Indirect Procurement Strategies for Supply Chain Sustainability

Indirect procurement is becoming one of the most challenging function in food processing organizations, which need strategies to enhance supply chain sustainability. Food processing organizations could expect more than 50% maverick indirect costs out of the 80% procurement cost from total annual costs. The focus of the research question was on strategies procurement managers responsible for food processing indirect procurement could use to enhance supply chain sustainability. The conceptual framework for this study was resource dependency theory, and the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies some procurement managers responsible for food processing indirect procurement could use to enhance supply chain sustainability. Face-to-face semistructured interviews were used from 2 procurement managers from food processing organizations in Nairobi, Kenya, who were recorded and gave responses to 9 interview questions. Data were transcribed, coded, and analyzed into themes. Data were triangulated and then subjected to member checking to ensure reliability and strengthen credibility of collected data. The data revealed 2 major themes, which included, indirect procurement strategies, and resource availability. The identification of indirect procurement strategies was important because participants believed stakeholder partnering and collaboration in formulating procurement strategies could enhance value for money in indirect procurement. The resource availability was important to enhance supply chain sustainability. Implications for social change include cost reduction in the supply chain, increasing organization profits, lower products costs, which could improve economic, and social benefit