Who is really a buyer? What are the requirements for tomorrow’s purchasing function? These are issues that are extremely important today when dealing with the purchasing function. From just being a service and support function to production, purchasing has become increasingly strategic in a company’s business development.

Today, the purchasing function is considered strategic. Where businessmen and women who must do profitable and good business through long-term supplier relationships. The role of “only” material planner is thankfully gone. Of course, there is still a difference between different companies and industries, but in a successful company, purchasing has a much greater influence today than before. If we look at successful global companies, they all have a well-developed purchasing function where knowledge of the global market, category management, stakeholder management, global supplier coordination, risk management, e-sourcing tools are some of the areas of knowledge they possess. They have learned to handle market fluctuations, build purchasing teams that live up to the profitability requirements set by company management.

The right employee

Finding the right employees with the right values and behavior is crucial for creating good and commercially long-term relationships with our business partners on the other side of the table, regardless of whether they are suppliers or customers. The right purchasing competence is the difference between focusing on price or cost, the difference between being a price taker or price setter. The “right buyer” is the difference between delivery problems or friction-free deliveries. The “right buyer” is the difference between shopping around and long-term cost improvements. Does the candidate have a strategic mindset or short-term thinking of the actual business situation. Does the buyer create improved long-term profitability or are cost increases the case. Is he or she a risk taker or risk manager. Does the candidate have a proactive behavior or is he reactive?

We at SourcingPeople know the requirements on the employees who work within purchasing, on the purchasing director as on purchaser. We have well-developed instruments and experience in deciding which are the most suitable candidates for you.