Purchasing Manager Job Description – A Job With Responsibilities
The most important purchasing strategy is to find the best products at the best prices and best terms, thus any Purchasing Manager job description will have this as a core requirement. The Purchasing Manager job description will also include the need to:
- choose the best suppliers,
- negotiate the best prices plus issue and manage contracts;
- whilst managing their staff.
1. Choosing the Best Suppliers
In order to do this they need to undertake research on considerable number of potential suppliers. They will be reviewing criteria such as terms, reliability, availability of the required goods, their delivery times and support structures.
The Purchasing Manager job description will ensure that they have a considerable amount of responsibility with regard to the profits that could be lost if inappropriate purchasing contracts are entered into.
In order to find these suppliers, the Purchasing Manager will attend a considerable number of meetings with eager suppliers and read even more catalogues and marketing brochures. They might decide to attend conferences and trade shows to find more suppliers or undertake internet research if their needs are particularly complex.
2. Negotiate The Best Prices
Once they have found the potential suppliers, they are going to have to undertake a period of negotiation with each of them in order to get the b best prices and terms. Often suppliers attempt to get you to pay list price, but no one pays list price – that is just the starting place, there is always a deal to be had. A good Purchasing Manager knows their products and knows what they need to give their customers what they are seeking at a good price.
3. Managing Your Staff
In the Purchasing Manager job description will be the responsibility of managing their staff. Purchasing departments frequently have several purchasing clerks who are responsible for the day to day purchasing activities. It will be the Purchasing Manager’s responsibility to ensure that their staff are well trained and motivated and undertake their work to the best of their abilities. There is also a requirement to keep to the laws of the land.
4. Overseeing the Computerised purchasing system.
Also in the Purchasing Manager job description will be the requirement to oversee the computerized purchasing system that the company has installed. Computers now take on much of the routine work as well as consolidating the accounts and producing a considerable amount of management information. The software has considerably simplified the purchasing activities and ensured that the departments are much more efficient. The Purchasing Manager will also need to understand this information and be prepared to act on it as necessary.
A good Purchasing Manager can contribute to the profit of the company so they are highly prized. Many start work as Purchasing Clerks and are then either trained internally or sent to college to be trained. So if you are looking for a job that has responsibilities and can make a real difference to a business then make sure you look at the Purchasing Manager job description.
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