DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION ON PURCHASING PROCESS DUE TO EVENTS WITH A DESTRUCTIVE IMPACT.

Purpose: The aim of the study is to present the results and description of the direct study relating to changes that have occurred in the purchasing area as well as make out new solutions and good practices that were undertaken in the context of events with a destructive impact on the supply chain (Covid-19 pandemic, armed conflict in Ukraine, etc.) that occurred in the last years. Particular attention was paid to answering the question whether the events had an impact on the digital transformation in the purchasing area and what related changes were implemented. Design/methodology/approach: The answers to the research questions were obtained on the basis of the results of surveys conducted using the CAWI method based on the original questionnaire. A statistical method was used to verify the research hypothesis (Anova KruskalWallis test). The study covered the group of experts with a minimum of 8 years of professional experience in the field of purchasing and current position: Senior Purchasing Specialist or Purchasing Manager or Purchasing Director. Findings: The considerations and results of the research presented in the paper can be the basis for the characteristics of the changes taking place over the last years in purchasing and may constitute an indication and a model of good practices for organisations that have not yet implemented the improvements in the purchasing area which are proposed in the article. Research limitations/implications: The study provided confirmation that the respondents have a set of features directly related to the topic of the study, as well as the required work experience in the current company. Purposive sampling was used in the study. Future in-depth research may focus on identifying statistically significant relationships in the explored topic. Practical implications: The identified changes in purchasing area caused by events with a destructive impact on the supply chain and the list of good practices implemented in enterprises constitute valuable recommendations for management practice in the digitization process. Originality/value: The study proves that in the area of purchasing, numerous changes in the functioning of this process have been noticed over recent years, due to the events with a destructive impact on the functioning of the supply chain. The changes had an impact on the digital transformation which is related to the levels of purchasing maturity of enterprises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]