"Since attending my first IPSERA conference in Nantes in 2013, I have been honoured to be part of this vibrant, friendly, and supportive community. With my new role on the Executive Committee I have taken over responsibility for IPSERA news from the wonderful, Nadine Kiratli. Please do send items for the newsletters to news@ipsera.com and also make use of our increasing social media presence on Twitter, Linkedin and Facebook."

You are invited to join the forthcoming IPSERA Workshop 'Towards Systemic Change' on 27th January at 15.00 GMT, 16.00 CET. This IJOPM special issue information session is free and open to everyone so please extend the invitation and invite your networks.

In this workshop, we will discuss how operations and supply chain management of socially driven enterprises contribute to change making. 

Agenda:

• Introduction to the IJOPM special issue (Annachiara Longoni, ESADE)
• Basics of social impact supply chains  (Mellie Pullman, University of Groningen)
• The concept of systemic change (Davide Luzzini, EADA)
• The social entrepreneur perspective (Gemma Sunyer, Fundación Ana Bella)

Useful links:

• IJOPM special issue
• IPSERA will host a conference special track. Check the conference program for updates.
  

Dear IPSERA friends and family,
We cordially invite you to the forthcoming IPSERA workshop on Internet of Things (IoT).

This workshop gives our members the opportunity to present papers and ideas; to receive feedback ahead of the conference. There will be no invited speakers, there will be no keynote speeches. The microphone will be yours!

Our future IoT events will offer various formats, e.g., panels, keynote discussions, but this November workshop is research driven and we would like to hear your projects, research, and ideas.

Those that wish to present a paper shall get in touch with hlegenvre@eipm.org by the 8th of November.

Registration is open to the IPSERA members. You are wholeheartedly encouraged to present your work, take part in the discussion, and help our community grow.

IoT is about curiosity, openness, and friendship

Back in 2017, IPSERA conference was in Hungary. We had our first SIG meeting and our first PDW on the internet of things. We felt that we needed to bring together members of the IPSERA community together. And the intent was nothing less than grandiose. It was expressed in a short opening we wrote and shared at that time

 “The Internet of thing (IOT) will bring a tectonic change in the structure of industries in the next 20 years. More disruptions and value chains reconfigurations must be anticipated. We have only seen the first sparks of a broad transformation. Many industry architectures will be significantly and sometime radically transformed”

And we claimed that we needed to study how “PSM functions will evolve on the forefront of such business-critical changes.”

Since 2017, we have pursued our exchanges through physical and virtual sessions; we discussed many times the scope of the SIG and we kept it rather open. We are interested in the role of PSM in sourcing digital capabilities and we are also interested in how digital technologies shape PSM organisations.

Through SIG & PDW we want to stimulate the international exchange of curiosity and experience among young and experienced researchers. The regular, open and friendly exchange of research approaches, methods, views and early research results on this complex topic, which will have a lasting impact on and change purchasing, appears to be increasingly important for participants to strive for open and holistic views. In addition, the early exchange of research projects stimulated and consolidated further work and cooperation among the members. 

We shared our research interests; our research papers and we also built some common tools for data collection. We often discussed future research questions but most importantly we built a friendly and open network of academics who shared knack for technology, and it impact on SCM and PSM. Over time we have turned conversations into collaborations and landed a few papers in in our favourite journals such as JPSM and IJOPM

In 2020 and 2021 with the pandemic we kept our meeting virtual. It was great to see the faces of everyone smiling as we were joining our virtual sessions. It felt nice comforting and motivating to be altogether sharing news, interest, and research work.

Today the IPSERA IoT SIG might sound like a place where we talk about technology, but it is first and foremost an agora were curiosity, openness, and friendship blends together.

And …. We will meet again!

Michael Henke, Hervé Legenvre & Herbert Ruile

The newly formed SP-PD SIG will host its first webinar on either May 25^th  or 26 at 15:00 CEST. This will be the last webinar of the academic year in the new and very successful series hosted by IPSERA.

Topic: Publishing Procurement Research in Public Administration Journals.

