Quality Management in Strategic Networks - Is there any Relevance in the Polish Dairy Sector?

The most striking consequence of recent food scares was that food quality is no longer the concern of a single firm, but instead the whole food chain has to work together in order to deliver the new quality. For the agri-food business there is evidence that the majority of these more highly co-ordinated chain organisations are organised as vertical networks. The aim of the paper is to determine the degree of influence which the chosen quality strategy exerts on the vertical co-ordination mechanism. A theoretical framework has been developed based on new institutional economics and strategic management theory. The findings are used to analyse the Polish dairy sector and elaborate on the relevance of quality management for this sector.network theory, relationship management, quality management, Polish dairy market, Livestock Production/Industries,

Strategic Alliances and Shared IS/IT Infastructures in B2B Marketplaces: An Exploratory Case

In the late 1990’s researchers believed that B2B markets were set to revolutionise e-procurement. New marketplaces were being created on an almost weekly basis to cater for the procurement needs of numerous and diverse industry sectors. More recently however, researchers have noted that many B2B markets are under performing and failure rates are high. We draw upon research on strategic alliances and application service provision to explore the possibility of markets improving their performance through entering strategic alliances to share technology. We document and explain a model developed by Eutilia, a leading B2B market in the utilities sector to justify such technology alliances. We explain how Eutilia operationalised this model, through entering a technology alliance with another leading B2B marketplace. The results demonstrate that both markets benefited from this technology alliance and that Eutilia achieved significant performance improvements. We believe that other marketplaces could potentially improve their performance through similar alliances

Library purchasing consortia in the UK: activity, benefits and good practice.

Following a brief introduction in Section 1, Section 2 sets out the operational context of library purchasing consortia. A range of key factors have shaped recent developments in the four LIS sectors under consideration (FE, HE, health and public libraries); some have exerted a common influence over all (e.g. information technology, European Commission purchasing directives, new central government, decline in bookfunds); some are sector-specific (e.g. purchasing arrangements, regional administrative frameworks, collaborative partnerships). The structure and markets of the book and periodical publishing industry in the UK are reviewed, with attention paid to historical as well as more recent practice that has had an impact on library supply. Although each component of the LIS purchasing consortia jigsaw displays individual characteristics that have evolved as a response to its own environment, the thread that links them together is constant change. Section 3 presents the results of a survey of identified library purchasing consortia in the four library sectors. It treats common themes of relevance to all consortia arising from information gathered by seminar input, questionnaire and interview. These include models of consortium operation, membership and governance, ‘typical’ composition of consortia in each sector, and links to analogous practice in other library sectors. Common features of the tendering and contract management process are elicited and attention paid to any contribution of procurement professionals. Finally, levels of consortium expenditure and cost savings are estimated from the published statistical record, which readily demonstrate in financial terms the efficiency of the consortial purchase model for all types of library in the United Kingdom. Section 4 presents the results of a survey of suppliers to libraries in the United Kingdom of books and periodicals, the two sectors most commonly represented in current contracts of library purchasing consortia. It sets out in some detail the operating context governing the highly segmented activities of library booksellers, as well as that pertaining to periodicals suppliers (also known as subscription agents). Detailed responses to questions on the effects of library purchasing consortia on suppliers of both materials have been gathered by questionnaire survey and selected follow-up interviews. Results are presented and analysed according to supply sector with attention given to the tendering process, current contracts under way, cross-sectoral clientele, and advantages and inhibitors of consortia supply. Further responses are reported on issues of how consortia have affected suppliers’ volume of trade, operating margins and market stability as perceived in their own business, the library supply sector and the publishing industry. Finally, overall conclusions are drawn and projections made as to future implications for both types of library suppliers. Section 5 synthesises findings, details enabling and inhibiting factors for consortia formation and models of best practice amongst consortia. The scope for cross-sectoral collaboration is discussed and found to be limited at present. Pointers are given for future activity

Co-operative Activity in Preston

Co-operativism, then is being hailed by some (Mason, 2015)3 as the beginning of a postcapitalist society and a new way forward: ‘Almost unnoticed, in the niches and hollows of the market system, whole swaths of economic life are beginning to move to a different rhythm. Parallel currencies, time banks, cooperatives and self-managed spaces have proliferated, barely noticed by the economics profession, and often as a direct result of the shattering of the old structures in the post-2008 crisis.’4 Working co-operatively also brings with it a new economic

Purchasing consortia and electronic markets:a procurement direction in integrated supply chain management

In supply chain management literature, there has been little empirical research investigation on purchasing consortium issues focusing on a detailed analysis of information and communication (ICT) based procurement strategies. Based on the exploration of academic literature and two surveys among purchasing organisations as well as e-Marketplaces / procurement service providers (PSPs) in the automotive and electronics industry sectors, the research methodology follows a positivistic approach in order to assess the overall statement: ‘Effective participation in electronic purchasing consortia (EPC) can have the potential to enhance competitive advantage. Implementation therefore requires a clear and detailed understanding of the major process structures and drivers, based upon thetechnology-organisation-environment framework.’ Key factors and structures that affect the adoption and diffusion of EPC and the performance impact of adoption are investigated. The empirically derived model for EPC can be a valuable starting point to EPC research

Purchasing Consortia and Electronic Markets: a Procurement Direction in Integrated Supply Chain Management

In supply chain management literature, there has been little empirical research investigation on purchasing consortium issues focusing on a detailed analysis of information and communication (ICT) based procurement strategies. Based on the exploration of academic literature and two surveys among purchasing organisations as well as e-Marketplaces / procurement service providers (PSPs) in the automotive and electronics industry sectors, the research methodology follows a positivistic approach in order to assess the overall statement: ‘Effective participation in electronic purchasing consortia (EPC) can have the potential to enhance competitive advantage. Implementation therefore requires a clear and detailed understanding of the major process structures and drivers, based upon thetechnology-organisation-environment framework.’ Key factors and structures that affect the adoption and diffusion of EPC and the performance impact of adoption are investigated. The empirically derived model for EPC can be a valuable starting point to EPC research

Are Hubs the Centre of Things? eProcurement in the Automotive Industry

Organizations are being confused by simplistic, technology-driven models of e-business that allegedly enhance competitive and co-operative capability. Re-examining the perceived wisdom of electronic markets finds shallow, overlapping networks competing for membership, isolated pockets of collaboration and irregular flows of revenue, resembling an ad-hoc arrangement of spokes rather than a hub structure. This paper develops a classification that highlights the link between inclusive/exclusive hub membership and the buyer-supplier relationship as part of planning eprocurement strategy. Three automotive case studies show that introducing electronic hubs without IS-related, industry-level planning simply speeds up the mess

Library purchasing consortia: achieving value for money and shaping the emerging electronic marketplace

Drawing on a current study, funded by the British Library Research and Innovation Centre, the context of higher education libraries is discussed, including funding and costs and recent major official reports on education and libraries. Future trends and imperatives are outlined. Models of library purchasing consortia are presented. The operation of the Southern Universities Purchasing Consortium’s Libraries Project Group is examined in detail. The lessons and benefits of consortium membership are discussed. The future influence of purchasing consortia, particularly on the regional library and on electronic publishing are examined