Know your role as a procurement boss
Oct 28, 2010
PROCUREMENT managers work in many different industries. They are responsible for the buying and acquiring of materials by companies.
By S. Nuwagira and Agencies
PROCUREMENT managers work in many different industries. They are responsible for the buying and acquiring of materials by companies. This means procuring everything from lumber used to build a house, to materials used to manufacture items or computers used by employees.
The duties of procurement managers include understanding the company’s needs, dealing with suppliers and vendors and ensuring purchased items adhere to company policies and standards.
Purchasing: Procurement is the purchasing activity on behalf of a business or other organisation. The type of services, products and other commodities that are purchased vary depending on the organisation, but the purchasing process is usually similar.
To determine what goods to buy, procurement managers study sales trends, keep abreast of their company’s inventories, research local and international suppliers and compare items to ensure they get the best deal.
To be effective at their jobs, they must both have a technical understanding of the type of goods they need to purchase and of how those goods are used by their company, as well as relationships with different vendors and suppliers that enables them to buy those goods when needed.
Co-ordinating activities: Co-ordinating the procurement activities across the company will depend on the role and structure of the procurement department. For instance, in a company that is decentralised, each department has the ability to make its own purchasing activities. The procurement manager’s co-ordination will require documentation, training and overseeing reports from the account system.
In a centralised company, however, all the requests are funnelled to the staff, who will report the activities to the procurement manager.
For this structure, the procurement staff is organised in a grouping that allows them to identify opportunities for purchasing activities and ensuring compliance with policies.
Policy compliance: According to the PPDA Act of 2003, policy compliance is one of the responsibilities of a procurement officer in government agencies and departments. Procurement policies are designed to protect the organisation from any legal challenge, while acquiring the best combination of quality, service and price.
The procurement manager ensures that all staff and departments that are buying materials and services on behalf of the company are abiding by the guidelines. This involves familiarity with the company rules and regulations in regards to both budget and quality for the purchase of different projects.
Supervising staff: The procurement manager’s supervision duties involve daily operational supervision, performance reviews and human resources issues.
The department’s operational efficiency is evaluated based on customer service, total turn-around time, total monetory value saved, and the total value and quantity of the purchases.
PROCUREMENT managers work in many different industries. They are responsible for the buying and acquiring of materials by companies. This means procuring everything from lumber used to build a house, to materials used to manufacture items or computers used by employees.
The duties of procurement managers include understanding the company’s needs, dealing with suppliers and vendors and ensuring purchased items adhere to company policies and standards.
Purchasing: Procurement is the purchasing activity on behalf of a business or other organisation. The type of services, products and other commodities that are purchased vary depending on the organisation, but the purchasing process is usually similar.
To determine what goods to buy, procurement managers study sales trends, keep abreast of their company’s inventories, research local and international suppliers and compare items to ensure they get the best deal.
To be effective at their jobs, they must both have a technical understanding of the type of goods they need to purchase and of how those goods are used by their company, as well as relationships with different vendors and suppliers that enables them to buy those goods when needed.
Co-ordinating activities: Co-ordinating the procurement activities across the company will depend on the role and structure of the procurement department. For instance, in a company that is decentralised, each department has the ability to make its own purchasing activities. The procurement manager’s co-ordination will require documentation, training and overseeing reports from the account system.
In a centralised company, however, all the requests are funnelled to the staff, who will report the activities to the procurement manager.
For this structure, the procurement staff is organised in a grouping that allows them to identify opportunities for purchasing activities and ensuring compliance with policies.
Policy compliance: According to the PPDA Act of 2003, policy compliance is one of the responsibilities of a procurement officer in government agencies and departments. Procurement policies are designed to protect the organisation from any legal challenge, while acquiring the best combination of quality, service and price.
The procurement manager ensures that all staff and departments that are buying materials and services on behalf of the company are abiding by the guidelines. This involves familiarity with the company rules and regulations in regards to both budget and quality for the purchase of different projects.
Supervising staff: The procurement manager’s supervision duties involve daily operational supervision, performance reviews and human resources issues.
The department’s operational efficiency is evaluated based on customer service, total turn-around time, total monetory value saved, and the total value and quantity of the purchases.