Title: Improving user compliance of electronic procurement systems: an examination of the importance of internal customer service quality

Authors: Simon Croom, Robert Johnston

Addresses: Supply Chain Management Institute, University of San Diego, San Diego CA 92110, USA. ' Operations Management Group, Warwick Business School, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK

Abstract: Much of the existing published research into the impact of electronic procurement have focused on the cost efficiency or implementation issues of its adoption. Issues relating to the significance of improved compliance on procurement performance were noted in our earlier paper (Croom and Johnston, 2003), yet little research, if any, has so far set out to quantify the impact of electronic procurement on internal customers| perceptions of service quality. This paper provides an examination of the impact of e-procurement adoption on internal users| perceptions of service quality. Employing Johnston|s (1995b) 15 service quality criteria, we compared users| perceptions of pre- and post-electronic procurement processes for two categories of supply: computer consumables and stationery. Using an online survey (see Appendix), a pilot study was conducted in a single organisation that has employed |supply-side| electronic procurement (or e-procurement) for 18 months. We found that users expressed |delight| in many aspects of the service provision relating to the design characteristics of the e-procurement system, but dissatisfaction with issues concerning the actual system delivery (particularly those related to IT infrastructure and networks).

Keywords: e-procurement; purchasing; e-business; e-service; electronic business; systems compliance; internal services; electronic procurement; internal customer service quality; procurement performance; information technology; networks; customer satisfaction.

DOI: 10.1504/IJVCM.2006.009025

International Journal of Value Chain Management, 2006 Vol.1 No.1, pp.94 - 104

Published online: 13 Feb 2006 *

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