Purchasing manager (Inkoopmanager)
Information on this skill...
A purchasing manager is responsible for managing the purchasing department within an organization. Think of determining the purchasing policy, the assortment policy and monitoring the set objectives. In short, the purchasing manager is responsible for purchasing products or services as efficiently and effectively as possible. As a purchasing manager, you will usually lead various other employees, who are usually designated as purchasing assistants. The purchasing manager gives the purchasing assistants assignments with regard to the purchase of the right products or services. It is the responsibility of the entire team to monitor the delivered quality of the products or services and to ensure that everything runs according to the agreements made. The purchasing manager will also report regularly to the management. As a purchasing manager, you continuously orientate yourself on possible market developments and maintain relationships with other organizations. Visiting trade fairs and keeping up with trade journals is also one of the tasks for which you can be responsible as a purchasing manager. Procurement management is a complex process, because procurement management can be divided into strategic, tactical and operational purchasing. It is the purchasing manager who is responsible for monitoring the entire purchasing process. The main goal as a purchasing manager is to increase efficiency and effectiveness without increasing the costs of the purchasing process. Depending on the organization, as a purchasing manager you can be responsible for the purchasing process up to the customer, who will receive the products or services. The work of a purchasing manager must therefore be seen more broadly than just the purchase of goods.
A purchasing manager is therefore responsible for the purchase of products and/or services. The purchase of products and/or services is generally accompanied by strict contractual agreements, which include exactly what both parties can expect from each other. Consider, for example, a commercial company that sells products in a store. If these goods cause problems afterwards, because they are not good, it may have been contractually agreed that these products must be taken back by the relevant manufacturer to exclude financial risks. But also more general matters are important as a purchasing manager. Think, for example, of delivery guarantees of products and of taking out insurance with regard to the transport of goods. As a purchasing manager, you will also have to deal with market researchers, who are responsible for conducting market studies. This is important to be able to determine the need for products and/or services. Without proper market studies, a purchasing manager generally cannot properly determine the need for certain products and/or services. As a purchasing manager, you will usually work with different purchasing assistants. Think, for example, of project administrators, invoicers and account managers.
PURCHASING PROCESS
A procurement process consists of strategic, tactical and operational procurement. Strategic purchasing relates to the entire purchasing process, in which the set objectives of the organization (purchasing policy, purchasing processes, procedures) are taken into account. Tactical procurement involves selecting the right suppliers and drawing up the contracts that go with them. Operational purchasing relates to all administrative actions, such as ordering products, aftercare of products and monitoring processes. A buyer is therefore responsible for the entire purchasing process, which relates to various important activities. Other names for purchasing manager can also be senior buyer or head of purchasing. Employees are usually classified as purchasing employees.
WORKING AS A PURCHASING MANAGER
As a purchasing manager you have a combined function, because in addition to being a manager, you are also a commercial employee for organizations. A buyer can therefore also be seen as a negotiator, because buying and negotiating cannot really be seen in isolation. Another name for purchasing activities as a manager is also called procurement management. Procurement management is focused on all activities related to controlling and controlling the incoming goods flows up to the moment that the goods in question are sold (or leave the organization). Think of stock management, product needs and the transport of goods.
VALUE FOR MONEY
The purchasing policy is very important for organizations to achieve the best results. Supply chain management plays an important role in the process. Being able to negotiate well with different providers and the timely discovery of new features is also important. You will also need to have a strong commercial insight. Buyers should always think that it is their own company. In some cases, there may also be talk of a supply chain manager. Supply chain relates to setting up and managing efficient streamlining of goods and services. This also has to do with the purchasing policy.
TASKS AS PURCHASING MANAGER:
- Managing purchasing assistants;
- Managing procurement processes;
- Determining the need for producer and/or services;
- Keeping the administration;
- Checking agreements made;
- Drawing up tendering procedures;
- Consulting with the management;
- Monitoring procurement processes.
WHAT DOES A PURCHASING MANAGER DO:
TRAINING TO BECOME A PURCHASING MANAGER
If you want to work as a purchasing manager, it is best to follow the Hbo programme Business Management, the Hbo programme Commercial Economics or the Hbo programme Business Administration. During these courses, attention is paid to many different factors such as administration, product knowledge, purchasing techniques, purchasing strategies and supervising purchasing processes. These courses generally last four years depending on the previous education. During the training you are mainly busy at school and you do an internship a few times. In addition, there are also plenty of external training institutes where you can follow a course. Accounting is also important as an entrepreneur.
COMPANIES WHERE A PURCHASING MANAGER CAN BE EMPLOYED
Purchasing managers can work for different companies in all conceivable industries. Think, for example, of buyers who work in the retail trade, the fashion industry, construction, the supermarket sector, the government or purchasing managers who work for manufacturers. It's not that purchasing managers only have to deal with products. A purchasing manager can therefore also work for healthcare institutions or, for example, for an insurance company. Depending on the employer, other names can also be used.
PURCHASING MANAGER COMPETENCES
The most important competence of a purchasing manager is the management skills, because you will usually manage different employees. Because you are dealing with different employees, managers and the board of directors, you must have good communication skills. In addition, innovation and change management can be regarded as important competencies. General legal knowledge should generally not be lacking, because you have a lot to do with contracts. Depending on the type of employer, networking can also be important as a purchasing manager. Generally important words are negotiation, trends, inspiration, vigilance, checking, analytical, planning, organizing and performing.
LABOUR MARKET PERSPECTIVE AND CAREER OPPORTUNITIES AS A PURCHASING MANAGER
The labour market perspective of a purchasing manager is generally fairly good if you have the right knowledge, experience and education. It is true that relatively many buyers eventually grow into purchasing managers after gaining practical experience. Because many companies and organizations use purchasing managers, obtaining work will not be a problem in most cases. The career opportunities of a purchasing manager should be seen in gaining more responsibilities. Think, for example, of the positions of financial manager, brand manager or sales manager. The career opportunities are strongly dependent on the employer, the experience and your own competencies.
TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT AND SALARY PURCHASING MANAGER
As a purchasing manager, your salary is highly dependent on your responsibilities and company, but in general the profession falls under the higher salary scales. A purchasing manager earns between 3000 and 4000 euros gross per month. However, the salary can vary greatly per company.
The content on this page has been automatically translated from the Dutch language. For this reason, texts and videos on this page may contain small errors.
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