In the first hour, we will bring together editors of PA journals, and researchers who have examined the role of procurement studies in PA journals, and draw on IPSERA members’ (successful and not-yet-successful) experiences of targeting PA journals. Then the panel will identify and debate the publishing opportunities and challenges for SP-PD researchers. There will be plenty of opportunity for participants to raise issues and contribute to the discussion.

The webinar will be on Zoom and last two hours, starting at 1500 CEST. Look out for an email from IPSERA announcing the date and how to register.

Confronted with the Covid-19 Pandemic, ongoing research projects requiring group attendance for experiments were mummified. This affected in particular our project on gamification and decision making under uncertainty in buyer-supplier relations. Questionnaires were ready for interviews and experiments, but….no students, no groups of participants allowed.  Also planned IPSERA workshops were postponed.

So, what did it mean? Just waiting? Biding our time? Instead, the rather unique situation where people had to face the ultimate uncertainty became topic of research. We were able to involve senior managers of 11 hotels to get involved in a 6 month 3 wave panel study. Our main research questions were “What goes on in their minds? Which topics and themes play a role? How do they invoke resilience?” 47 interviews later, we know. Our IPSERA Competitive paper describes the results: “Invoking resilience during the pandemic”. Full paper available, just send an email! And we are still working on this project, expanding the scope of the interviews. The last stage of this temporary project ends on the 1st September, when we plan to revitalise the original project on gamification. An IPSERA workshop on Gamification and decision making under uncertainty, is planned for mid-October 2021: either ’live’, on-line or a mix.

What else did we do in the meantime? We started two new PhD projects: (1) the material and money flows between the components of the tourism filière - starting 1 September 2020 (Alishan Karimov) - and (2) Block chain technology in a sustainable food supply chain, starting right now. Both are supposed to result in IPSERA contributions, of course.

Hence, in spite of the pandemic, we managed to keep our research going, as a sign of proper academic resilience. But of course, we keep our fingers crossed!

Dirk-Jan F. Kamann

The SIG held its inaugural meeting and hosted a panel session at the recent IPSERA conference – both were very well attended, leading to lively discussions and a commitment to arrange more before too long!

What’s in the name?  The scope of the SIG is to cover strategic procurement for organizations whose primary aim is to serve citizens, patients etc, rather than shareholders – hence the title to reflect working for the public good, not necessarily public sector based.

Shared interests and priorities We brainstormed ideas for SIG goals and activities around 3 themes: knowledge, profile and community building. Suggestions include discussions on data collection, debating possible research outlets and the impact of our research, and building synergies within different disciplines interacting in the public domain. Our thanks to Klaas Stek for capturing the discussion and voting:

At the end of the meeting, participants completed a small survey on their preferred goals and activities. As a first output we now have a (GDPR compliant ) list of SIG members for the members, to help networking. If you want to sign up, please email Louise Knight at l.a.knight@utwente.nl.

Covid-19 and Public Procurement Panel Session Colleagues exchanged views on  the longer-term implications of the pandemic on public/healthcare procurement research. From Canada to Germany, and from the US to England and Italy, reflections were sometimes very similar and other times divergent, but above all thought-provoking. A thank you to Tara Hartley, Michael Essig, Robert Handfield, Joanne Meehan and Gian Luigi Albano for your insightful perspectives.

A Network of PhD students A top priority for the SIG is to facilitate networking among PhD students. Please encourage students who are committed to, or contemplating, doctoral studies in SP-PD to get in contact (email esmee.peters@pprc.eu). They don’t have to be members of IPSERA yet – the Association is committed to student access and often provides free/discounted places/membership – we can work out a suitable arrangement.  We’ll be in contact soon with PhD students on the mailing list.

What’s next? A webinar end of May - all are welcome!

As ever, we were delighted to have the opportunity to announce the annual JPSM Award winners at the IPSERA conference. The last year has been busier than ever for JPSM. In 2020, we received 433 submissions; our previous ‘best’ was 299 in 2017. This is very good news, but also means there is even more pressure on our team of highly committed Associate Editors and the diligent reviewers. So, we begin with a huge thank-you to all JPSM authors, reviewers and handling editors.

