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1 – 10 of over 33000Billy Ng, Bruce G. Ferrin and John N. Pearson
Reviews the literature of purchasing and transportation management to identify factors in the purchasing and transportation processes that influence a firm’s ability to reduce…
Abstract
Reviews the literature of purchasing and transportation management to identify factors in the purchasing and transportation processes that influence a firm’s ability to reduce total cycle time. Presents a model of these factors to establish a framework for guiding research into comprehensive, systematic approaches to total cycle time reduction. In addition, the total cycle time model serves as a blueprint for practitioners in evaluating, in specific organizations, the effect of the purchasing and transportation processes on total cycle time. Although much of the research reviewed herein dates to the early 1980s its consideration as part of a comprehensive, systematic examination of the total cycle time concept is new.
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Qin Zhang and P.B. Seetharaman
The purpose of this paper is to propose a method to help firms assess lifetime profitability of customers whose buying behaviors are characterized by purchasing cycles, which are…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to propose a method to help firms assess lifetime profitability of customers whose buying behaviors are characterized by purchasing cycles, which are determined by both intrinsic purchasing cycles and cumulative effects of firms’ marketing solicitations.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper first proposes a probability model to predict customers’ responses to firms’ marketing solicitations in which a customer’s inter-purchase times are assumed to follow a Poisson distribution, whose parameters vary across customers and follow a gamma distribution. The paper then proposes a customer profitability scoring model that uses customers’ responses as an input to assess their lifetime profitability at a given point of time.
Findings
The paper illustrates the proposed method using individual-level purchasing data of 529 customers from a catalog firm. The paper shows that the proposed model outperforms the benchmark model in terms of both explaining and predicting customers’ purchases. The paper also demonstrates significant profit consequences to the firm if incorrect methods are used instead of the proposed method.
Practical implications
The proposed method can help firms select or eliminate customers based on their lifetime profitability so that firms can focus their marketing efforts in a more targeted manner to increase total profits.
Originality/value
The proposed Gamma-Poisson probability model and the profitability scoring method are easy to implement due to the attractive conjugacy property. It is valuable for firms’ customer relationship management applications from the standpoint of making customer selection and inventory management decisions.
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Ahmed Doha, Ajay Das and Mark Pagell
The purpose of this study is twofold. First, to examine the contingent role of the product life cycle on the efficacy of purchasing practices. Second, to use the results of the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is twofold. First, to examine the contingent role of the product life cycle on the efficacy of purchasing practices. Second, to use the results of the first investigation to explore the adequacy of the profit‐maximization framework for explaining purchasing decision making. This second investigation is motivated by growing evidence on the role of institutional factors in explaining supply chain management practices.
Design/methodology/approach
Survey data from a sample of North American manufacturing firms, across four standard industry sectors, are analysed using ANOVA and linear regression, to examine the hypotheses.
Findings
The results indicate that product life cycle has a contingent effect on the efficacy of some purchasing practices but not on others. Interestingly, the results suggest that the profit‐maximization framework is capable of explaining only some purchasing decisions but not others; firms adopt certain purchasing practices in certain product life cycle stages, even when these practices have no apparent effect on purchasing performance. This raises a need for an alternative framework to profit‐maximization, to better understand purchasing decision making.
Originality/value
The paper pioneers an empirical examination of how product life cycle moderates the relationship between purchasing practices and purchasing performance. The paper presents novel insights on the inadequacy of the rational profit‐maximization framework to explain purchasing decision making. Furthermore, the paper presents testable propositions on the role of institutional factors that are potentially driving purchasing decision making in managing the product life cycle contingency.
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Lambros Laios and Evangelos Xideas
Investigates whether institutional and industrial organizations buyingcapital items exhibit different patterns of structural configurationacross the purchasing cycle. Measures the…
Abstract
Investigates whether institutional and industrial organizations buying capital items exhibit different patterns of structural configuration across the purchasing cycle. Measures the structure of the purchasing function by three composite parameters especially developed for this research. These parameters express aspects of articulation, depth of analysis and decentralization respectively, and are measured for each of four purchasing cycle phases. Using regression analysis on data from certain Greek organizations, aims to investigate the differences in the purchasing structure arising from capital items purchases of institutions and industrial organizations respectively. This can help industrial marketeers to adapt their strategies to institutions′ purchasing patterns.
