Samenvatting

This Research Justification will provide the reader with a better understanding of how Barrio Life can improve the internal processes within the purchase department. Having processes improved can help the company create a better workflow among employees and save time to eventually operate more efficiently. The information gaps that were identified during this research are:
(1) The current way of working in the purchase department of Barrio Life.
(2) Whether the purchase department of Barrio Life encounters bottlenecks in the current processes.
(3) The urgency of aspects to be reconstructed in the purchase department of Barrio Life.
(4) The need for resources in order to realize such reconstructions.

To answer these information gaps correctly, desk and field research were conducted. The field research consists of semi-structured interviews with employees of the purchase department. Further field research was conducted through job shadowing, where the researcher observed the purchase department for five months to draw conclusions.
This research discovers that Barrio Life should use a strategy to work more efficiently by optimizing the most time-consuming activity in the purchase department. The recommendations are as follows; however, a more detailed description can be found at the end of the research:
(1) To create a new format in a form of a database to gain time in assembling customized trips.
(2) Use a database for incoming requests from Andalusia.
(3) To create brochures derived from the limited choices for accommodations.
(4) To conduct further research in optimizing the purchase department.

Depending on the facilities available and complexity of the projects, these recommendations can be implemented within a time span of six months to one year. By making use of these recommendations Barrio Life will improve the internal process and will be able to optimize the workflow within the purchase department successfully.