Electronic Procurement: A Structured Literature Review and Directions for Future Research

The practice of Electronic Procurement (EP) has gained popularity over the last ten years, and so has the research on this emerging area. While first reports in the 1990s focused on general descriptions and best practices, more recent studies have dealt with specific and refined applications of this approach. Since some of the early EP technologies are maturing, while new ones are appearing constantly, a structured literature review is warranted. As such, this paper reviews 157 refereed journal articles dealing with EP, and examines them along eight key dimensions. Based on the insights gained, directions for future research are suggested.