The Role of Procurement in Quality Management of Ghana Cocobod, Ghana. (Published)

In the era of global competitive market, quality output forms the bedrock for survival in this hectic business environment. Organizations therefore spend a lot of time and money to meet quality standard, the role of procurement in quality management is paramount and cannot be over emphasized. As a prime objective therefore quality management in this article attempts to undertake a systematic examination of the extent to which an entity as in this case Ghana Cocoa Board is capable of fulfilling specified quality requirement. In spite of the fact that the Ghana Cocoa Board have some ways of handling the issue of quality, customers keep on complaining about the defect of the products which sometimes lead to rejection of the cocoa beans. Some institutions assigned to maintain standards have complained about proliferation of low quality goods and services especially in the public sectors. In effect the objective was to examine and unravel how effective qualitative analytic techniques can help to obtain best value for money as well as access the impact of purchasing in developing a quality management system in the cocoa industry, ultimately geared towards the customer’s satisfaction.  In addition, it provide specific recommendation to Ghana Cocoa Board to  take a critical look at issues pertaining to total quality by drawing up a quality policy and manual. The call for strict adherence to rules and regulations in public procurement cannot be over emphasized, the famous 6 Rs definition of public procurement places the demand squarely on the shoulders of all concerned to ensure that goods, works & services are acquired- at the Right Price, Right Quantity, Right Quality, Right Place, Right Time and from the Right Source-during the procurement process. Conducting monitoring and evaluation in public procurement holds enormous benefits. It provides an avenue for constant feedback, easy identification of potential challenges, opportunity to incorporate innovation and track progress.(ppaghana.org, 2013. So we designed this article to unravel the state of affairs and pin point the valuable role the procurement function can play in curbing the situation through quality management function being run on acceptable procedures and practices and to suggest procedures acceptable to the procurement professionals as contained in the Public Procurement Act, 663, of 2003 in Ghana.

Keywords: Ghana, Ghana cocoa board, Quality Management, role of procurement

Achieving Food Security through Efficient Warehousing: Case Study of Infrastructure for Poverty Eradication Programme (IPEP), Ghana (Published)

Research acknowledges that more than 50% of food crops produced in Ghana do not reach the final consumer due to Post-Harvest Losses. Particular attention was then needed for integrated food production and efficient warehousing to achieving food security – during and after bumper harvests. However, warehousing as a means to ensuring food security has received little attention in contemporal studies serving as a gap in literature. The paper addresses this by highlighting Ghana IPEP initiative to suggest ideal cultural practices to aid efficient running of IPEP warehouses to achieving food security in Ghana. This research took a form of a thorough review on several literatures relevant to this discourse. The paper finally proposes introduction of ‘unique identification system as well as double supervision’ as part of key practices to achieving efficiency in IPEP warehouses. There is therefore a need for an experimental study to attest the influence of the said practices on achieving warehouse operational efficiency- within and /or without the IPEP. 

Keywords: Cultural Practices, Food Security, Ghana, IPEP, warehousing

An Assessment of Service Quality of Logistics Services Providers in Ghana (Published)

This study was aimed to assess service quality of logistics service providers (courier services) in the Kumasi metropolis of Ghana. The study was a cross sectional descriptive survey. The target population of the study was customers of the selected courier services providers. The study deployed stratified sampling technique and 120 sample size. The SERVQUAL Model was the underpinning philosophy adopted for the study. Structured questionnaire were used. Data were gathered through primary and secondary sources. The primary data were analyzed using Predictive Analytical Software (PASW) for windows. Secondary data were obtained from data bases including Pro-Quest, EBSCO, Open Access Directorate, Google Scholar, Cross- Ref and Index Copernicus. The results were presented using unweighted means, Chi-square Tests and frequencies. The study revealed that overall customers were satisfied with all the five service quality dimensions. Specifically respondents rated their satisfaction as follows: Assurance Empathy, Tangibility, Responsiveness and Reliability The study further revealed there is a significant association between customer’s location and satisfaction. Also, the study found that there is an association between customers preferred brand and satisfaction. Finally, there is significant association between customers perceived service safety and satisfaction. The study concluded that logistics service providers should aim at delighting their customers to ensure customer loyalty in order to prevent any switch in the future.

Keywords: Courier, Ghana, Logistics, SERVQUAL, service providers

Effect of Quality of Scope on Bidding Activities (Published)

Procurement is rapidly becoming prominent as a preference function that offers high-impact prospects for convalescing the bottom line. The effectiveness of procurement results depend much on the inviolability of the processes involved. One of such processes is scope of work.  In the process of procuring the services, goods and works, a scope has to be prepared which is also used in the preparation of the bidding documents. This study, then sought to investigate the effect of scope on bidding activities with a case of Golden Star (Bogoso/Prestea) Limited (GSBPL). Both primary and secondary data were used for the study. From the study of the processes involved in the scoping of bid documents at GSBPL, it was revealed that the user departments initiate the process for the procurement of goods and services and prepare the initial scope for this process. But the contract department is involved in guiding and reviewing the process to make sure it is adequate. The study also established that most scope in the bid documents were not adequate and therefore did not meet quality standards. On identifying the causes of inadequate scoping, the study showed that lack of communication between two or more user departments, ambiguity of scope, lack of proper planning among others negatively affect the quality of the scope and the bidding process. With the quality of scope on bidding activities, it was disclosed that a good quality of scope will result in bidders meeting submission deadlines and submitting very competitive bids which are easy to evaluate, less bidder questions, and therefore has a positive impact on the bidding process. Poor quality scope on the other hand, will result in extension to bid submission dates, make evaluation of bids very difficult and may result in rebidding with a revised scope. This may delay projects of the company and challenge to the proposal evaluation and source selection is almost traceable to an uninformative or ambiguous scope of work. The study as a result recommended among others, for more collaboration between the contracts departments and the user department in the scoping of bid documents, user department must have a proper plan of their requirements for bidding activities, training of staff of contracts and user department on the scoping of bid documents and the preparation of a lessons learned report to document all the processes that were followed from initiation of the scope to the provision of the services, goods or works.

