Purchasing managers are the people who manage the purchase of services
and supplies for their employers. They arrange the contracts for necessary
services, like cleaning. They also buy materials and equipment. This may include
everything from raw materials for manufacturing to finished products and parts.
A purchasing manager may also have other duties related to purchased items,
including inventory, shipping and transportation, and quality.
A purchasing manager must have excellent communication skills and strong
ethics. They must be tough minded and curious. They spend almost half their
time talking. Sometimes they act as a mediator between their company and suppliers.
They have to have a good working relationship with both the company and the
suppliers in order to get the job done.
Strong ethics are necessary because purchasing managers control large amounts
of money. They have to be principled enough to resist any opportunities to
profit personally from the deals they make.
Purchasing managers can be found working in every industry, since every
industry needs supplies to do its work. They may be employed in retail or
wholesale sales or small or big business. They might be in research or work
for manufacturing companies. Purchasers who work for government or public
services, such as school boards or city hall, are usually called "public buyers,"
since they work in the public service.
Two trends are currently affecting people in this career -- certification
and computerization.
The first reflects an increasing demand for professional purchasers. With
an education in purchasing and experience in the field, purchasing managers
can qualify for the certified purchasing professional (CPP) designation.
"Many employers are realizing the value of employing a CPP and employment
opportunities are steadily increasing," says CPP Jerry Pauze.
The second trend is computerization. Purchasing managers can now buy software
that does a lot of tasks -- such as filling out and sending orders -- that
once had to be done by the purchasers and their assistants. This means purchasing
managers are having to become much more computer-literate.
Most purchasing managers work 35 to 40 hours a week, with occasional weekend
work during busy periods.
There are few physical requirements for this occupation.