Developing a Contract Management System for FMCG Chain Retailing Companies in the Context of Digital Transformation

Aim. The presented study aims to develop and describe a contract management system for FMCG chain retailing companies in the context of the digital transformation of the economy.Tasks. The authors examine the specific aspects of developing a contract management system for chain retailing companies; develop a classification of contracts by sector of activity and outline the landscape of the contract management process; create and describe a system for managing contracts.Methods. The methodological basis of this study includes conceptual representations of the contract management system, which make it possible to apply a systems approach, generalization, grouping, methods of formal system representation, and socio-economic experimentation.Results. The study examines the specific aspects of developing a contract management system for chain retailing companies in the context of the digital transformation of the economy, describing the major types of contracts used by these companies. The contracts are classified by sector of activity, and the landscape of the contract management process is outlined. Its individual units correspond to the Deming cycle and represent a cyclically repeating decision-making process.Conclusions. As a result, a contract management system for chain retailing companies is proposed, and the relationship between the management subsystem and the system of requirements for the architecture of business services in the field of contract management is determined. It is shown that successful implementation of an efficient contract management system requires preliminary work to identify requirements for the architecture of business services. Taking into account these requirements in the modeling of architectural solutions and integrating them into the business architecture will ensure high-quality contract management through the optimization of the company’s resources and highly efficient regulation of the relationship between the stakeholders and counterparties of chain retailing companies.

DIGITALIZATION IN CONSTRUCTION: BLOCKCHAIN APPLICABILITY IN THE INDUSTRY

Blockchain, as a Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT), could disrupt the traditional hierarchy way in which information is shared and processes are developed in the construction industry. The fragmentation of people, processes and contracts has been considered as the main responsible for the sector negative trend. The information asymmetry characterizing the dynamics of the processes denies both the information traceability and the disciplines interoperability. The recent digital transformation boosted by Building Information Modeling (BIM) has promised a more transparent and collaborative environment. However, its adoption has gradually shown some trust issues in the information flow, discouraging participants from collaborating to achieve project goals. For these reasons, the research explores Blockchain in the construction industry, highlighting its potentials in supporting transparent, reliable and distributed information sharing. In particular, the research intends to combine the features of the digitalization, namely BIM and Blockchain, in the industry. To accomplish this, the first goal consists of an overall literature review on the current level of the Blockchain investigation in the built environment. Secondly, based on that analysis, two proposals for potential application of Blockchain in AECO sector are presented. This preliminary exploration intends to endorse Blockchain as a suitable system for governing the trust issues, supporting an efficient contract execution and a better sharing of all project information.

As variáveis para uma gestão de contratos eficiente: o caso de uma empresa pública federal

is work aims to identify variables related to an efficient contract management leading a public company to reduce costs andto improve the quality of the services that are provided by contractors. An exploratory and qualitative researchwas made, inwhich the notes were collected by in-depth interviews with five regional contract managers from the public company that isthe object of the study. ese interviews were treated by content analysis, using the NVivo11 soware. e results showed theexistence of nine specific activity variables not yet referenced in literature, being the main ones the control of the duration ofcontracts, the compliance with the time limit for handling the process of preparation of addenda and the control of the regularityof the documentation of the process for issuance of an additive term. It is concluded that the contract management of PublicAdministration may lead to cost reduction with the hiring and with the execution of the contract with the contractor and also tothe improvement of the quality of service that is provided, through these three new variables.Keywords: Public management, Contract management, Cost reduction, Quality of services, Contracted companies.

Meta-Analysis: Satu Dekade Penelitian Manajemen Laba di Indonesia

This study aims to examine whether corporate characteristics and information asymmetry affects earnings management in Indonesia. This study use meta-analysis techniques approach with 35 samples from international and national accredited journals as well as Indonesian National Symposium of Accounting proceedings. Research results reinforce meta- analysis findings of previous studies where earnings management is done for different purposes. Management’s motivation to perform earnings management varies between opportunistic and efficient contract motives. Empirical evidence shows that corporate characteristics are predictors of earnings management. Cash flow from operations and information asymmetry significantly affect earnings management. This empirical evidence supports several previous meta-analysis in accounting field where moderator measurement variables has an effect on heterogeneity of research findings.

Legal Analysis of Contract Management for Effective Supply Chain Administration

Modern businesses have rapidly been transforming to become more competitive by developing competitive advantage through focusing on the core business and outsourcing what is not vital to the principal objective to third party agencies. Thus, the relevance of third party supply chain systems has augmented spawning the necessity to establish an effective legal framework for efficient contract management at national and international levels. The present chapter critically analyzes the Indian perspective of contract management for effective supply chain administration by presenting the legal provisions and case laws pertaining to various aspects of supply chains such as contract formation, unenforceable contracts, UNCITRAL model law, law of agencies, contract indemnity, contractual liability of third party, performance of contracts, international commercial terms, CISG convention, legal bases for recognition of electronic records, and the dispute resolution system through various institutions.

Extension of Time Claim Assessment in Malaysian Construction Industry: Views from professionals

This paper aims to investigate the current practice of extension of time claim assessment by contract administrators and identify difficulties faced by them during the assessment process. Findings from the questionnaire survey revealed that poor factual evidence and flaws in claim presentation are the principal factors leading to delays in the assessment process. The findings imply that efficient contract administration and well-organised record keeping will lead not only to successful project management but also will increase the chances of a successful contractual claim. These findings are expected to offer a significant contribution to industry players, researchers and also academics, thus helping to identify areas for further improvement. Keywords: Construction industry; delay; extension of time claim; record keeping. eISSN 2514-751X © 2018. The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA cE-Bs by e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK. This is an open-access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer–review under responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers), ABRA (Association of Behavioural Researchers on Asians) and cE-Bs (Centre for Environment-Behaviour Studies), Faculty of Architecture, Planning & Surveying, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21834/aje-bs.v3i10.310

Information Asymmetry and the Bond Coupon Choice

ABSTRACT We examine the role of the coupon choice in bond contracts as a signaling mechanism in the presence of information asymmetry between borrowers and lenders about the credit quality of the borrower. Prior literature focuses on the use of maturity as a signaling mechanism. We conjecture that the coupon is a more effective signaling mechanism. We exploit the enactment of Regulation Fair Disclosure (RegFD) as an exogenous shock to the level of information asymmetry, and employ both bond- and equity market-based variables of information asymmetry to test our conjecture. We find that following the enactment of RegFD, the coupon rates of bonds issued by unrated firms increase relatively more than those of rated firms, consistent with the coupon choice addressing information asymmetry. We fail to find similar increases in maturity. Our inferences remain the same when using the probability of informed trade to measure relative changes in information asymmetry around the enactment of RegFD. We also draw similar conclusions utilizing exogenous drops in analyst coverage that result from brokerage house closures as an alternative quasi-natural experiment. Finally, we provide evidence that the coupon is used more extensively when issuance costs are higher, precisely when maturity is predicted to be a less efficient contract term with which to address information asymmetry. JEL Classifications: G10; G23; M21; M41.