Keywords: Bidding Activities, Ghana, Golden Star (Bogoso/Prestea) Limited (GSBPL), Scope of Work

The Effects of Key Service Outsourcing Strategies on Organizational Performance. (A Case Study of Commercial Banks in Ghana) (Published)

The study utilized registration inspecting to gather information from every one of the 15 acquisition officer, 17 examiners and 386 bolster staff. Cronbach alpha coefficient was utilized to test unwavering quality and was dissected utilizing descriptive insights and inferential measurements. The discoveries demonstrated that outsourcing absolutely increases on the execution of associations, it diminishes expenses of operation, efficient, nature of administration lastly the influences emphatically business deftness operation. Hence, the rate of hierarchical execution as a consequence of outsourcing is high in both short and long haul and numerous business administrators are resolved to join their prosperity to the outsourcing process. The study suggests that Policy creators and the administration need to comprehend the difficulties confronted in outsourcing administrations and figure approaches that would enhance administration conveyance. The study additionally shape a premise for further research by researchers intrigued to investigate how outsourcing influence execution at business banks in Ghana.

Keywords: Banks’, Business Deftness, Ghana, Organizational Performance, Outsourcing

Factors Influencing Green Supply Chain in the Mining Sector in Ghana (Published)

The concept of green supply chain management (GSCM) is attaining high level significance given that it can help to minimize negative impact of mining activities on the environment and to ensure environmental sustainability. This research was carried out primarily to examine the factors influencing green supply chain management in the mining industry of Ghana. Data was collected using focus group discussion with the experts from the mining companies. Analysis of the data showed that the goods purchased by mining companies have negative effects on the environment. It was also concluded that procurement practices could be used to reduce the negative impacts of the companies’ operation on the environment since the procurement departments of the companies have specific policies geared towards environmentally preferable purchases. The study further established that green procurement influence supplier selection through environmental regulations by Environmental Protection Agency of Ghana, suppliers’ environmental emission among others. The study revealed that the most notable factors influencing green supply chain in the mining companies in Ghana include lack of knowledge and expertise involving green supply chain, lack of awareness of the potential economic benefits of green supply chain, lack of political commitment, lack of the learning capacity to evaluate green supply chain; high cost of environmental programs, ineffective sanction regime for environmental offenders among others. The study recommends that mining companies and its allies should organise joint seminars and workshops to sensitize the staff and suppliers on the benefits of green purchasing and the need to embrace it. The mining industry and EPA should also link up to train their supply/logistics/procurement practitioners on the issues of green procurement /supply chain.

Keywords: Environmental Protection Agency, Ghana, Green Supply Chain, Mining, Procurement

A Decade of Operationalizing Ghana’s Public Procurement Law: Suppliers’ Perspective (Published)

This paper evaluated the perceptions of Ghanaian suppliers on key procurement principles, after a decade of operationalizing Ghana’s Public Procurement Law. A One-way ANOVA, complimented by a Turkey-b test for homogeneity of means was applied; with sample size of 204 registered suppliers drawn from eight out of the ten regions of Ghana. The results indicated that suppliers had negative perceptions on the principles of; transparency, ethics and professionalism, efficiency and effectiveness. They had moderately positive perceptions for fairness.

Keywords: Efficiency & Effectiveness, Ethics & Professionalism, Fairness, Ghana, Public Procurement Law, Transparency

Trajectories of Maverick Buying In the District Assemblies in Ghana (Published)

The study seeks to contribute to the discussion on the causes of maverick buying-MB and its impact on the procurement policy and the economy of Ghana in general. The research methodology used in this study is qualitative. The instrument of study was based on non standard interview with the officers that are experts on the topic at the district assemblies where 11 districts assemblies were covered out of 22. The study revealed the following causes; procurement practitioners find it difficult to understand the Procurement Act 663, practitioners lack capacity both academically and professionally in the management and operationalisation of the procurement process, the Procurement Act 663 is excessively legalistic and technical, the Act 663 is at anomalous with market trends or practices. The study also found out that there are lapses in monitoring for compliance of the Procurement Act 663, no examples of known procurement practitioners punished for non compliance, lack of commitment on the part of officialdom, organisational culture at the district level a major cause of maverick buying and most of the procurement activities are unplanned. On the impact, the study established that MB defeats the superseding objectives of the Public Procurement Act 663 of 2003, it is also insidious to the aptitude to negotiate favourable terms for price of goods, services and works due to the crumbling of spend, MB had the ability to deny the assemblies the knack to collect data on the assemblies’ sequence of purchasing or spending thereby causing the assemblies to lose visibility over its outlay, it also increases purchasing cost where it affects equally the actual purchasing price and process cost, it was also disclosed that fraud and corruption can ensue from MB. The study recommends that PPA and the ministry of education should link up to train procurement practitioners as stipulated in Procurement Act 663 section 3(k) to improve the awareness and knowledge of procurement processes at the district assemblies and the nation in general. Monitoring compliance trends should also be a key part of the Public Procurement Authority-PPA. As a matter of fact the institution responsible for sanction should be incorporated into the enforcement unit for swift punishment to act as deterrence to others. PPA and the districts should link up on how eProcurement systems can be implemented to ensure compliance since the most commonly declare solution for maverick buying is the implementation of electronic procurement.

Keywords: District Assemblies, Ghana, Maverick Buying, Non-Compliance, Public Procurement Act 663