As ever, we were delighted to have the opportunity to announce the annual JPSM Award winners at the IPSERA conference. The last year has been busier than ever for JPSM. In 2020, we received 433 submissions; our previous ‘best’ was 299 in 2017. This is very good news, but also means there is even more pressure on our team of highly committed Associate Editors and the diligent reviewers. So, we begin with a huge thank-you to all JPSM authors, reviewers and handling editors.

This year, all the awards are shared between 2 or 3 winners:

• Outstanding Associate Editor We wish to acknowledge the very significant contribution of two of the newest recruits to the editorial team: Guido Orzes and Andrea Patrucco. In a short time, they have dealt with rather a lot of submissions, made some difficult decisions, and exemplified JPSM’s developmental approach to the editorial process.
• Outstanding Reviewer Based on all reviews since Jan 2019 and advice from the editorial team, and taking into account the number, quality and timeliness of reviews, three candidates stood out from what (we are pleased to report) was a long short-list: Myles Garvey, Mellie Pullman and Frederik Vos. We are extremely grateful to them, and the other reviewers who dedicate many hours each year to this crucial, ‘behind the scenes’ role.
• Best Paper In consultation with the Associate Editors, we drew up a shortlist of the best papers published in 2020, based on the three criteria used in all editorial decisions. Six papers featured on this list. To paraphrase a comment made by one of the AEs involved in selecting the winners: they all do well on rigour; the decision rests on originality and significance – and it’s a tough choice.

The joint winners are:

Matteo Kalchschmidt, Sebastian Birolini, Mattia Cattaneo, Paolo Malighetti and Stefano Paleari The geography of suppliers and retailers

and

Harri Lorentz, Anna Aminoff, Rikka Kaipia, Matti Pihlajamaa, Jesse Ehtamo and Kari Tanskanen
Acquisition of supply market intelligence – An information processing perspective

Looking ahead First, we include the slide announcing the best paper shortlist to highlight the journal’s international outlook, a strength JPSM shares with IPSERA. However it also reveals the under-representation of authors outside western Europe and north America – an issue we want to continue to try to address, and for which we welcome suggestions.

Second, in December, we complete our second term as Editors in Chief. If all goes to plan, we will be announcing the JPSM EIC team for 2022-2024 in the summer, so there is plenty of time for the transition.

Louise Knight and Wendy Tate
Co-Editors in Chief, Journal of Purchasing and Supply Management

"I participated to my first IPSERA conference in 2007 in Bath. Since then, every single conference experience has been incredible, with a special mention from the hearth for the edition in Pretoria. The imprint that a community like this can leave on a person is just mind-blowing. I am not exaggerating if I say that the connections I made since that first IPSERA (Erik, Finn, Alistair, Katri, besides the Polimi team) and the ones who followed have largely influenced my career. I always thought that sooner or later I should have tried to give back, and now it seems the perfect moment. The IPSERA spirit is more alive than ever, and the association outreach has improved dramatically in the last years. Everything came naturally and I am super happy to be at service with great colleagues and friends from the EC and the community overall."

Prof. Davide Luzzini joined IPSERA Executive Committee in April 2021.

Davide (Ph.D., Politecnico di Milano) is Full Professor at EADA Business School (Spain). He is also adjunct professor at MIP Graduate School of Business (Italy). Previously he held positions at Audencia Business School (France) and Zaragoza Logistics Center-MIT Scale (Spain). He has international teaching experience at all levels. His research has been focusing on Purchasing and Supply Chain Management for many years. His current research deals with Social Impact Supply Chains, Food and Innovation Networks, and the orchestration of Buyer-Supplier Relationships. In his career, Davide participated in several publicly and privately funded research projects and collaborated with several companies, including IBM, Luxottica, Leonardo, Mediolanum Bank, Henkel, ABB, and Ashoka. He has published his research in several journals and serves as Associate Editor for the Journal of Purchasing and Supply Management and Operations Management Research.

Davide is an IPSERA member since 2007 and he coordinated the Doctoral Workshop in the years 2014-2018.

