever is demanded by the buyers. In IS-Lm framework, if in an economy demand changes, then the economy will make all the adjustments to that change in demand in

GRP Systems Ltd. (GSL) - Supply Chain Management Essay

GRP Systems Ltd. (GSL) - Supply Chain Management - Essay Example This also helps it retain its competitive advantage in the future. Table of Contents About GSL Competitive analysis- SWOT analysis GSL’s competitive advantage and SCM Stakeholder analysis- BCG Matrix Conclusions and recommendations References GRP SYSTEMS LTD. – SUPPLY CHAIN ANALYSIS This report analyzes GRP Systems Ltd. (GSL) market in terms of its competitiveness to assess its ability to cater to a high-end market for 500-1500 pe in the sewage water treatment niche. This analysis is important for GSL’s sustenance in the present market conditions where its core business of catering to 50-500 p.e. (population equivalent) market is soon becoming obsolete with 500-1500 p.e. market gaining importance in the region. The company’s strengths and weaknesses and its supply chain management will be analyzed for this purpose. About GSL GRP Systems Ltd. (GSL) is a South Coast, England based manufacturing company that has grown from providing repair and maintenance ope rations to sailing yachts to suppliers of septic tanks for small properties which are not yet connected to the main sewage system. Over the last 6 years, GSL has become a key player in the ‘package’ sewage treatment services which they identified as a niche market. It provides services to water treatment plants, pubs and hotels among others. It serves its niche market with a 50-500 p.e. with its small ‘package’ sewage treatment solution and has a 25% market share in England and Wales. The solution includes sinking a tank into holes dug in the ground and filling the tank with structured media in which bacteria are allowed to grow that feed off the sewage to neutralize water. Competitive analysis- SWOT analysis Strengths- GSL has a 25% market share in England and Wales for its small ‘package’ sewage treatment solution that offers low cost treatment of water. This segment of the market has few players and the company has a strong hold since 6 year s with potential to expand to the 500-1500 p.e. segment. Its speed of service is its major strength which the company is yet to leverage on to gain a higher market share. Its pricing is also a key strength as it offers cost-saving tanks that can be buried underground unlike the costly steel tanks that are installed above ground which is mostly disapproved. GSL’s technical expertise is also considered on par with the required standards although the tanks are not as robust as the steel tanks. Weaknesses- GSL is short of leveraging its core competencies in expanding its market to the higher-end niche of catering to 500-1500 p.e.. It is also short of manpower as it uses limited manpower who are experts in their respective fields. High lead times for sale and delivery of the services along with low profitability (5%) and high overheads (20%) is a constraint on the company’s business. Procurement of inventory for the tanks along with high cost of labour is another factor res tricting GSL’s growth. Opportunities- GSL can leverage its core competencies in terms of low cost ‘package’ sewage treatment solutions to expand its business to cater to the higher end market of 500-1500 p.e.. GSL can also try to devise effective strategies to address the need to cater to custom design solutions through its expertise that it can leverage along with its effective delivery. The company can also train its staff to meet the

A critical analysis of three short stories or one short Novella by one Essay

A critical analysis of three short stories or one short Novella by one author - Essay Example Rather than portraying his characters in keeping with the generally accepted and widely held view of the stereotypical farmer, for instance, Faulkner presented his characters, good and bad, with a strong degree of sensitivity and understanding (Cowley, 1977). By covering several aspects of living in Yoknapatawpha, telling stories from various different viewpoints within the town, Faulkner has an amazing repertoire of characters who drift in and out of focus and who can trace their lineage back to his first tale. He wrote primarily from his experience growing up in the south and within his archetypal setting, he was able to establish clearly defined allegories such as Time in â€Å"A Rose for Emily†, the strength of the southern black man in â€Å"Ad Astra† and the struggle of the natural against the civilized in â€Å"The Bear.† Faulkner is one of the least educated and least experienced writers of his time. Born in New Albany, Mississippi on September 25, 1897, he was originally William Falkner, the first of four sons born to Murry and Maud Falkner. He acquired the ‘u’ later in life probably as a typographical error and later as an intentional misspelling to obtain a position with the Royal Air Force in Canada as he felt it made him appear more British (Padgett, 2005). When he was five years old, the family moved to Oxford. Although he reportedly showed a great deal of artistic talent at a young age, Faulkner was quickly bored with school and dropped out without graduating from high school. Other than a short stint at the University of Mississippi, he never returned to school. He joined the Royal Air Force in Canada, but was honorably discharged shortly after he completed training when the war ended, forcing him to return home to Mississippi. He remained somewhat unanchored for a while, taking odd jobs, publishing poetry and short stories and attending the university before moving to New

