CompGeo Salary Survey Benchmark Job Summary and Competencies

Purchasing Agents, Except Wholesale/Retail/Farm

The Benchmark Job Description below represents the specific Position Characteristics of the job used in the Salary Survey. Benchmark Job Descriptions should be inspected carefully to review the degree of matching between an organizations' Job and the Salary Survey Benchmark. Matching internal Jobs to Salary Survey Benchmark Jobs should not be done on Job Title alone. A thorough comparison of Salary Survey Benchmark to Internal Job Descriptions is recommended. A good overlap should exist on any comparisons used on critical Job Dimensions and Competencies.
 
CompGeo Occupation Group: Finance
Job Family: Purchasing
Benchmark Title: Purchasing Agents, Except Wholesale/Retail/Farm
 
Summary Job Description Tasks
Purchase machinery, equipment, tools, parts, supplies, or services necessary for the operation of an establishment. Purchase raw or semi-finished materials for manufacturing. Purchase the highest quality merchandise at the lowest possible price and in correct amounts.
 
Prepare purchase orders, solicit bid proposals, and review requisitions for goods and services.
 
Research and evaluate suppliers based on price, quality, selection, service, support, availability, reliability, production and distribution capabilities, and the supplier's reputation and history.
 
Analyze price proposals, financial reports, and other data and information to determine reasonable prices.
 
Monitor and follow applicable laws and regulations.
 
Negotiate, renegotiate, and administer contracts with suppliers, vendors, and other representatives.
 
Monitor shipments to ensure that goods come in on time and resolve problems related to undelivered goods.
 
Confer with staff, users, and vendors to discuss defective or unacceptable goods or services and determine corrective action.
 
Evaluate and monitor contract performance to ensure compliance with contractual obligations and to determine need for changes.
 
Maintain and review computerized or manual records of items purchased, costs, deliveries, product performance, and inventories.
 
Review catalogs, industry periodicals, directories, trade journals, and Internet sites and consult with other department personnel to locate necessary goods and services.
 
Study sales records and inventory levels of current stock to develop strategic purchasing programs that facilitate employee access to supplies.
 
Interview vendors and visit suppliers' plants and distribution centers to examine and learn about products, services, and prices.
 
Arrange the payment of duty and freight charges.
 
Hire, train, or supervise purchasing clerks, buyers, and expediters.
 
Write and review product specifications, maintaining a working technical knowledge of the goods or services to be purchased.
 
Monitor changes affecting supply and demand, tracking market conditions, price trends, or futures markets.
 
Formulate policies and procedures for bid proposals and procurement of goods and services.
 
Attend meetings, trade shows, conferences, conventions, and seminars to network with people in other purchasing departments.
 
 
CompGeo Occupation Group: Finance
Job Family: Purchasing
Benchmark Title: Purchasing Agents, Except Wholesale/Retail/Farm
 
Important Knowledge Competencies Competency Description
Mathematics Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
 
Clerical 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.
 
Administration and Management 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.
 
Economics and Accounting Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
 
Production and Processing Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
 
English Language Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
 
Computers and Electronics Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
 
Customer and Personal Service 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.
 
 
CompGeo Occupation Group: Finance
Job Family: Purchasing
Benchmark Title: Purchasing Agents, Except Wholesale/Retail/Farm
 
Important Skill Competencies Competency Description
Speaking Talking to others to convey information effectively.
 
Active Listening Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
 
Critical Thinking Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
 
Judgment and Decision Making Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
 
Reading Comprehension Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
 
Monitoring Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
 
Negotiation Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
 
Active Learning Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
 
Complex Problem Solving Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
 
Management of Financial Resources Determining how money will be spent to get the work done, and accounting for these expenditures.
 
Social Perceptiveness Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
 
Persuasion Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
 
Writing Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
 
Coordination Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
 
Time Management Managing one's own time and the time of others.
 
Mathematics Using mathematics to solve problems.
 
Systems Analysis Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
 
Systems Evaluation Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
 
Quality Control Analysis Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
 
Management of Personnel Resources Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
 
 
CompGeo Occupation Group: Finance
Job Family: Purchasing
Benchmark Title: Purchasing Agents, Except Wholesale/Retail/Farm
 
Important Ability Competencies Competency Description
Oral Expression The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
 
Oral Comprehension The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
 
Inductive Reasoning The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
 
Written Comprehension The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
 
Problem Sensitivity The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
 
Deductive Reasoning The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
 
Speech Clarity The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
 
Speech Recognition The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
 
Written Expression The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
 
Near Vision The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
 
Information Ordering The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
 
Mathematical Reasoning The ability to choose the right mathematical methods or formulas to solve a problem.
 
