Procedures are operating instructions detailing functional duties or tasks. According to Saunders (1997), the division between public and private sectors creates two different worlds, requiring different approaches to procurement. Public ownership imposes obligations with regard to public accountability, leading to prescribed procedures and policies. All steps of the procurement cycle must be properly documented with each step being approved by the designated authority. Christopher (2005) argued that public procurement procedures tend to be characterised by high levels of bureaucracy independent of order value; poor communications and focusing on unit price rather than long term relations.
Procurement perceptions are affected by the existing organisational structure, quality of internal communication system, past experience and resources available. A procurement policy may define the approval process for contracts of varying cost levels and may include role of purchasing, conduct of …show more content…
Through this path, resources can be transferred from administration to service. Digitalization does not only bring advantages with it. The risk element in procurement changes radically along with technical development, for example, when traditional paper documents disappear and are replaced by digital information that easily can be copied, changed, deleted without trace. In future, security surrounding digital systems will be allocated important priority in all fields of society, Lysons (2006). Development also requires an important technical redirection and comprehensive further training for users. For procurement officers, development will mean the need for further training, amended procurement methods and new Information Technology based in procurement