A purchasing category manager is responsible for purchasing activities for a specific product or component category, including vendor relations, negotiating prices, and maintaining inventory levels. They also research market trends, maintain vendor databases, and may have a team to manage.
A purchasing category manager is a purchasing professional responsible for purchasing activities for a specific product or component category. Responsibilities vary by company and position, but generally include vendors, negotiating prices, and finalizing contracts. Other duties often include researching market trends, maintaining vendor databases, and processing vendor payments.
Category management is a strategic model where a company’s key products or purchasing needs are divided into groups based on similar features. In a convenience store, for example, categories might include soft drinks, staple foods, and tobacco products. In a food factory, purchasing categories might include produce, spices, and packaging supplies. A purchasing category manager focuses on purchasing needed items in a specific category. For example, the shopper of products at the factory focuses on finding the best suppliers of whole fruits and vegetables, such as tomatoes, apples or squashes.
All supplier relations activities for a given category generally fall under the purchasing category manager. This means that the manager must research available sources of supply, interviewing them, checking references, and often checking credit and insurance histories. The category manager obtains pricing from each viable source, negotiates purchase terms, and signs contracts or agreements with selected sources. He or she may also need to set up supplier profiles in the company’s accounting system, verify the accuracy of incoming product, and sign supplier invoices.
In many cases, a purchasing category manager is responsible for maintaining adequate inventory levels. The manager must ensure that enough of each component product is available to meet production demands without compromising capital by carrying more inventory than necessary. Inventory management can be a highly complex process, especially when it involves perishable goods.
Depending on the size of the company, a purchasing category manager may have a team. In that case, he or she would be responsible for people management tasks such as determining human capital needs, interviewing candidates, and hiring to fill open positions. He or she would also be responsible for performance reviews, team development activities and any putative action required.
One of the top purchasing category managers has high knowledge about his profession and category. He or she will likely spend some time reading current market news, networking with other procurement professionals, and researching industry best practices. Conducting research on competitors and attending professional development classes or seminars to keep pace with changing market conditions and demands may also be high on your to-do list.
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