Operations and Supply Chain Management Commons^™

The Utilization Of Procurement Strategies In A Supply Chain Environment, Cole Stevens

Supply Chain Management Undergraduate Honors Theses

In today's globalized business environment, efficient supply chain management has become crucial for organizations striving for success. The Walton School of Business at the University of Arkansas is widely regarded as one of the top institutions for supply chain management education in the nation. As a student who has undergone their supply chain program and curriculum, I have gained valuable insights and experiences that have prepared me for the demands of the industry.

One of the significant benefits of this education was the opportunity to undertake an internship at Caterpillar Inc., where I was able to gain hands-on experience in …

Procurement Skills In The Age Of Volatility, Jason S. Kerzel

Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects

No abstract provided.

Understanding The Relationship Between Procurement Practices And The Utilization Of Forced Labor, Clara Rauzi

Supply Chain Management Undergraduate Honors Theses

This literature review examines the relationship between procurement practices and the utilization of forced labor. As businesses strive to reduce expenses, one of the most significant areas of expenditure is labor. In forced labor, individuals are exploited and coerced into doing jobs or providing services for which they have not voluntarily undertaken. Globally, there are millions trapped in forced labor who are tied to their positions through debt bondage, threats, or fraud. Analysis of the determinants of forced labor, as well as possible techniques for mitigating it, will aid in the battle to end forced labor. A variety of literature …

Inherent Jeopardy Of Performance Based Contracting Metrics: A Simulation Experiment, Daniel Cherobini

Theses and Dissertations

There is a growing trend across the world to adopt Performance Based Contracting strategies to support logistics systems. Using these policies, contract payments are strongly related to the performance achieved compared to prespecified metrics. However, managers are not always confident on what are the most suitable performance goals to use in these agreements. As a consequence, contractors struggle to deliver the desired performance results, while aircraft fleets experience an increase in support costs. And when the results are inadequate, leaders are tempted to impose even more performance targets to contractors, willing to exercise more control over the support organization. In …

Research In Defense Logistics: Where Are We And Where Are We Going?, George A. Zsidisin, Amanda Bresler, Benjamin T. Hazen, Keith F. Schneider, Taylor H. Wilkerson

Faculty Publications

The purpose of this paper is to provide insight on high-interest areas of research in defense-related logistics and supply chain management and opportunities for advancing theory and practice in this domain.

Optimizing Strategic Sourcing In The Healthcare Supply Chain With Consideration Of Physician Preference And Vendor Scorecards, Parimal Kulkarni

Dissertations

This research focuses on the design of a procurement model for expensive medical supplies in a healthcare supply chain. A deterministic optimization model generates recommendations for optimal purchases of products in a given planning period. The model combines common concepts of supply chain procurement such as leveraging tiered pricing, ensuring supply base diversity with phenomena unique to healthcare supply chain such as consideration of physician preference for products. The deterministic optimization model minimizes total spend over a chosen planning period with consideration of four key decision parameters:

• Physician preference requirements (which are imposed as rules on product substitutability),
• Upper limits …

Shop Around: An Experiment On Air Force Vehicle Parts Procurement, Melvin K. Boothe

Theses and Dissertations

Current procurement processes for vehicle parts vary substantially across the Air Force. Many of these parts are "commercial off-the-shelf" items that are procured through local vendors via a government purchase card. Understanding what guidance dictates various purchasing processes and how that guidance affects the behavior of purchasers is unknown. A mixed method approach of semi-structured interviews of purchasers at multiple bases and an experimental survey testing different sets of guidance are used to understand the effects of guidance, as well as produce recommendations for action and future research for leaders at the local and headquarters levels.