Application of the Henderson Nursing Model from a Holistic Perspective Article

Application of the Henderson Nursing Model from a Holistic Perspective - Article Example Application of the Henderson Nursing Model from a Holistic Perspective Virginia Henderson was an advanced woman of her time. By 1934 she had earned both her Bachelors of Nursing and her Masters Degree in Nursing Education and was well on her way towards making one of the biggest changes in nursing history. In an era where nurses were starting to be appreciated for more than their ability to change dressings, Henderson’s work on a theory of nursing was the right move at the right time in history (â€Å"Nursing Theory,† 2011). Henderson’s Nursing Model Henderson is known as a â€Å"needs theorist† (Kim & Kollak, 2006, p.17). Her prime theory was centered on the idea that a nurse’s position was to help the individual to gain their own independence. This lent a flexibility to the nursing model; an idea that a nurse could be many things to the same patient. Henderson put it as â€Å"assisting the individual, sick or well, in the performance of those act ivities contributing to the health or its recovery (or to a peaceful death) that he would perform unaided if he had the necessary strength, will or knowledge; And to do this in such a way as to help him gain independence as rapidly as possible† (1961, p. 42). ... She was also a strong proponent for the idea that the nurse’s obligation and duty is to the patient rather than the doctor which was a prevalent belief prior to that time. Nicholl (1997) wrote about her â€Å"Henderson’s definition of nursing was a major shift from the task-procedure perspective and one of the earliest widely used definitions to present a conceptualization of nursing that included function and goal† (p.509). Henderson viewed a nurses function as being either substitutive (doing something instead of the patient); supplementary (helping the patient directly to do something) or complementary (working with the patient to do something). This way the patient had a certain control over how his or her treatment went; with the nurse identified as someone who can facilitate that process (â€Å"Nursing Theory†, 2011). This emphasis on the patient having some control over his or her health and treatment is one aspect that resonates with holistic healt h practices. Holistic Medicine and the Henderson Nursing Model Holistic medicine is defined as a â€Å"doctrine of preventive and therapeutic medicine that emphasizes the necessity of looking at the whole person—his body, mind, emotions, and environment—rather than at an isolated function or organ...holistic medicine puts ownership of the patient's health back with the patient, teaching the precepts of exercise, a good diet, adequate sleep, fresh air, and moderation in personal habits† (Shaw, 2008). Originally considered â€Å"new age† and totally against the medical methods of treatment, in more recent times holistic aspects of health care are working alongside mainstream medical techniques. While it could not be said that Virginia Henderson was a

Graphic Design History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Graphic Design History - Essay Example Such effective printing technologies facilitated the reproduction of larger presses (Gomez-Palacio and Armin 54). Among the key media that arose from the advent of reproductive technologies was the poster. Printed on large wood types, posters became appropriate modes of advertising at the time. This way, the prominence of graphic design spread rapidly. Key among the artists who exploited the use of the new technologies in reproducing art was Jules Chà ©ret. The French painter and lithographer pioneered the growth of the Belle Époqueposter art and the â€Å"father of the modern poster.† The advent of the large poster era enhanced the growth of his art as he could now produce his work both in bulk and in large posters that reached a large audience. He for example created a collection entitled the  Maà ®tres de l’Affiche, which was a significant publication in the growth of the art. It consisted of smaller sized posters in which he featured the works of the early Persian artists. This relived the works thus enhancing the growth of graphic design. His works influenced the growth of both the poster and advertising industry thus creating space for other iconic artists such as Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec among others. Enlisting soldiers into the First World War was a major undertaking that influenced the success of various countries. As such, countries devised appropriate ways of enhancing the spread of propaganda in order to attract recruits into the military besides enhancing the growth of nationalism by portraying the enemy in a negative way. Key among the media used in spreading such propaganda was posters. Graphic design helped create appropriate posters that conveyed specific messages. Propaganda posters grew in prominence as governments develop provocative message with the view to influencing public opinion thus increasing the number of citizens enlisting in the military or in changing the public’s view of the perceived enemy (Gomez-Palacio and Armin 121). In