Services procurement: A systematic literature review of practices and challenges

Organizations are paying greater attention to the potential advantages that can be achieved by adopting a more strategic approach procurement of services. Despite services being very different from physical items in many respects, and despite their outsourcing having limited gains, remains under-researched. To address this challenge develop platform for new directions future research area, paper undertakes systematic literature review 51 articles published 21 peer-reviewed academic journals. It reviews applicability supply theories sourcing, compares demonstrates distinctiveness purchasing through problematizing reviewed. A descriptive thematic analysis concluded classified into seven domains: ‘service production’, ‘governance’, ‘purchasing approach’, ‘supplier selection’, ‘performance management’, ‘the service triad’ ‘specification requirements’. We offer comparative framework process emphasize practices. The provided assist scholars identifying avenues integrating expanding existing knowledge.