Horizontal collaborative purchasing (HCP) has often been cited as a way for hospitals to address the challenges of the rising healthcare costs. However, hospitals do not seem to utilize horizontal collaborative purchasing on any large scale, and recent initiatives have had mixed results. Focusing on Dutch hospitals, in this paper we present major impediments for collaborative purchasing, resulting in a first component of our proposed electronic horizontal collaborative purchasing model for hospitals; as a second component it contains a collaborative purchasing typology. A first validation round with hospital purchasing professionals, described separately in Kusters and Versendaal (2011), confirmed four applicable purchasing types and fourteen salient collaborative purchasing impediments. The model is operationalized by including possible information technology (IT) solutions that address the specific fourteen impediments. This model is validated through methodological triangulation of four different validation techniques. We conclude that IT has the potential to support, or overcome, the impediments of HCP. The validation also reveals the need to distinguish between more processrelated, as opposed to social-related, obstacles; the immediate potential for IT solutions is greater for the process-related impediments. Ultimately, we conclude that the collaborative epurchasing model (e-HCP) and implementation roadmap can be used by healthcare consortia, branche organizations, partnering healthcare institutes and multi-site healthcare institutes as a means to help identifying strategies to initiate, manage and evaluate collaborative purchasing practices
DOCUMENT
The benefits of collaborative purchasing are many, yet in the healthcare sector, in particular at hospitals, it is still uncommon. In this paper we identify major impediments for collaborative purchasing, resulting in a first component of our proposed collaborative e-purchasing model for hospitals; as a second component it contains a collaborative purchasing typology. After analysis of a first validation round with hospital purchasing professionals, the results show four applicable purchasing types and fourteen collaborative purchasing impediments that are perceived as important for hospitals. The model is further extended by possible IT solutions, identified by experts, addressing the specific fourteen impediments. We conclude that the collaborative e-purchasing model can be used by healthcare consortia, branche organizations, partnering healthcare institutes and multi-site healthcare institutes as a means to help identifying strategies to initiate, manage and evaluate collaborative purchasing practices.
DOCUMENT
Aims: identify and explain purchasing-oriented patterns in Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) via case study research.Scope: Using a conceptual framework and empirical research this article proposes a series of purchasing-oriented patterns in SMEs. These patterns align activities to achieve the SMEs proposed value proposition towards customers and activities to purchase resources needed for realizing the value proposition.Structure: This paper introduces the research topic. It discusses a conceptual framework and theory. It then continues with the methodology to collect and analyse case study data and describes empirical finding. It discusses these findings related to the framework and literature and ends with summarizing first conclusions.Conclusion: The SMEs in the dataset use four types of purchasing-oriented patterns related to their customer value propositions These SMEs can strive for low transaction costs can but invest in extrinsic product attributes to realize their value proposition. Both the transaction cost theory and the resource based view help to explain the purchasing-oriented patterns. Further research is needed to strengthen and validate findings.
DOCUMENT
