EVOLVING PROCUREMENT TRENDS AND TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATIONS: THEIR IMPACT ON SOURCING STRATEGIES IN THE PHARMACEUTICAL SECTOR

This study explores how evolving procurement trends and emerging technologies are reshaping sourcing strategies in the pharmaceutical sector. Despite growing attention to globalisation, sustainability, and supplier diversity, the integration of these trends with technologies such as Big Data, AI, and blockchain remains under-examined, particularly within pharma procurement. This research addresses that gap through a qualitative study involving six procurement professionals across four pharmaceutical companies.
Using thematic analysis informed by Braun and Clarke’s method, and supported by a custom T²SP Framework, five core themes emerged: globalisation-driven dual sourcing, sustainability-led ESG alignment, supplier diversity, data-driven decision-making, and trust-based sourcing via AI and blockchain. The findings reveal that the successful integration of trends and technologies into sourcing strategies is contingent on contextual industry drivers including regulatory scrutiny, ethical compliance, and risk aversion.
The study contributes theoretically by extending dynamic capabilities and the TOE framework to pharma sourcing. It offers practical guidance for procurement leaders navigating complex trend-technology dynamics and highlights future research directions for sourcing innovation under sectoral constraints.