What does an associate buyer do?

Senior Purchasing Agents are experienced employees in the company's purchasing department. They oversee the purchase requisitions of the employees. They validate requests, ensure that the requestors followed company guidelines, check the availability of the items with the chosen supplier, and forward the purchase order to the supplier. Upon fulfillment of the request, Senior Purchasing Agents check the deliveries, ensure that the items are complete and correct, forward the items to the requestor, and process the payment for the supplier. Senior Purchasing agents also prepare reports, spot trends in employee or department purchases, and create recommendations based on observations. They are also expected to form good working relationships with suppliers.

These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of an associate buyer are more likely to require skills like "math," "vendor relations," "market trends," and "strong analytical." On the other hand, a job as a senior purchasing agent requires skills like "project management," "supplier relationships," "continuous improvement," and "commodities." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.

A purchasing agent's general task is keeping purchase records and making sure that there won't be any discrepancies with the handling of orders. The purchasing agent should be responsible for the order processing and payment collection. Purchasing agents should also be proficient in interpreting and evaluating data, researching on best marketing sources and alternatives, issuing required documentation for suppliers, as well as managing customer queries as needed. Being a purchasing agent requires critical-thinking skills in assessing concerns and providing solutions should there be any possible negotiation conflicts.

While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that associate buyer responsibilities requires skills like "math," "market trends," "strong analytical," and "kids." But a purchasing agent might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "corrective action," "r," "on-time delivery," and "production schedules."

A purchasing supervisor orders supplies, equipment, and materials from vendors by buyers. The purchasing supervisors assess, select, and build relationships with the vendors. They do the negotiation for the contracts of goods and services. It is their job to review the purchase orders for accuracy and ensure to obtain the best prices. The skills supervisors need to develop include marketing, communication, leadership, and management. They should also know about purchasing products and services.

The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, associate buyers are more likely to have skills like "customer service," "math," "market trends," and "strong analytical." But a purchasing supervisor is more likely to have skills like "corrective action," "on-time delivery," "continuous improvement," and "cost reduction."

Procurement analysts procure favorable contracts by acting as liaisons between suppliers and their employers. They are hired by organizations that rely on supply chain management to analyze and evaluate potential suppliers, prepare reports about monthly supply costs, and negotiate contracts. With good critical thinking skills, these procurement analysts who are also known as purchasing analysts, evaluate vendors and suppliers based on the speed of delivery, quality, and price. They use quantitative methods to support fact-based decision-making to become competitive and to ensure cost-efficiency and high quality of the products and services.

Even though a few skill sets overlap between associate buyers and procurement analysts, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, an associate buyer might have more use for skills like "math," "vendor relations," "market trends," and "kids." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of procurement analysts require skills like "data analysis," "procurement policies," "procurement process," and "financial analysis. "