Procurement Experts Challenges Local Varsities To Eqquip Graduates With Needed Digital Skills -

By Valentine Oforo, Arusha

THE high profile experts in public procurement corridor from within and outside Tanzania have underscored the need for local varsities to eqquip their graduates with needed skills on digital procurement and supply chain management.

It has been revealed that, most of the public procurement officers in Tanzania are not holding necessary knowledge and skills to adopt the ongoing technological changes that the sector is witnessing.

To that end, the professionals expressed that it was imperative for establishment of jointly working cooperations between the employers in the sector and the relevant colleges in order to help improve training curriculums and thus, producing the procurement officers with needed qualifications and qualities.

The professionals aired their key inputs during their various presentations at the 14th Annual General Conference of the Procurement and Supplies Professionals which is taking shape in Arusha Region.

In his presentation, titled “Procurement Strategies for Digital Supply Chain: The Compentence Level of Graduates in Tanzania”, Dr Charles Raphael, a Senior Leacture at Arusha Technical College unveiled that majority of graduates from numerous high learning institutions are having low understanding and competence pertaining to digital procurement and supply systems.

“According to a special research that I conducted, most of the graduates in public procurement and supply in Tanzania are possessing low awareness level in digital strategies in procurement and supply management, ” he unveiled.

He added that, the study which was conducted at different public entities in the regions of Dodoma, Mbeya, Arusha and Dar es Salaam established that huge percentage of the graduates have only been equipped with the hard skills.

“The study, which collected it information and data through use of questionnaires and descriptive statistics, noted that apart from digital skills, most graduates also lacks soft skills,” he stated.

Detailing over the advantages of embracing digital procurement and supply chain system, Dr Raphael said the system was useful in terms of assuring for safety and transparency in the whole process of public procurement.

“Digitalisation of the sector means to make procurement more smarter, but also reducing the high cost in procurement process, as well as attaining efficiency while facilitating decision making among the procurement officers, ” he insisted.

Dr Rasheed Azeez from Lagos State University of Nigera, presented the topic on ” Effects of Emerging Technologies on the Well-being of Procurement and Supply Chain Professionals”

In his presentation, Dr Azeez said in order to remain stable in the field, the procurement officers are required to invest most of their times and efforts to adopt the rapid technological advancements continuing in the sector.

“The procurement and supply chain sector is transforming very fast, as we’re witnessing introduction of numerous technologies, including artificial intelligence,” he detailed.

To remain productive in the sector, he informed that the procurement officer must be someone who is resorce- driven with high spirit of adopting the latest technologies.

“In any office in the public or private sector, as well as NGOs, the department of procurement and supply is playing vital role of ensuring the products and services are delivered to the customers at quality and effective cost,” he reminded the professionals.

He challenged the local procurement professionals to deter from traditional procurement methods (paper -based works) and adopt the digital system in order to achieve standard in their daily executions.

He added, the technological development has multiple benefits as the system help to automate the whole circle of procurement and supply chain.

“The system improves transparency and operational costs, far above it easing (fast- tracking) the process for the advertisement of supply tenders,” he observed, added the system is also useful in storage of records and documentation of diverse data.

Around 2000 professionals in procurement and supply chain management sector are attending the 14th Annual General Conference of Procurement and Supply Professionals.