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Gordon Wills, Sherril H. Kennedy, John Cheese and Angela Rushton
To achieve a full understanding of the role ofmarketing from plan to profit requires a knowledgeof the basic building blocks. This textbookintroduces the key concepts in the art…
Abstract
To achieve a full understanding of the role of marketing from plan to profit requires a knowledge of the basic building blocks. This textbook introduces the key concepts in the art or science of marketing to practising managers. Understanding your customers and consumers, the 4 Ps (Product, Place, Price and Promotion) provides the basic tools for effective marketing. Deploying your resources and informing your managerial decision making is dealt with in Unit VII introducing marketing intelligence, competition, budgeting and organisational issues. The logical conclusion of this effort is achieving sales and the particular techniques involved are explored in the final section.
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Appropriately, perhaps, the literature of library acquisitions is largely devoted to topics such as records management, vendor evaluation, selection sources, fugitive materials…
Abstract
Appropriately, perhaps, the literature of library acquisitions is largely devoted to topics such as records management, vendor evaluation, selection sources, fugitive materials, budgeting, etc., rather than to the accounting aspects of acquisitions work. In core librarianship textbooks the same pattern applies, a small minority only addressing themselves to purchasing procedures in any detail. This paper attempts to reconsider the applicability of centralized and standardized purchasing procedures such as prevail in large‐scale public or commercial organisations for the purposes of library acquisitions, and offers some comment on the potential impact of automation in this context.
In this paper, the author examines the growth of B2B e‐commerce, examining results from the ISM/Forrester Reports on e‐Business conducted to date. Through this analysis, the…
Abstract
In this paper, the author examines the growth of B2B e‐commerce, examining results from the ISM/Forrester Reports on e‐Business conducted to date. Through this analysis, the researcher demonstrates that contrary to the generally‐held perception that B2B has experienced a sharp downturn in the wake of the recession, e‐procurement has taken hold and is rapidly expanding across the American landscape. Specifically, the Reports on e‐Business are studied to look for trends in the overall use of e‐procurement methods: to reduce paperwork and cycle times; to procure direct and indirect goods and services; to collaborate with suppliers; and to reduce the total cost of procurement. The author concludes that overall, the analysis shows that the push towards e‐procurement is being led by the largest firms. This and other key trends are discussed in the conclusion of this report, along with suggestions for future research.
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To not only help with price quality and reliability and speed of delivery but also to enhance value analysis, make‐or‐buy analysis and supplier audits and certification. Planning…
Abstract
Purpose
To not only help with price quality and reliability and speed of delivery but also to enhance value analysis, make‐or‐buy analysis and supplier audits and certification. Planning may also be enhanced and assistance may be derived in maintaining ethical standards.
Design/methodology/approach
An integration of the managerial accounting and purchasing functions is discussed and illustrated. It is hypothesized that synergy can be gained by the organization and related stakeholders.
Findings
The purchasing function in business organizations is becoming increasingly important, and synergies can be gain by integrating the purchasing and managerial accounting functions.
Originality/value
By integrating the purchasing and managerial accounting functions, costs can be reduced and quality can be increased.
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Cristóbal Sánchez-Rodríguez, Angel Rafael Martínez-Lorente and David Hemsworth
The purpose of this paper is to analyze e-procurement in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and its relationship with top management support, IT obstacles and strategic…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to analyze e-procurement in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and its relationship with top management support, IT obstacles and strategic purchasing and the effect of e-procurement on performance (procurement performance and business performance).
Design/methodology/approach
The hypotheses were tested using a sample of 199 managers from SMEs in manufacturing.
Findings
The results indicated a significant relationship between e-procurement in SMEs and top management support, IT obstacles and strategic purchasing. Similarly, the authors found a positive relationship between e-procurement and procurement process performance and business performance.
Practical implications
The findings stress to SME managers, the need to pay attention to top management support, IT obstacles and strategic purchasing when implementing e-procurement. Similarly, it provides evidence of the benefits of e-procurement on procurement process performance and business performance.
Originality/value
This study fills a gap in the literature regarding e-procurement in SMEs and its impact on performance. SMEs constitute a significant part of today’s economies and e-procurement can significantly impact the performance of these organizations.
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Roger G. Schroeder, Gary D. Scudder and Michael J. Pesch
The cost of materials has often been neglected by managers faced with the problem of reducing manufacturing costs. However, as direct labour, the classical cost reduction target…
Abstract
The cost of materials has often been neglected by managers faced with the problem of reducing manufacturing costs. However, as direct labour, the classical cost reduction target, is reduced by automation the task of reducing materials cost has become much more urgent. As a result of this pressure new approaches have been developed to address the reduction of materials costs. This article reviews and describes five such approaches.