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Career Details

11-3061.00 - Purchasing Managers


Plan, direct, or coordinate the activities of buyers, purchasing officers, and related workers involved in purchasing materials, products, and services. Includes wholesale or retail trade merchandising managers and procurement managers.


Key Facts
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Bright Outlook
Career Details
Green Job
Career Details
Current Employment
73,000
Estimate
Forecasted Employment
73,700
Estimate
Change in Employment
700.0
Estimate
Change in Employment %
+1%
Estimate
Tasks
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Tasks
The tasks listed below can be performed to prepare you for a career in this field.
Core
  • Maintain records of goods ordered and received.
  • Locate vendors of materials, equipment or supplies, and interview them to determine product availability and terms of sales.
  • Prepare and process requisitions and purchase orders for supplies and equipment.
  • Control purchasing department budgets.
  • Interview and hire staff, and oversee staff training.
  • Review purchase order claims and contracts for conformance to company policy.
  • Analyze market and delivery systems to assess present and future material availability.
  • Develop and implement purchasing and contract management instructions, policies, and procedures.
  • Participate in the development of specifications for equipment, products, or substitute materials.
  • Resolve vendor or contractor grievances and claims against suppliers.
  • Represent companies in negotiating contracts and formulating policies with suppliers.
  • Review, evaluate, and approve specifications for issuing and awarding bids.
  • Direct and coordinate activities of personnel engaged in buying, selling, and distributing materials, equipment, machinery, and supplies.
  • Prepare bid awards requiring board approval.
  • Prepare reports regarding market conditions and merchandise costs.
  • Administer online purchasing systems.
  • Develop cost reduction strategies and savings plans.
Supplemental
  • Arrange for disposal of surplus materials.
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Knowledge
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Knowledge

The items listed below are organized into sections that contain knowledge useful for pursuing a career in this field. Each section also contains a "Percentage of Importance" statistic that shows how relevant an item is to the occupation.
 Administration and Management
  • 83%
    Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
 English Language
  • 81%
    Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
 Economics and Accounting
  • 73%
    Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
 Mathematics
  • 73%
    Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
 Customer and Personal Service
  • 73%
    Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
 Computers and Electronics
  • 67%
    Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
 Personnel and Human Resources
  • 65%
    Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
 Law and Government
  • 63%
    Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
 Production and Processing
  • 62%
    Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
 Education and Training
  • 61%
    Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
 Clerical
  • 60%
    Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
 Sales and Marketing
  • 55%
    Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
 Transportation
  • 54%
    Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
 Communications and Media
  • 50%
    Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Tools
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Tools
The tools listed below include machines, equipment, tools, and software that is useful for individuals who are interested in this career.
 Computers
  • Desktop computers
  • Personal computers
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Technology
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Technology
The technologies listed below include machines, equipment, tools, and software that is useful for individuals who are interested in this career.
 Business function specific software
  • Ariba Spend Management Suite
  • Automated purchase order software
  • Bottomline Technologies Bottomline Sprinter Purchasing Manager
  • Infor Lawson Supply Chain Management
  • Inventory management software
  • Materials requirement planning MRP software
  • Microsoft OfficeHOT
  • Microsoft ProjectHOT
  • Microsoft SharePointHOT
  • Oracle Primavera P6 Enterprise Portfolio Project Management
  • Purchasing software
  • PurchasingNet eProcurement
 Finance accounting and enterprise resource planning ERP software
  • Bowen & Groves M1 ERPHOT
  • Enterprise resource planning ERP softwareHOT
  • Epicor Vantage ERPHOT
  • Microsoft DynamicsHOT
  • NetSuite ERPHOT
  • Oracle JD Edwards EnterpriseOneHOT
  • Oracle PeopleSoftHOT
  • Oracle PeopleSoft Enterprise Financial Management Solutions
  • Oracle PeopleSoft FinancialsHOT
  • SAPHOT
 Data management and query software
  • Corel Paradox
  • Database software
  • Microsoft AccessHOT
  • Oracle DBMS
  • Qlik Tech QlikViewHOT
  • SAP BusinessObjects Crystal Reports
 Information exchange software
  • IBM Lotus Notes
  • Microsoft OutlookHOT
 Content authoring and editing software
  • Microsoft ExcelHOT
  • Microsoft PowerPointHOT
  • Microsoft VisioHOT
  • Microsoft WordHOT
  • Scheduling software
 Industry specific software
  • Point of sale POS software
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Certifications
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Certifications
The certifications listed below are useful to pursue if you are interested in a career in this field.
 Specialty
 Advanced
 Unknown
  • SAP Certified Application Associate - SRM with SAP SRM 7.0 EHP1
    3999 West Chester Pike, Newtown Square, PA 19073888-227-1727

 Product/Equipment
  • SAP Certified Application Professional - Procurement with SAP ERP 6.0 EHP5
    3999 West Chester Pike, Newtown Square, PA 19073888-227-1727

  • Oracle Retail Store Inventory Management 13.2 Functional Implementer Essentials
    500 Oracle Parkway, Redwood Shores, CA 94065800-833-3536

  • Oracle Retail Price Management 13.2 Functional Implementer Essentials
    500 Oracle Parkway, Redwood Shores, CA 94065800-833-3536

  • Oracle Retail Merchandising System 13.2 Foundation Functional Implementer Essentials
    500 Oracle Parkway, Redwood Shores, CA 94065800-833-3536

  • Oracle Fusion Distributed Order Orchestration 2014 Essentials
    500 Oracle Parkway, Redwood Shores, CA 94065800-833-3536

  • Oracle Fusion Procurement 2014 Essentials
    500 Oracle Parkway, Redwood Shores, CA 94065800-833-3536

  • TS: Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2008, Desktop Deployment
    One Microsoft Way, Redmond, WA 98052-6399

  • SAP Certified Application Associate - Supplier Relationship Management 7.2
    3999 West Chester Pike, Newtown Square, PA 19073888-227-1727

  • SAP Certified Application Associate - Procurement with SAP ERP 6.0 EHP6
    3999 West Chester Pike, Newtown Square, PA 19073888-227-1727

  • Oracle Value Chain Planning: Demantra Demand Management 7 Essentials
    500 Oracle Parkway, Redwood Shores, CA 94065800-833-3536

  • Oracle E-Business Suite R12.1 Purchasing Essentials
    500 Oracle Parkway, Redwood Shores, CA 94065800-833-3536

  • SAP Certified Application Professional - Procurement with SAP ERP 6.0 EHP6
    3999 West Chester Pike, Newtown Square, PA 19073888-227-1727

 Core
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Licensing
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Licensing
The licensing information below is organized into sections and is useful for pursuing if you are interested in a career in this field.
No specific licensing information is listed for this occupation in the area you have selected.
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Related Programs
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Online Programs related to this career, offered by participating institution(s), are listed below.

Clicking on the Degree programs in the list below will take you away from the Careers page.
INSTITUTION
PROGRAMS
Tidewater Community College