CareerShip: Careers

Details for Procurement Clerks

Description

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

Tasks

Prepare purchase orders and send copies to suppliers and to departments originating requests.
Determine if inventory quantities are sufficient for needs, ordering more materials when necessary.
Respond to customer and supplier inquiries about order status, changes, or cancellations.
Perform buying duties when necessary.
Contact suppliers in order to schedule or expedite deliveries and to resolve shortages, missed or late deliveries, and other problems.
Review requisition orders in order to verify accuracy, terminology, and specifications.
Prepare, maintain, and review purchasing files, reports and price lists.
Compare prices, specifications, and delivery dates in order to determine the best bid among potential suppliers.
Track the status of requisitions, contracts, and orders.
Calculate costs of orders, and charge or forward invoices to appropriate accounts.
Check shipments when they arrive to ensure that orders have been filled correctly and that goods meet specifications.
Compare suppliers' bills with bids and purchase orders in order to verify accuracy.
Approve bills for payment.
Locate suppliers, using sources such as catalogs and the internet, and interview them to gather information about products to be ordered.
Maintain knowledge of all organizational and governmental rules affecting purchases, and provide information about these rules to organization staff members and to vendors.
Monitor in-house inventory movement and complete inventory transfer forms for bookkeeping purposes.
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.

Interests

Enterprising - 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.
Conventional - 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.

Education, Training, Experience

Education - Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Training - Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
Experience - Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.

Knowledge

Communications and Media - Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

Skills