Background and Motivation

Electronic Procurement covers both the IT-based support of operational as well as of strategic processes in Supply Management. In this course (Part I), the operational purchase-to-pay process (typically relevant for indirect goods) is addresed. Here a special focus lies on electronic catalog-based procurement. Therefore, a broad range of applications in Electronic Procurement will be covered, some of them already well established, though usually not comprehensively implemented, others fairly new to most companies. In all instances, we focus on IP-based IT systems, while we pick up ERP systems in a single lesson only.

Module Objectives

You will be able to evaluate the potentials of optimized processes supported by dedicated software systems, especially compared to traditional processes and solutions. Furthermore, you will find out what types of solutions are available for different procurement tasks. You will also learn how the involved parties have to change or adjust their processes in order to generate maximum possible economic benefit. How to successfully design and run related projects when introducing and rolling-out Electronic Procurement solutions is another issue you will become acquainted with. Related to this issue, you will gain awareness of the relevance to motivate staff and users in order to ensure optimized system utilization.

Module Contents

The module is designed in a distance electronic learning format. Based on extensive experience regarding practical applications as well as empirical data and theoretical foundations the domain of IT-based Supply Management regarding operational processes will be presented to you via an electronic learning system. You will learn about different strategies for optimizing and managing procurement processes via adequate IT tools. While working through the contents, you will have the opportunity to interact with the instructors of this module. The following topic areas will be covered intensively within this module:

- Traditional and optimized Operational Procurement Processes

- Catalogue-based Procurement Systems

- Usage Models and Standards

- Performance Analysis

- Effects on suppliers

- Project and Change Management

- ERP-based processes

- IT-based processes in Supply Chain Management

Syllabus

Module 0

Lesson1: Procurement: Tasks and Objects

Lesson 2: Categorization of IT-Tools

Lesson 3: lntegrated strategic and operational IT-based processes in procurement: The SCOPE Specs

Module 1: Optimized operational processes

Lesson 1: Analysis of operational processes

Lesson 2: Optimized operational processes

Lesson 3: eCatalogs and eStandards

Lesson 4: Usage models

Lesson 5: Tasks of the Procurement function

Lesson 6: Performance and ROI Analysis

Lesson 7: Effects of optimized 02P processes on suppliers

Lesson 8: Project and change management

Lesson 9: Conventional MRP systems and Execution systems

Lesson 10: Electronic Supply Chain Management