Category Flexibility The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
 
 
CompGeo Occupation Group: Finance
Job Family: Purchasing
Benchmark Title: Purchasing Agents, Except Wholesale/Retail/Farm
 
Tools/Technology Example Product Category
Accounting software Accounting software
 
Apple AppleWorks Spreadsheet software
 
Assured Software JPP Project management software
 
Business Objects Crystal Reports Data base reporting software
 
CPR International GeneralCOST Estimator Accounting software
 
CPR International Visual Estimator Financial analysis software
 
Choice Job Cost Accounting software
 
Construction Management Software ProEst Analytical or scientific software
 
Corel QuattroPro Spreadsheet software
 
Cost accounting software Accounting software
 
Cost estimation software Financial analysis software
 
Data base reporting software Data base reporting software
 
Dexter + Cheney Spectrum Construction Software Project management software
 
Enterprise resource planning ERP system software Enterprise resource planning ERP software
 
Financial analysis software Financial analysis software
 
Galorath SEER-SEM Project management software
 
IBM Costimater Financial analysis software
 
IBM Lotus 1-2-3 Spreadsheet software
 
Infor ERP SyteLine Enterprise resource planning ERP software
 
Intuit QuickBooks software Accounting software
 
Inventory management system software Inventory management software
 
Microsoft Access Data base user interface and query software
 
Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet software
 
Microsoft Great Plains software Enterprise resource planning ERP software
 
Microsoft Office Visio Charting software
 
Microsoft Office software Office suite software
 
Microsoft Outlook Electronic mail software
 
Microsoft PowerPoint Presentation software
 
Microsoft Project Project management software
 
Microsoft Word Word processing software
 
National Job Cost software Accounting software
 
QSM SLIM Analytical or scientific software
 
Resources Calculations Incorporated SoftCost Analytical or scientific software
 
SAP software Enterprise resource planning ERP software
 
Sage Master Builder Project management software
 
Softstar Costar COCOMO II Financial analysis software
 
Software AG software Data base reporting software
 
Web browser software Internet browser software
 
WinEstimator WinEst Analytical or scientific software
 
Xactware Xactimate Project management software
 
10-key calculators Calculators or accessories
 
Adding machines Adding machines
 
Desktop computers Desktop computers
 
Fax machines Facsimile machines
 
Laptop computers Notebook computers
 
Multi-line telephone systems Special purpose telephones
 
Personal computers Personal computers
 
Personal digital assistants PDA Personal digital assistant PDAs or organizers
 
Photocopying equipment Photocopiers
 
Scanners Scanners
 
Tablet computers Tablet computers
 
 
CompGeo Occupation Group: Finance
Job Family: Purchasing
Benchmark Title: Purchasing Agents, Except Wholesale/Retail/Farm
 
Prerequisite Qualification Category Education and Experience Level
On-the-Job Training Over 1 month, up to and including 3 months
 
Required Level of Education Some College Courses
 
Required Level of Education Bachelor's Degree
 
On-the-Job Training Over 3 months, up to and including 6 months
 
 
CompGeo Occupation Group: Finance
Job Family: Purchasing
Benchmark Title: Purchasing Agents, Except Wholesale/Retail/Farm
 
Alternate Job Title(s)
Area Field Person
Area Field Worker
Buyer
Contract Analyst
Contract Specialist
Contractor Buyer
Contracts Administrator
Contracts Manager
Equipment, Supplies, and Tools Purchasing Agent
Food Broker
Fuel Agent
Fuel Buyer
General Purchasing Agent
Import Coordinator
Jobber
Journeyman
Leaser
Log Buyer
Lumber Buyer
Media Buyer
Merchandiser
Ore Buyer
Outside Property Agent
Piece Jobber
Plant Buyer
Price Analyst
Print Buyer
Procurement Agent
Procurement Engineer
Procurement Specialist
Pulpwood Buyer
Pulpwood Contractor
Purchaser
Purchasing Agent
Purchasing Assistant
Purchasing Coordinator
Purchasing Manager
Purchasing Specialist
Radio Time Buyer
Railroad Purchasing Agent
Subcontract Administrator
Timber Buyer
Tools, Supplies, and Equipment Purchasing Agent
Traveling Buyer
 
CompGeo Occupation Group: Finance
Job Family: Purchasing
Benchmark Title: Purchasing Agents, Except Wholesale/Retail/Farm
 
 
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