Procurement jobs do require a specific skill set. Companies do want to spend as little money as possible when purchasing inventory. Procurement professionals can’t buy goods and materials at a high price and sell them again for a low cost, that isn’t good business practices. Markets fluctuate over time and rarely stay the same for long periods. Procurement professionals must be aware of these fluctuations and adjust their purchasing strategy accordingly. A good procurement professional will save the company money any way they can while still providing the company with the goods or materials they desire.
The average salary for procurement professional is $13.00-$19.00 depending on education, training, responsibilities, and size of company. Smaller companies will have their procurement clerk take on more duties such as managing inventory.
Procurement professionals should have good communication skills because they will frequently deal and talk with suppliers on a regular basis. Mistakes will happen, that is a given. Wrong orders will be shipped and over charges may occur. It’s not a matter of if, but when, procurement professionals must handle these situations. Knowledge of spreadsheets, bookkeeping, word processing, and basic economic principles is a major plus for those seeking procurement positions.
The downside to procurement jobs is that they will see little growth over the next decade. There are currently around 76,000 procuring jobs and that number will slightly decline in the next few years. This is due to many companies purchasing orders online or e-procurement. As of now, procurement professionals are still needed so all hope isn’t lost finding that procurement job.
A procurement career may be a stepping stone to becoming a purchasing manager/agent/buyer. Purchasing agents have more responsibilities and are in charge of purchasing large amounts of goods and materials which can become complex at times. Purchasing agent/managers go into more detail when buying goods or materials. They must be aware of the market conditions such as what is “hot” and what is not. For example, what are the latest fashion trends that the consumers are interested at the moment? No use in buying a large amount of fashion items if that specific trend is over with. If the purchasing agent buys a large quantity and the items go unsold, this would seriously affect profits and could put the company in financial trouble.
Purchasing agents may even become involved in sales and marketing as well. If the new and exciting product hits the market they could advise on sales strategies to get the product to the consumers effectively, and the need to push the item. A product is no use if consumers are unaware of it.
There are many types of certificates available for procurement professionals such as Certified Professional in Supply Management, Certified Public Buyer, Certified Public Purchasing Officer, and the Certified Purchasing Manager. The American Purchasing Society offers tools, education, and training programs for buyers, purchasing agents, and executives. The American Purchasing Society was the first organization to offer certification for purchasing professionals.
There is no sense of buying a large amount of pumpkins after Halloween is there? Or purchasing a large amount of turkey’s the day after Thanksgiving? Or Christmas trees the day after Christmas, a large amount of fireworks the day after the Fourth of July, or a large amount of heart shaped boxes of chocolates the day after Valentines Day? The procurement profession is in charge of such duties.
Since we are living in a growing paperless world, we still will need procurement professions on some level because problems will occur. There will be a need for those who can deal with suppliers on a personal level to straighten out shipping delays, wrong shipments, and other problems that will occur. Establishing good relationships with supplier contacts is a must if they continually provide a company with quality goods and materials. Finding a good supplier who meets a companies needs may be difficult to find and maintaining a good business relationship with them is a vital component of a company’s success.