Technical Procurement and Category Management: The Backbone of High-Performance Industries (Aviation, Construction, Oil and Gas)

Abstract

Long lead times, volatile commodity prices and increased supply chain risk exposure have disrupted global procurement operations in the aviation, construction and oil and gas industries in a way never seen before. The study searches category management and cross-industry procurement patterns in an effort to find sector-specific differentiators and common strategic factors. This study used a desktop-based, qualitative research approach supported by the application of selected quantitative indicators and systematic content analysis. 62 publicly accessible documents from reputable international organizations (such as IATA, RIC, IEA, large OEM reports and business reports) were systematically tagged using NVivo and cross-sectionalized. The adoption of digital procurements, risk-management initiatives, supplier performance evaluation and the engineering-prescribed practice of specification control all exhibit significant thematic overlap. However, there were also certain pressure points: aviation was stressed by safety-related regulatory restrictions, construction was under pressure from geopolitical and technical standards and oil and gas sourcing were under pressure from both geopolitical pressure and commodity price volatility. This study will include a model that can be used to other industries to improve procurement maturity. It has created a chance for digital transformation and strategic alignment in the high-risk engineering sector.