Assessing E-Procurement Success Factors in Telecommunication Organizations

Abstract

e-Procurement alludes to the utilization of information and communication technologies using the Internet to carry out all stages of the procurement process. Most of the companies implement this new system of e-Procurement and they are succeeding while many fail. This study was carried out on assessing e-Procurement success factors among top telecommunication organization of Pakistan. The objective of the study determines the success factors influencing the success of e-Procurement. This study involved a semi-structured interview from the procurement managers of selected organizations for the identification of success factors in their organizations. Descriptive approach was adopted to find the important factors that influence the success of e-Procurement, from eight companies a sample size of eighty-five (85) respondents participated for the quantitative data collection through a survey questionnaire. SPSSv22 was used to analyze the collected data and various analysis are performed. It is revealed from the study that all of the organizations have adopted e-Procurement with practices like e-sourcing, advertisement and tendering online bid submission and proposal submission but due to uneducated market and feeling uncomfortable in using new system at supplier/vendor end some of the practices were not even started like e-payments. e-Procurement success factors are obtained and finalized after conducting semi structured interview from procurement managers in selected organization. For this purpose a validated instrument was used. Identified factors in the selected organization are: Employee commitment to success of adoption, Top Management Support, Availability of ICT infrastructure, Transparency, Vendor/ Supplier Qualification, Employee knowledge on new technologies, Real time Performance Monitoring / measurement, Reliability and supplier performance, Choosing right technology and Vendor /supplier response. It has recommended telecommunication organizations of Pakistan should incorporate all the e-Procurement practices and make this system successful. There is also need to find ways for encouraging the employees and by managing training of the new system to employees and small suppliers/vendors or small training or seminar could also me conducted for the sake e-Procurement system to be successful. This will help in improvising of e-Procurement system into success.