For instance, if a department had two levels, I would personally choose “Procurement Specialist” and “Senior Procurement Specialist,” and if a department had three levels, I would choose “Junior Procurement Specialist,” “Procurement Specialist,” and “Senior Procurement Specialist.” That’s because I see “procurement” being increasingly used vs. In departments that have changed their names in the last ten years, “purchasing” is used. I only have an observation to support that; I don’t have any statistical evidence.
My opinion is also slightly influenced by an article entitled “Buyers need not apply” that I recently read, according to which “new solutions render the low-level buyer position dispensable,” according to Jon Hansen of Procurement Insights. ” People that share Mr. According to Hansen, the term “buyer” may now be associated with procurement from the year 2007.
Therefore, I would say that the names you choose for your team are purely a matter of taste. I did advise this procurement leader to poll both groups’ participants and find out what they preferred to be called. Titles can affect morale and morale can affect performance. People dislike change, especially when they feel as though it is being forced upon them for something as private as their job title.
When new leadership (VP and Directors) arrived in the purchasing department of US Airways in the 1990s and wanted to make some changes, there was a little bit of a commotion. Under the purchasing manager level, there were three levels: purchasing associate, purchasing representative, and purchasing executive. These were intended to be changed to “Junior Buyer,” “Buyer,” and “Senior Buyer” by the new administration. The new Director was presenting the changes at a large, all-hands meeting when a purchasing representative got up and said, “I think the new titles make us sound less professional. Someone employed at a liquor store would have the title “buyer” ”.
Six jobs for purchasing
Although specific responsibilities vary depending on whether you work for a nonprofit, the private sector, or the public sector, many purchasing job titles have equivalent or overlapping roles and responsibilities or a variety of names.
To assist you in finding a job in the purchasing sector, the following are the six most popular job titles in procurement:
Purchasing clerks’ main responsibilities include filling out paperwork for orders, contracts, and bids and reporting to purchasing agents and managers. They regularly interact with suppliers, review draft contracts, submit purchase orders, monitor shipments, verify deliveries, send invoices, and check shipments for accuracy.
Primary responsibilities: Purchasing assistants carry out regular duties related to purchasing and selling supplies and support those in higher positions. They keep track of sales, receipts, and records, schedule conferences calls or meetings, and assist with other aspects of a purchase transaction. They also look for ways to streamline the purchasing process.
A buyer’s main responsibilities include product research, evaluation, and purchase for businesses to resell or use internally. To achieve cost savings or sales revenue, they bargain competitive pricing and stick to budgets. In addition to buying beds and desks for hospitals and schools, purchasing agents may also negotiate service agreements for tasks like facility cleaning or inventory stocking. They create precise ways to keep track of contracts and sales as well, ensuring future savings or profits.
Logistics managers’ main responsibilities are to supervise a company’s purchases and products before other employees advertise or sell the products. They typically work for businesses that supply goods to other businesses, such as selling microprocessors to a large computer corporation or raw leather to a furniture manufacturer.
Operations managers have primary responsibilities for overseeing all facets of a company’s operations, including having ultimate accountability for purchasing budgets and responsibilities. They establish price margins for goods or approve pricing, contracts, and sales agreements made by buyers and purchasing assistants. Computer software is frequently used by operations managers to perform receiving and accounts payable tasks.
A purchasing manager’s main responsibilities include managing a team of buyers and purchasing clerks who are in charge of carrying out the specific tasks. In addition to choosing suppliers and developing relationships with them, they recruit, interview, train, and manage a team, develop budgeting and cost-saving policies and procedures, review purchases and sales, and uphold the health, safety, quality, and legal aspects of the entire purchasing process.
Supply chain managers’ main responsibilities are to make sure that goods arrive and depart on time to minimize any impact on operations. As a supply chain manager, they may work in the operations, distribution, logistics, or warehousing departments and manage warehouses, factories, and depots. Supply chain managers frequently look into alternative systems to increase efficiency and routinely review a company’s procedures to keep operations running smoothly.
What is purchasing?
For a company’s supply chain, production needs, or offered services, purchasing is the process of looking for cost-effective pricing and prompt acquisition of materials, equipment, services, or upgrades. The industry where a purchasing department is most prevalent is manufacturing, where companies regularly procure lots of raw materials and components.
The primary goals in purchasing or procurement include:
Some buyers or purchasing agents are also in charge of monitoring the depreciation of equipment and choosing when to upgrade while staying within a budget. As a buyer, you collaborate closely with operations and supply chain managers who are responsible for supervising all purchasing choices.
Without a college degree, you can work in lower-level positions in the purchasing sector, but most employers prefer it. A bachelor’s degree is typically required for management positions, and an MBA is beneficial if you want to hold top positions like operations manager.
Other purchasing job titles
Here are some additional job names for positions in the purchasing sector, organized by position:
Buyer
Alternative titles for a buyer include:
Purchasing clerk
Purchasing clerks are also called:
Purchasing manager
Other names for purchasing manager roles include:
Logistics manager
Alternative titles for a logistics manager include:
Operations manager
Other names for operations manager positions include:
Certificate of Title and Qualifying Title When Purchasing Property-What You Need to Know
FAQ
What are procurement titles?
- Buyer.
- Commodity Manager.
- Procurement Director.
- Procurement Officer.
- Strategic Sourcing Director.
- Purchasing Agent.
- Materials Manager.
- Purchasing Director.
What are the levels of purchasing?
Stages of the Consumer Purchasing Process Customers go through certain steps before deciding whether or not to purchase a product. These include problem identification, information search, alternative assessment, purchase decision, and post-purchase assessment.
What does a person in purchasing do?
An organization’s team in charge of acquiring goods and services for resale or internal use is headed by a purchasing manager, also known as a purchasing director or supply manager. They seek the best available quality for the lowest price. They evaluate suppliers, negotiate contracts, and review product quality.
What is a purchasing position?
On behalf of the employer, purchasing officers locate and purchase materials, products, and services that will be resold or used in regular business operations. In addition to maintaining stock levels, purchasing officers may also carry out research, bargain with suppliers, and conduct supplier interviews.
