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Who is a Purchasing manager?
Almost all kinds of product improvement come from simplification of design and acquisition of products and services at the right price and time ~ Tom Peters
Are you someone who loves shopping or are you good at negotiating? Well you can make a career in purchasing management. Individuals who opt for a career as purchasing managers acquire all the goods and services that a company needs to carry out its daily activities. Purchasing products involves negotiating with sellers, checking the quality standards, running tenders, maintaining files, so on and so forth.
If as an individual this is something you would want to do as a professional then career as purchasing managers is a possible career option for you. Here we will discuss about how to become a purchasing manager, what is purchase management, purchasing manager responsibilities.
Purchasing manager in a Nutshell
The career in purchasing management is filled with excitement as well as responsibilities. One cannot afford to miss out on the details as it can affect the overall functioning of the organisation. As industrialisation is increasing daily the demand for career as purchasing managers have been increasing at a higher rate as well. Ever since the wave of start-up and venture capitalism increased more and more companies are being formed which in turn are leading to the demand of career as a purchasing manager as well. Being a purchasing manager can be stressful at times as it involves taking care of multiple things in the purchase sector.
Quick Facts for Purchasing manager
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Average Salary in India
₹32833.33
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Suitable for
Male, Female
Individuals can take up a career as purchasing managers, it is not gender-specific. Men, women and others can choose a career as purchasing managers. In order to become a purchasing manager an individual from any section or gender can do so. It does not matter which gender he or she belongs to when it comes to becoming a purchasing manager. Being a purchasing manager in India can be of several advantages due to the vast career opportunities available in this field where an individual’s gender is insignificant.
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Any special needs
Yes
Everyone, including those with physical disabilities, is appropriate for individuals who opt for a career as purchasing managers. The career as purchasing managers is well suited to everyone, even those with special needs. The profession of a purchasing manager is about buying and acquiring products and services on behalf of the company he or she is working for. Ideally, physically fit people join this field but there is no hard and fast rule on it. As long as one can work without affecting his or her efficiency he or she is suitable for the job. The job of a purchase manager involves a lot of desk work so differently-abled people can be a part of this job.
Table of Contents for Purchasing manager
What is the role of Purchasing manager?
The job of a purchasing manager includes buying products or services for a company or an organisation to either use it for functioning or sometimes even for reselling purposes. Individuals who opt for a career as purchasing managers are responsible for several tasks like evaluating suppliers, negotiating contracts, reviewing product quality and to check if they match with the company’s standards, and often supervise purchasing agents and buyers. In smaller companies, the purchasing manager job is to act as the agent or buyer as well. Here we will discuss about how to become a purchasing manager, what is purchase management, purchasing manager responsibilities.
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Evaluation
Individuals who opt for a career as purchasing managers are responsible for evaluating the company’s suppliers on several parameters like price, quality, delivery time. Depending on what suits the company best a purchasing manager finalises the vendor by making a contract. For enabling the company to work seamlessly the evaluation process should be taken care of and it should be carried out with proper protocol keeping the company’s needs in mind.
Attend meetings
Individuals who opt for a career as a purchasing manager need to attend several meetings in order to find the best possible vendor for the company. For example, he or she needs to visit trade shows or conferences in order to keep up with the market trends. This helps a purchasing manager to have more knowledge about the industry as well as enables him or her to make contacts.
Analysis
One of the most important jobs of individuals who opt for a career as purchasing managers is to analyse the prices quoted by several suppliers. Not just the price but as a purchasing manager it is his job to analyse financial reports of the suppliers and compare their past records as well. After comparing all the suppliers the purchasing manager can make a contract with the supplier which fulfills the company’s needs at its best.
Negotiation
Individuals who opt for a career as a purchasing manager need to negotiate with the vendor or the supplier. He or she has to keep the company’s budget in mind while finalising a contract therefore one must be good at negotiating skills. A purchasing manager negotiates contracts on behalf of the company or organisation he or she is working for.
Types of a Purchasing manager
Purchasing assistant: As a purchasing assistant, an individual’s job is to assist senior buyers or purchase managers in carrying out their daily activities. He or she assists them in filling contracts, evaluating the supplier’s track record and several other works that are involved in the entire company’s purchase process.
Senior Buyer: A senior buyer is an individual who has experience of 3-5 years in the field of the company’s purchasing department. As a senior buyer, one is responsible for managing a team under him or her wherein one has to assign several jobs and responsibilities to the juniors. People in purchasing careers are responsible for taking care of the last steps involved in the purchase process which is the budget approval and the contract.
Procurement Manager: The job of a procurement manager is to forecast the level of demand and supply for a product or service in the market. People in purchasing careers are also responsible for conducting research in order to find the best suppliers in terms of quality, price as well as the delivery of the product.
