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Inventory/purchasing manager skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025
7 min read
Inventory/purchasing manager example skills
Below we've compiled a list of the most critical inventory/purchasing manager skills. We ranked the top skills for inventory/purchasing managers based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 24.0% of inventory/purchasing manager resumes contained purchase orders as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills an inventory/purchasing manager needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 inventory/purchasing manager skills for your resume and career

1. Purchase Orders

Here's how inventory/purchasing managers use purchase orders:
  • Conducted vendor inquiries and facilitated price negotiations, while coordinating and processing purchase orders and maintaining manual and computerized procurement records.
  • Monitored purchase orders and reacted to any changes or discrepancies by appropriate communication with manufacturing plants, vendors or transportation companies.

2. Vendor Relations

Here's how inventory/purchasing managers use vendor relations:
  • Develop and manage vendor relationships, perform ongoing evaluation of supplier reliability, and develop alternate sources.
  • Managed distribution vendor relationship, evaluation and quality assurance with quarterly visits to distribution center.

3. Inventory Control

Here's how inventory/purchasing managers use inventory control:
  • Changed dozens of processes in the Warehouse and Inventory control departments in order to minimize inventory shrinkage and increase accountability.
  • Developed a comprehensive parts and inventory control management program to integrate purchasing, inventory, distribution and warehousing functions.

4. Logistics

Logistics is a complete organization and implementation of a problem. Logistics are often considered in a complex business operation, as some works need detailed plannings. Logistics are also used in military action.

Here's how inventory/purchasing managers use logistics:
  • Coordinated support to management, and field service personnel with logistics technology.
  • Coordinate facility service providers, assist logistics.

5. Cycle Counts

Cycle counts are the procedures used in inventory auditing and enable organizations or businesses to count items in various areas within the organization's warehouse without counting the entire inventory.

Here's how inventory/purchasing managers use cycle counts:
  • Coordinated annual physical inventory and monthly cycle counts, prepared reconciliation and inventory reports and reported results to Controller and auditors.
  • Manage inventory by confirming inventory cycle counts are completed accurately by staff including rotating inventory and recording expiration dates.

6. Inventory

Here's how inventory/purchasing managers use inventory:
  • Created inventory/warehousing systems and procedures that significantly reduced inventory levels while increasing inventory turns, resulting in better cash flow management.
  • Purchased products to fill prescriptions, prepared and performed quarterly inventory, and organized pharmaceutical shelves to maintain clean and efficiency.

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7. ERP

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) is computer software used by major corporations and organizations for conducting their management and accounting tasks efficiently. ERP systems bind different business processes with each other allowing smoother flow of data between them resulting in swift project assessment and completion.

Here's how inventory/purchasing managers use erp:
  • Coordinated several major suppliers to insure on time delivery while still reducing on hand quantities based on ERP system suggestions.
  • Used 2 independent ERP systems to compare demand/usage versus inventory to ensure product is on order and available.

8. MRP

MRP is an abbreviation of Material Requirements Planning and refers to the control system which is implemented in the planning and management of the activities related to manufacturing. Through MRP, manufacturers can easily schedule the production and it can also be used for inventory. MRP systems are mostly software-based but the process can also be carried out manually.

Here's how inventory/purchasing managers use mrp:
  • Managed purchasing/Inventory with MRP software system.
  • Streamlined tracking of customer forecasts and orders by creating Excel spreadsheets that allowed for more efficient manual MRP.

9. Cost Savings

Here's how inventory/purchasing managers use cost savings:
  • Monitor non-stock inventory purchasing, item identification, and frequency to evaluate cost savings by stocking.
  • Established cost-efficient reorder points; applied inventory software expertise to maximize corporate cost savings.

10. Manage Inventory

Here's how inventory/purchasing managers use manage inventory:
  • Establish and implement inventory stocking levels, lead time calculations, requirement forecasts, and purchasing patterns to effectively manage inventory.
  • Developed and implemented procedures to effectively track and manage inventory.

11. On-Time Delivery

On-Time Delivery, or OTD, is a metric that measures the rate at which finished goods and deliveries are completed on time. This rate is measured by the overall number of units shipped within a specified time frame agreed upon by the consumer and supplier. On-Time Delivery allows suppliers' compliance with delivery deadlines, and hence their consistency, to be assessed using a continuous and collaborative development approach.

Here's how inventory/purchasing managers use on-time delivery:
  • Increased the on-time delivery of finished goods and component inventories by developing and streamlining procedures.
  • Tracked on-time delivery of supplier's, and managed continuous quality/service improvement programs.

12. Customer Orders

Here's how inventory/purchasing managers use customer orders:
  • Oversee the shipping department, to fulfill of customer orders utilizing both LTL and small package shipping companies.
  • Entered customer orders and responsible for ensuring that product gets packed accurately and delivered on time.

13. RFQ

A request for quotation (RFQ) is a document that a corporation submits to one or more potential suppliers obtaining quotations for a service or product. Typically, an RFQ seeks a detailed list of prices for something that is measurable like hardware and it involves more than the price per item. RFQ, call for bids and invitation for bid generally mean the same thing.

Here's how inventory/purchasing managers use rfq:
  • Scanned and filed all orders and review and prepare RFQ's.
  • Work with all vendor and suppliers closely through the RFQ process to drive cost and logistic efficiencies.

14. Cost Analysis

Cost analysis, also known as cost-benefit analysis, refers to analyzing how a company's money is used, whether this is expenses of the company itself or the cost of the current production method. This method also takes the number of products sold into consideration to determine whether the manufacturing process is benefiting or harming the company's profits.

Here's how inventory/purchasing managers use cost analysis:
  • Obtain data for cost analysis studies by determining manufacturing costs within divisions of company.
  • Performed cost analysis resulting in negotiated price reductions.

15. ISO

Here's how inventory/purchasing managers use iso:
  • Check for accuracy on all material specifications including precision measurements to meet ISO Standards.
  • Assisted Quality Process Manager with documentation of standard operating procedures for maintaining FDA 510K and ISO 9001 compliance.
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List of inventory/purchasing manager skills to add to your resume

Inventory/purchasing manager skills

The most important skills for an inventory/purchasing manager resume and required skills for an inventory/purchasing manager to have include:

  • Purchase Orders
  • Vendor Relations
  • Inventory Control
  • Logistics
  • Cycle Counts
  • Inventory
  • ERP
  • MRP
  • Cost Savings
  • Manage Inventory
  • On-Time Delivery
  • Customer Orders
  • RFQ
  • Cost Analysis
  • ISO
  • Inventory System
  • Inventory Counts
  • Warehouse Inventory
  • POS
  • Product Line
  • Sales Orders
  • Obsolete Inventory
  • Inventory Reports
  • JIT
  • Hand Inventory
  • Product Availability
  • Delivery Dates
  • MRO
  • Physical Inventory
  • HVAC
  • Delivery Schedules
  • LTL
  • QuickBooks
  • Warehouse Operations
  • Inventory Cost
  • BOM
  • Direct Reports
  • Payment Terms
  • OEM
  • Product Knowledge
  • Vendor Contracts
  • Distribution Centers
  • Production Schedules
  • Reconcile Inventory
  • WIP
  • Customer Demand
  • Capital Equipment
  • A/P
  • Competitive Pricing

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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