Essentials of Purchasing in Contemporary Supply Chain Management: A Systematic Review and Conceptual Framework

Abstract

This study examines the foundational principles and recent developments in purchasing within contemporary supply chain management. It synthesises classical procurement theory with emerging trends in digital transformation, supply chain resilience, and regulatory compliance. This research employs a systematic literature review of procurement frameworks, following the structured search, screening, and thematic synthesis protocol set out in full in Section 2. The review draws on peer-reviewed studies (2018–2024) in operations and supply chain management, spanning supply chain resilience and procurement digitisation, and develops an integrative conceptual framework showing how purchasing functions connect to overall supply chain performance. The analysis shows that purchasing is now a strategic value-creating function, not just a transactional one. Six key areas are identified: optimising acquisition processes, selecting and evaluating bidders, managing supply chain connections and resilience, integrating finance and controlling costs, handling global sourcing and regulations, and ensuring ethical governance through good-faith contracting. The study also highlights Procurement 4.0 technologies as major drivers of purchasing excellence. This study is conceptual and does not test the framework with data. Future research should use surveys or case studies in different industries to validate the framework. Procurement professionals are encouraged to adopt integrated purchasing frameworks that align financial management, risk control, supplier relationship management, and digital technologies. Regulatory compliance and ethical contracting should be regarded as essential competencies rather than peripheral requirements. This paper advances purchasing theory by integrating research from resilience engineering, financial analysis, regulatory compliance, and digital procurement into a unified model. This model addresses both efficiency and strategic value.