Procurement Clerks

Compile information and records to draw up purchase orders for procurement of materials and services.

Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.

Conventional

First Interest High-Point

Second Interest High-Point

Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.

Enterprising

Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.

Realistic

Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.

Investigative

Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.

Artistic

Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.

Social

Third Interest High-Point

Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed

Prepare purchase orders and send copies to suppliers and to departments originating requests.

Compare suppliers' bills with bids and purchase orders to verify accuracy.

Prepare, maintain, and review purchasing files, reports and price lists.

Check shipments when they arrive to ensure that orders have been filled correctly and that goods meet specifications.

Compare prices, specifications, and delivery dates to determine the best bid among potential suppliers.

Review requisition orders to verify accuracy, terminology, and specifications.

Determine if inventory quantities are sufficient for needs, ordering more materials when necessary.

Calculate costs of orders, and charge or forward invoices to appropriate accounts.

Maintain knowledge of all organizational and governmental rules affecting purchases, and provide information about these rules to organization staff members and to vendors.

Contact suppliers to schedule or expedite deliveries and to resolve shortages, missed or late deliveries, and other problems.

Track the status of requisitions, contracts, and orders.

Respond to customer and supplier inquiries about order status, changes, or cancellations.

Locate suppliers, using sources such as catalogs and the internet, and interview them to gather information about products to be ordered.

Train and supervise subordinates and other staff.

Monitor contractor performance, recommending contract modifications when necessary.

Prepare invitation-of-bid forms, and mail forms to supplier firms or distribute forms for public posting.

Monitor in-house inventory movement and complete inventory transfer forms for bookkeeping purposes.

Copy machines

Document scanners

Electronic cash registers

Laser facsimile machines

Multiline telephone systems

Personal computers

Autotask

Data entry software

Enterprise resource planning ERP software

IBM Maximo Asset Management

Intuit QuickBooks

Inventory tracking software

Microsoft Access

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Office

Microsoft Outlook

Microsoft PowerPoint

Microsoft SharePoint

Microsoft Word

Oracle JD Edwards EnterpriseOne

Oracle PeopleSoft

Radiant Systems CounterPoint

SAP Business Objects

Web browser software

Work scheduling software

Focus on graduating high school while finding a university you are interested in that has a supply chain management program.

I meet with several different teams of people to understand their supplier needs and work with them on developing a strategy to find the right companies to work with while obtaining the best deal.

Kirk Priem

Principal Procurement Specialist

Milestones

Education

Career

Career Roadmap

My work combines:

My work combines:

Business

Technology

Working with Others

Day to Day

Advice for Getting Started

Recommended Education

Kirk Priem

Principal Procurement Specialist

Milestones

Education

Career

Career Roadmap

My work combines:

My work combines:

Business

Technology

Working with Others

Day to Day

Advice for Getting Started

Recommended Education

My career is not related to what I studied. I'd recommend this path instead:

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