Procurement Fraud, Lisa Mcnamee

Economic Crime Forensics Capstones

The 2016 Global Economic Crime Survey conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (2016), states that twenty-two percent of companies have experienced procurement fraud. The statistics have actually decreased since 2014 when twenty-seven percent of companies had experienced procurement fraud. However, procurement fraud is still one of the most costly fraudulent schemes. Despite the reduction, the Department of Defense continues to experience large procurement fraud cases, both in number and dollar value. A recent example is the Supreme Foodservice fraud case, which cost the Defense Logistics Agency $757 million dollars in fraudulent charges. (Jahner, 2014) The Department of Defense Office of Inspector General …

Can Contracts Replace Qualification In A Sourcing Process With Competitive Suppliers And Imperfect Information?, Yue Jin, Jennifer K. Ryan

Department of Supply Chain Management and Analytics: Faculty and Staff Publications

This paper considers a manufacturer who outsources the production of a product to multiple competing suppliers, who differ in their cost structures and in their capabilities for producing high-quality products. The manufacturer must design the sourcing process to ensure that the selected supplier has sufficient quality capability, while encouraging competition among the suppliers. We develop and analyze a mathematical model of performance-based contracting, a sourcing method that is appropriate when the manufacturer has imperfect information regarding the suppliers’ costs and capabilities. We compare the performance of performance-based contracting with that of a two-stage sourcing process, an alternative sourcing method that …

Best Strategic Practices For Small And Medium-Sized Procurement Organizations, Peter O'Reilly

Publications

Presentation discusses best practices, goals and objective, and strategies, and for small and medium-sized procurement organizations.

Best Strategic Practices For Small And Medium-Sized Procurement Organizations, Peter O'Reilly

Publications

Presentation discusses best practices, goals and objective, and strategies, and for small and medium-sized procurement organizations.

Corporate Myths: Sourcing And Vendor Management In Asia Pacific, Patrick Thng

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

There exists many mistaken beliefs about Sourcing and Vendor Management. Consequently the function is often mismanaged resulting in errors and frauds. Equipping the function with the needed skills and knowledge is critical for competent management of this key function which every organisation has to have.

Analysis Of International Epc Projects Using Scor Model, Monetecarlito Simulation, And Relationship Management, Xiaopeng Liang

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

The EPC contracting mode (Engineering, Procurement and Construction) has been broadly applied in construction projects, particularly, at the international level. However, the procurement process has been scarcely in literature. The purpose of this thesis is to research the procurement processes of different types of products—ETO (Engineer to order), MTO (Make to order), and MTS (make to stock)—in supply chain for a real international EPC cement project in Ethiopia. The procurement processes of steel bar (MTS), precast steel structure (MTO), and vertical mill (ETO) for the “Raw Meal Grinding and Exhaust Gas Treat,” one of the cement plant workshops, have been …

How Purchasing Departments Can Take Advantage Of The Sluggish Economy To Achieve Strategic Opportunities Through Best Practices, Peter O'Reilly

Publications

Presentation objectives:

• What is a Strategic Best Practice and Why is it Important to a Purchasing Department?

How To Implement Best Strategic Practices In Small And Medium-Sized Procurement Organizations During Difficult Economic Times, Peter O'Reilly

Publications

Presentation objectives:

• What are Small-sized and Medium-sized Sourcing Departments?
• What is a Strategic Best Practice and Why is it Important to a Sourcing Department?

Internal Versus External For Small Weapons Systems, Joseph S. Elkins

Theses and Dissertations

The acquisition method used to gain access to new technologies can heavily influence whether our war fighters have the required tools to fight increasing and constantly shifting global threats (Kessler and others, 2000). The purpose of this study was to investigate the process and results of internal laboratory development, testing and fielding of small weapons systems as compared to traditionally acquired systems which encourage customer pull and contractor development. This research provides insight into how Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) personnel choose an acquisition method, retain personnel capability, and maximize product capability. This study consolidates the opinions of subject matter …

An Exploratory Case Study Of Information-Sharing And Collaboration Within Air Force Supply Chain Management, Wendy S. Kierpiec

Theses and Dissertations

This research sought to identify key elements of the Air Force supply chain as it relates to industry, determine how techniques of information-sharing and collaboration are used to make Air Force Supply Chain decisions, and examine how the resulting impacts on operational readiness may be measured. A multiple case study research design was used to investigate the application of information-sharing and collaboration in two distinct Air Force supply chains. Cross-case comparative analysis of the supply chains supporting the PTO shafts on the F-15 engine and the T-38 engine evaluated each supply chain's characteristics and levels of information-sharing and collaboration. The …