Trends in Service Sourcing Practices

Abstract

This paper identifies 12 current trends in sourcing practices in general and explores whether these trends are relevant for service sourcing in particular.Based on interviews with sourcing managers, it is, for example, concluded that service sourcing is becoming more systematic, formalized, and globalized with greater demands for trained staff, high-tech tools and focus on CSR.

Challenging electronic procurement in the AEC sector: A BIM-based integrated perspective

“…Structured and unstructured procurements have different search, processing, coordination, and control needs [5]. These differences lead organizations to develop very different process flows for the two types of procurement.…”

From products to services and back again: Towards a new service procurement logic

“…This means that, for instance, very detailed requirement specifications are included in the request for quotation sent to the suppliers (Agndal, Axelsson, Lindberg & Nordin, 2007). On the basis of the specifications, the product or service, or the quotation from the supplier, may then be measured and evaluated.…”

Business service sourcing: a literature review and agenda for future research

“…The sourcing of business services is expanding, both in scale and scope, as firms are looking for external suppliers to provide services previously performed in-house (Agndal et al, 2007;Fitzsimmons et al, 1998;Nordin, 2008). Services sourced range from activities added to or included in the final offering, such as manufacturing and product services (Blumberg 2003), to those indirect services consumed by the firm itself, such as information technology (IT) and business consulting.…”