E-procurement as a key success factor in cooperative purchasing

This study discusses cooperative purchasing and, moreover, focuses on the role of e-procurement systems as a success factor in cooperative purchasing. Because of the changes in the dynamic business environment, the character of cooperative purchasing has changed. It has become possible for companies to exploit e-procurement systems to leverage cost efficiency and wider product portfolios and to obtain other benefits as well. This has made cooperative purchasing more competitive. The case study analyses e-procurement and cooperative purchasing in the Finnish banking sector and presents how the exploitation of e-procurement systems has contributed to cooperative purchasing in the case context. The results of the study indicate that integrated and automated e-procurement systems have a significant role in achieving the targets and benefits of cooperative purchasing.