Logistician: The career of a logistician can be challenging at times but every company or business requires a logistician. It is upto the organisation if it wants to outsource the logistics work, which is to hire a company which has expertise in the field of logistics or the organisation could have a logistics department of its own.
What is the workplace/work environment of Purchasing manager like?
A desk purchasing manager spends most of his or her time in the office environment itself. On the other hand a field purchasing manager needs to go out in the field, meet suppliers, conduct research in order to finalise a vendor for the company. The job of individuals who opt for a career as purchasing managers is both physically and mentally demanding at times.
Does Purchasing manager require travelling?
Likely
It is not a full-time travel-based job but there can be instances where a purchasing manager may have to travel in order to meet a supplier to evaluate the products, negotiate prices, or for signing the contract.
Employment Shifts
Full Time
The employment shift of a purchasing manager is full-time in nature. The duration is generally ranging between 40-45 hours a week. It often stretches depending on the workload on the individual. Individuals who opt for a career as purchasing managers work between 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays. Weekends are generally off for a purchasing manager. A purchasing manager is hired by a company or an organisation on a full-time basis.
Employment Nature
Permanent
The nature of the employment of a purchasing manager is permanent in nature. A firm hires him or her on a full-time basis. Individuals who opt for a career as a purchasing manager can be required to work in almost all kinds of companies. The work space is generally clean and he or she works in an office environment.
Work Place
Office
The nature of the employment of a purchasing manager is permanent. Purchasing manager jobs in government/government organisations or private institutions but the job is mainly permanent in nature.
Presence in Geographical Area
Semi-urban, Urban
Individuals who opt for a career as a purchasing manager mostly functions in an urban or semi-urban location. Rural areas hardly have any companies which require purchasing managers.
Time Pressure
Likely
Individuals who opt for a career as purchasing managers' job is time-bound. He or she constantly works under time pressure. One cannot afford the delay in product or services’ supply as it would affect the company’s entire supply chain.
Overtime Details
Individuals who opt for a career as a purchasing manager may have to work overtime in order to meet the desired target or deadline.
Weekly Hours of Work
Min 45 Hours
Individuals who opt for a career as purchasing managers work around eight to nine hours on a daily basis. Depending on the workload it may stretch.
How to become a Purchasing manager?
Steps to become a Purchasing manager
Discovering how to become a Purchasing Manager in India involves navigating a strategic career path. This journey entails gaining relevant education, acquiring practical experience, and cultivating essential skills in procurement and negotiation. Understanding the industry landscape and staying updated on market trends are crucial for aspiring Purchasing Managers in India. In this section learn about these key steps to unlock a rewarding career in procurement.
What are the skills and qualities required to become a/an Purchasing manager?
When it comes to how to become a purchasing manager, the first thing that they should know is about the purchasing manager skills. Some of the essential purchasing manager skills we have mentioned below.
Decision-making skills: It is essential that a purchasing manager is decisive in nature. There are several instances where a purchasing manager is supposed to make decisions about which supplier to go with. He or she needs to be calculative as well as decisive about the decisions made. Purchasing manager's job needs to calculate the risks involved while making those decisions. Calculative and well-informed risks should be taken otherwise the company can suffer a huge amount of loss.
Leadership: A purchasing manager should have the ability to work with a group of people as a team. Not only that he or she should be able to lead the team as well. A purchasing manager may have a junior purchasing manager under him or her. It is important that he or she is able to communicate well and work towards attaining a similar goal.
Negotiation Skills: A purchasing manager also works with the pre-sales and sometimes sales team to understand more about the company’s needs. One must be able to negotiate well with the supplier in order to provide the company with the products or services it needs for day to day work. He or she has to at times pursue the supplier to agree on what he says as the same is beneficial for both the purchasing manager as well as the supplier’s business.
Attention to Detail: A purchasing manager is expected to have extremely high attention to detail. It is important in his or her job position that he or she does not miss out on anything while doing his or her research as well as during the process of evaluating a prospective supplier. Each and every step needs to be taken care of and every detail must be noted by a purchasing manager in order to avoid any kinds of errors in the future.
Communication Skills: Purchasing manager job must have a good command of his or her language. It is important for his or her job position to be able to explain the message to the recipient clearly and precisely. Being able to communicate well eliminates the probability of errors as well as ambiguity in the mind of the receiver. Being able to understand the company’s needs and explaining the same to the supplier is essential to have a seamless transaction.
Which certifications and internships can be helpful in becoming Purchasing manager?
We have mentioned below certifications that individuals may opt for who want to establish a career as Purchasing manager.
Professional Certificate in Supply Chain & Inventory Management | |
Executive Certificate Program in Supply Chain and Logistics Management | |
Internship Availability
Internships are considered as the best possible way for gaining experience in career in purchasing. The supply chain cycle affects the functioning of an entire company or organisation. Therefore, doing an internship can help him or her to have a better knowledge of the field. Internships provide the aspiring candidate an opportunity to apply the theoretical knowledge he or she gained in college, to bring them in practical use. Not only that, internships also enable the candidate to make connections in the purchasing careers for future use.
