ART - Understanding the Incremental Nature of E-Procurement Implementation at the State and Local Levels 2002

The article discusses the slow implementation rate of e-procurement systems in the public sector, compared to the rapid growth of e-commerce platforms like eBay. It challenges the belief that efficiency gains alone can drive governments to adopt e-procurement systems and examines four traditional procurement principles to see if they are deterrents to e-commerce. The article also explores the reasons for the slow pace of e-procurement implementation and discusses the changes in purchasing philosophy that may be necessary for the e-procurement revolution to succeed. It highlights that many governments overstate their involvement in e-commerce and that there is a difference between e-procurement and e-purchasing. The article concludes by emphasizing the need for a clearer understanding of the differences between procurement and purchasing and the importance of updating traditional purchasing practices for e-procurement to be successful. Additionally, the article mentions Mitchell's distinction between traditional procurement and e-procurement, indicating that there are differences in the approaches and processes involved.