Effects on procurement productivity at Naval hospitals utilizing the Automated Procurement System (APS)

Abstract

This research was conducted to study the effects on procurement productivity as a result of the implementation of an Automated Procurement System (APS) at four major teaching hospitals: the National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, MD, the Naval Medical Center, San Diego, CA, the Naval Medical Center, Portsmouth, VA, and the Naval Medical Center, Oakland, CA. The system installed at these activities was a Bureau of Medicine and Surgery (BUMED) modified version of SACONS-FEDERAL. Previous conversations with Procurement Department Heads at these activities indicated that the system had not increased purchasing agent productivity. My goal of this research, entailed analyzing productivity data from each hospital, before and after system installation, and determining if procurement productivity had changed. Although procurement productivity variables did not show considerable improvement, the integration of the procurement, receiving, and receipt control functions, as well as increased management reporting capabilities and other system benefits, constitutes this as a sound system, worthy of consideration by any contracting agenc