Satisfaction of stakeholders with the government e-marketplace platform in a tertiary care hospital of northern India.

Abstract

Background Automation of the procurement process through e-procurement is a key strategy for enhancing industrial operations management. E-procurement in the supply chain allows companies to use the internet to procure materials and handle value-added services. The Government of India, in the year 2016, introduced the government e-marketplace (GeM) for public sector procurement. Any new intervention faces challenges, and stakeholder feedback can help improve the system. Our study uses stakeholder satisfaction to assess the implementation of GeM compared to traditional/other purchase methods. Methods We undertook a prospective study in the procurement division of a tertiary care institute over 1 year. The study tool was a questionnaire containing 28 questions to analyse the stakeholders' satisfaction. Results Of the total participants in the study, 40.6% were secondary buyers, 37.5% were storekeepers and 21.9% were dealing hand/hospital purchase division clerks. The stakeholders opined ease in process, time bound and transparency as the parameters in which GeM is better than the conventional platform. Conclusion A public procurement process should ensure efficiency, economy and accountability in the system. Given the findings, the GeM platform is a welcome addition to the public procurement landscape. While the platform has definite advantages, there is a need to strengthen it further to meet the specific needs of the healthcare industry.