The following papers have been written as discussion topics for procurement people:   Description  Comments Review article The Procurement Process A guideline detailing the various Procurement phases, inputs, outputs and elements undertaken by the Procurement Group on a project. The lifecycle of these packages or “procurement packages” can be broken down into phases which may include: The Setup of Procurement Tools, Strategic Sourcing, Supplier Prequalification, Preaward - (Tendering (RFT) or Quotation (RFQ)),  Expediting, Inspection, Field Procurement and Surplus Disposal.   What is Project Procurement?  “Project Procurement” may be defined as a series of commercial and administrative activities (inputs, elements and outputs) which are managed in discrete packages and have a typical lifecycle through the course of a project.    Why automate your Procurement process?   This paper details the main benefits of a Puurchaser automating their Procurement processes.    Why should a purchaser qualify their sub contractors?  This paper highlight the benefits of qualifying your sub contractors who provide onsite services. The Purchaser needs to define what their service requirements are for each contractor based on the complexity and total contract sums applicable to each service package. Ie. Minor works/ Major Onsite services. A Qualification process for contractors needs to be implemented.    Why Industry needs automated Procurement  Automated processes can reduce the administrative burden commonly associated with undertaking procurement activities and allow purchasing representatives to focus on the more strategic elements of procurement. These processes can electronically record for audit purposes event logs which detail and track phases and elements within the procurement process. These paperless processes can reduce rework and variation of work practices commonly associated with paper based or semi-automated methods.    About  Glenn Turley is a consultant with 20 year procurement experience. He undertakes work on EPC projects for clients requiring the intensive management of procurement systems, packages and people. He has also focused for the last six years on automating procurement and materials management processes. Contact Glenn by phone: 61 42 760 8741 Contact Glenn by email at: glenn@logcon.com.au Logistics Consulting website site: http://www.logcon.com.au