“The past weeks I think, have shown to everyone that IPSERA is not just an annual conference, but it is an association, if not community. Even if we are only online, we still manage to produce the best sessions and create a lot of interaction between all members. As such, I’ve always felt at ease at the conference and other events because of the friends I’ve made. As an association, it is time for me to also give back to the community that I have so greatly benefited from. With your blessing, I look forward to serving on the IPSERA executive committee in any particular fashion that is deemed necessary.”

Robert Suurmond is young researcher in the field of purchasing and supply chain management and innovation. Robert is the father of two young boys and lives and works in Maastricht. He joined IPSERA 2015 in Amsterdam for the first time and has only missed one since.

Robert works as an assistant professor at Maastricht University’s School of Business and Economics, in the department of Marketing and Supply Chain Management. He holds a BSc, MSc, and PhD from RSM Erasmus University with a focus on purchasing and supply chain management. “Research-wise I focus on the intersection between supply chain, sourcing (services), and innovation. I also have a long history of work on systematic reviews and meta-analysis, including published work but also the development of software and trainings.”

His research has been published in leading academic journals, practitioner reports, and other media outlets. He regularly serves as a reviewer of various journals and conferences and is now serving as one of the Guest Editors of the IPSERA 2021 SI for JPSM. Robert teaches in bachelor, master, PhD, and executive education at various institutions. Besides regular research and education tasks, Robert heads the MSc in Supply Chain Management as program leader.

“The past weeks I think, have shown to everyone that IPSERA is not just an annual conference, but it is an association, if not community. Even if we are only online, we still manage to produce the best sessions and create a lot of interaction between all members. As such, I’ve always felt at ease at the conference and other events because of the friends I’ve made. As an association, it is time for me to also give back to the community that I have so greatly benefited from. With your blessing, I look forward to serving on the IPSERA executive committee in any particular fashion that is deemed necessary.

I am very grateful for the nomination and support of the AGM to take up this role and look forward to working with the amazing EC and IPSERA wider community to take IPSERA into the next 30 years.

In particular I want to make sure that we can carry the 30 years of IPSERA’s friendly traditions of comradery and actually constructive feedback on to the next 30 years and ensure that the next generation of diverse IPSERA members and participants also become a part of this."

#IPSERASpirit live, bright and expanding

I am honored to start my term as Vice-President of IPSERA. This community embraced me in 2013 when I attended the Doctoral Workshop in lovely Nantes, France. There I met IPSERA members that became colleagues, co-authors, and great friends. The community has taught me a lot; and, since 2018, I have been lucky to serve at the Executive Committee.

I am humbled be considered up to the post, challenged to keep up the great work done by those that preceded me, and energized by an amazing Executive Committee led by our President Donna Marshall with Antonella Moretto, Anni-Kaisa Kähkönen, Frederik Vos, George Zsidisin, Hakan Karaosman, Jenny Bäckstrand, Marika Tuomela-Pyykkönen, Nadine Kiratli; and most recently, Davide Luzzini and Robert Suurmond. I could not write an incoming message without citing the EC members. I should also pay my gratitude to Michael Henke, Steve Kelly and Niels Uenk. The last years taught me that IPSERA is sustained by team effort and collegiality.

Early April we have successfully closed the #IPSERAConference 2021, which marked our first online conference and our 30^th birthday celebration – two respectable achievements. Feedback tells us we have manage to adapt to troubled times while keeping the community engaged and ensuring the financial health of our association. We, as a community, should all be proud and enjoy a nice sense of accomplishment as we read this Newsletter. 

In the years to come, we should advance on embracing diversity and enhancing our global reach and impact – at education and research fronts. We should also explore new ways to foster engagement in-between conferences – either online or offline, now that we have mastered ‘the beast’, and for that we need help from the whole community in finding innovative ways to connect, stay together, and share knowledge.

Happiness and joy fill my heart thinking that I have been giving the opportunity to keep serving our community so full of #IPSERASpirit ! Hope to catch up soon!

Leonardo Marques

IPSERA Vice President