If he or she performs well during the internship several companies or organisations could also hire the candidate on a full-time basis. The candidate can get an internship either through an online medium or he or she could also contact the aviation company of choice directly.
Career Path Progression for Purchasing manager
Trainee: It is an entry-level job position for any individual joining a company or organisation in the purchasing or supply chain department of the company. An individual who has just joined the industry generally goes through a training process wherein he or she works under a senior purchasing manager who allots work in order to allow him or her to learn several aspects of work. The training period is in between two to six months.
Purchasing Manager: A purchasing manager is an individual who is responsible for managing the purchase of goods and services for an organisation. These types of purchasing manager jobs include researching about the goods and services required by an organisation and then negotiates with the seller depending on the company’s budget and product’s quality. He or she also keeps a track record of all the purchases made by the company along with taking care of the vendor’s contracts.
Head of Procurement: The head of procurement is an individual who is at the highest position of a supply chain department. It takes several years of work and experience in order to reach that position. These types of purchasing manager jobs include leading the development and implementation of procurement policies and system strategies. He or she aims to support tendering, contract management, spend analytics and supplier performance management as well.
Purchasing manager Jobs and Salaries
Trainee
Contractual/Permanent
- Average Salary 20000
Job Description
A trainee is an individual who has just completed his or her education and is joining an organisation as a fresher. He or she works under a senior and learns about the several aspects involved in the day to day functioning of the supply chain department.
Salary Description
The salary of a trainee is not much but for an entry-level job the salary is still decent. As and when an individual gains knowledge and experience his or her salary also continues to increase.
Purchasing Manager
Permanent
- Average Salary 38500
Job Description
A purchasing manager is an individual who takes care of a company’s purchasing process. It involves maintaining a rapport with other businesses, vendors and clients in order to negotiate the prices for acquiring products and services.
Salary Description
The salary of a purchasing manager is good. It increases as and when the purchasing manager establishes himself or herself by acquiring profitable vendors. The higher the experience, the higher is the salary.
Head of Procurement
Permanent
- Average Salary 40000
Job Description
The job of a head of procurement is that of the highest executive role focused on sourcing, procurement, and supply management for an enterprise. He or she may be in charge of the contracting services and may manage the purchase of supplies, equipment, and materials as well.
Salary Description
The job position of head of procurement is one of the highest and one can reach it after several years of experience. More the work experience more is the salary as a long term of work experience would sharpen the individual’s skill sets as well.
What is the job outlook for Purchasing manager?
A candidate who wishes to become a purchasing manager experiences quite significant job growth. As and when the individual gains knowledge and experience he or she steps up the ladder of designation in the field of supply chain management. Since the field is vast and it continues to grow, there are plenty of job growth opportunities in the career in purchasing . Depending on the individual’s track record of handling previous suppliers, he or she can be promoted. Supply chain management used to be a very small sector but ever since the industrialisation rate increased at a rapid scale an increasing number of job opportunities are opening for a purchasing manager.
Currently, the purchasing careers is very bright. There are several job openings in various fields. Not just big multinational companies need a purchasing manager in order to find the right product and services for the company but nowadays, even the small companies have begun to hire purchasing managers. The job openings are expected to grow as much as 6.4 per cent for a purchasing manager which is higher than the average of various other fields.
Frequently Asked Questions for Purchasing manager
Que. How long does it take to become a purchasing manager?
Ans.A purchasing manager needs a bachelor's degree which takes three years, and at least three to five years of experience working in the supply chain segment of the industry.
Que. Can you get a purchasing manager job with no experience?
Ans.It is not necessary to have job experience before becoming a junior buyer. But, one must have three to five years of experience in the supply chain department to become a purchasing manager.
Que. What is the role of Logistician?
Ans.A logistician is an individual who oversees activities including purchasing, shipping and transportation, inventory, warehousing, and delivery. He or she is responsible for directing the movement of a range of goods, people, or supplies, starting from common consumer goods to military supplies. A logistician uses sophisticated software systems to plan and track the movement of goods as it automates a major part of the process.
Que. What are the books one should read in order to become a purchasing manager?
Ans.Some of the books one could read are- The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon, Getting to Yes: Negotiating an Agreement Without Giving In, Merchandise Buying and Management and Common Sense Purchasing: Hard Knock Lessons Learned From a Purchasing Pro.
Que. What are the top recruiting areas for a purchasing manager?
Ans.Top recruiting areas are Manufacturing Companies, Export Houses, Production Houses, Fashion Retail, Healthcare Products and Service Delivery Companies and Educational Institutions.
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