Procurement Manager is a position that takes on the role of managing the company’s purchasing activities. To better understand this profession, readers should join Ms. Uptalent to find out what a purchasing manager is as well as the promotion journey from to Supply Chain Manager through the following article.

CONTENTS
1- What is the purchasing manager?
2- Promotion path from Procurement Manager to Supply Chain Manager
2.1- Provide professional qualifications and skills for the profession
2.2- Accumulate work experience
2.3- Put into practice the skills necessary for the Supply Chain Manager
3- Difference between purchasing manager and supply chain manager
4- What skills are IDE companies looking for in Procurement Manager?

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1- What is the purchasing manager?

Purchasing Manager known as purchasing management. This is a management position within companies. The responsibility of this position is to manage the supply of goods and raw materials to serve the company’s production activities.

Currently, the Procurement Manager plays a very important role, especially in manufacturing companies, restaurants and hotels. Because this position not only directly negotiates and negotiates prices, but also manages the use of raw materials and purchases the equipment used for the production process.

Generally speaking, Procurement Manager is a position that must carry many responsibilities in a company. Their main task is to plan the supply of goods and to control and manage the purchasing process.

The following tasks are typical of the purchasing manager position:

– Develop purchasing strategies and plans for the company.

– Search for new sources of supply.

– Collect information, review and evaluate the capacity of suppliers to create a database on the supply of goods for businesses.

– Negotiate with suppliers on prices, conditions, quantity, delivery time, etc.

– Discuss the terms of the contract and represent the company to sign the contract.

– Organize calls for tenders to select suppliers corresponding to the company’s requirements.

– Supervise and inspect the delivered goods based on the agreements signed in the contract.

– Complain and request compensation from the supplier if errors occur in relation to the terms of the contract.

– Perform inventory and stock management to ensure that the company’s production process is always stable, without interruptions or excessive backlogs of raw materials.

2- Promotion path from Procurement Manager to Supply Chain Manager

The supply chain industry is inherently difficult and very complex. Depending on the size and characteristics of each company, the promotion path and requirements for purchasing, selling and contract management are also different.

Therefore, to be able to move from Procurement Manager to Supply Chain Manager, you will need to make efforts to accumulate experience and improve your professional ability. This process generally lasts 3 to 5 years. The duration can be more or less long depending on the abilities of each person.

During your career development journey, you should set specific goals and plans to gradually train and hone the skills and experience needed for the supply chain manager role.

Here is a common promotion path from Procurement Manager to Supply Chain Manager that you can refer to:

2.1- Provide professional qualifications and skills for the profession

Supply Chain Manager must have knowledge of economics, commerce, law, foreign languages ​​and supply chain. At the same time, you must also have the ability to think logically, as well as synthesize, analyze and have broad vision. Because there are high requirements for thinking skills and career orientation, the position of supply chain manager requires at least a college degree or higher.

A supply chain manager must have a strategic vision for the development of the industry. At the same time, they must also have the ability to analyze and study the market to advise the company’s board of directors on supply chain management and generate greater profits for the company .

Additionally, they must also have knowledge of law and legal issues to be able to effectively manage relationships with business partners, suppliers and customers.

2.2- Accumulate work experience

Supply Chain Manager is not a position you can jump into immediately nor is it a position for everyone. Indeed, many people have held the position of Procurement Manager for several years but have still not been able to access this position.

Normally, you will need 10 years of experience in the field to access the position of Supply Chain Manager in a large company.

2.3- Put into practice the skills necessary for the Supply Chain Manager

To be worthy of the role of Supply Chain Manager, you must master a series of important skills:

– Ability to think about business and financial management

– Communication and negotiation skills

– Understanding of national and international markets

– Relationship management skills

– Management and leadership skills

– Creativity and continuous innovation

Faced with fierce market competition, supply chain managers must be able to combine commercial skills and relationship management capabilities. If business skills such as financial, contractual and cost management form the basis of supply chain management, then the ability to manage relationships will help you maintain positive relationships with suppliers and business customers.

3- Difference between purchasing manager and supply chain manager

Both the purchasing manager and the supply chain manager hold important leadership positions in companies. Between these two positions, there are the following differences:

+ Roles and responsibilities

The purchasing manager is responsible for managing the supply of goods and raw materials to serve the company’s production and commercial activities. This position not only has the role of directly negotiating prices but also of managing the use of raw materials and purchasing the equipment necessary for the production process.

Meanwhile, the Supply Chain Manager is responsible for operating and managing the supply of raw materials, production, transportation, storage and distribution of products to the market. The role of this position is to ensure that the products manufactured meet quality standards and are delivered to customers in the best conditions.

+ Management level

Supply Chain Manager is a management position at the top of the supply chain. The purchasing manager is a subordinate of the supply chain manager, responsible for carrying out work under the direction of the supply chain manager and reporting the work to him.

+ Scope of work

The work of the Procurement Manager mainly focuses on the purchasing process. Specifically, they will perform tasks such as gathering purchasing requirements, finding suppliers, evaluating merchandise supply, negotiating, signing contracts, implementing contracts, and transferring to the production department.

During this time, the Supply Chain Manager must assume management and supervision of all supply chain activities. This process will start from purchasing the raw materials until the product is completed and delivered to the customers.

4- What skills are IDE companies looking for in Procurement Manager?

You need to equip yourself with the following skills if you want to take on the role of purchasing manager in FDI companies:

4.1- Foreign language skills

In FDI companies you will have to work with foreign clients and partners, so being good at foreign languages ​​will help you successfully negotiate the most advantageous purchasing contracts for the company.

Moreover, in FDI companies, your boss and colleagues are also foreigners. Mastery of foreign languages ​​is therefore essential to work in these companies.

4.2- Negotiation skills

This is a very important skill for the purchasing manager. Only by mastering this skill will you be able to effectively negotiate with suppliers and conclude the most beneficial purchasing contracts for the company.

4.3- Financial management skills

The purchasing manager must have good financial management skills to be able to effectively manage the company’s purchasing budget and purchase quality items within the allocated budget. From there, they can ensure the stability of the company’s production and business processes and help companies increase profits.

4.4- Risk management skills

This skill will help the purchasing manager to consider the compatibility between the real conditions of the company and the supplier to choose the right partner. On the other hand, risk management skills also give you a broad outlook to predict risks and take effective preventive measures.

4.5- Leadership skills

Procurement Manager plays the role of a manager, so he is not only responsible for managing the purchasing process but also for managing the staff of the purchasing department. Therefore, you need leadership skills to be able to create effective cohesion and interaction among employees in the department. From there, the purchasing process will be more convenient and efficient.

With the above sharing about what Procurement Manager is and the promotion path from Procurement Manager to Supply Chain Manager, you may have a better understanding of this very potential job. I hope this information will help you have a clear career direction and achieve career success.

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