buyers

As buyers are employees of a company referred to for the purchase of goods , food , materials and services are responsible. These employees are summarized in the purchasing department. The job title is not protected by law.

activity

A distinction is made between strategic and operational buyers.

Strategic buyers work conceptually and design u. a. the processes of procurement .

Typical activities:

• Market analysis ,
• Supplier selection ,
• Supplier evaluation ,
• Carrier selection ,
• Freight forwarder assessment,
• Price negotiations ,
• Negotiation of contracts,
• Negotiation of delivery terms ,
• Negotiation of payment terms ,
• Collaboration with other departments, for example sales , product management , technology, accounting ,
• Specification of strategic decisions to the operational purchasing department, e.g. B. Supplier selection.

Depending on the size of the company, employees with commercial vocational training, such as wholesale and foreign trade clerks or industrial clerks, are often employed as strategic buyers. In larger companies, however, a university degree in an economic discipline or at least an additional commercial qualification is usually required.

Operational buyers are responsible for carrying out the purchasing activities.

Typical activities:

• Processing of orders ,
• Processing of order confirmations ,
• Cooperation with stocks .

Similar activities as the disposition:

• Quantity planning,
• Lot size planning ,
• Inventory monitoring.

Buyers are mostly trained wholesale and foreign trade or industrial clerks. Operational purchasing is subordinate to strategic purchasing. There is an increasing trend towards academization.

Furthermore, a distinction can be made between project buyers and series buyers, especially in industry . Projekteinkäufer procure goods that before the start of production of the production are to be obtained for a company. Series buyers procure the volumes that are necessary within series production .

Education and training

Germany

The prerequisite for working as a buyer is usually training as a wholesale and foreign trade or industrial clerk, but increasing academization can be observed in purchasing, as a result of which the classic commercial professional qualifications are steadily losing importance as a prerequisite for access. A university degree, for example in business administration, is increasingly becoming a requirement for employment. There is an opportunity to qualify as a specialist in purchasing and logistics as part of advanced training . Corresponding courses are mainly offered by private education providers. The examination is carried out by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The advanced training is expiring, however, it is to be replaced in the future by a training course with the qualification goal of certified buyers (IHK) .

Comprehensive IT and foreign language skills are often required of buyers .

Due to the enormous influence of purchasing on material costs, which often make up more than 50 percent of sales, good knowledge of cost and performance accounting and controlling is necessary. When purchasing technical products and systems, technicians , engineers and industrial engineers with specialist training also carry out strategic and operational purchasing activities , since knowledge of complex technical relationships is a prerequisite for purchasing.

Soft skills (such as negotiating skills, strength of character, assertiveness, eloquence) are also part of the buyer's desired skills.

Austria

In Austria, there is also a basic education as part of the apprenticeship as a buyer . This three-year apprenticeship takes place in the dual training system at the relevant vocational schools and at commercial and industrial training companies with purchasing departments. According to the law, completing nine years of compulsory schooling is sufficient as a school requirement. Most successful applicants, however, have completed a secondary school and / or polytechnic school.

The training content is based on the areas of activity. Austrian apprentices learn the basic tasks and activities, such as ordering and cost accounting as well as negotiation strategies. The training ends with the final apprenticeship examination , which consists of a written and an oral part. Passing the exam also replaces the apprenticeship qualification in the professions of office clerk , wholesale clerk and warehouse logistician . In related apprenticeships, such as industrial clerk or salesperson , the apprenticeship period is shortened.

As in Germany, many institutions offer further training courses. One possibility would be to specialize as a catering buyer. The more complex the job, the more often proof of specialist knowledge (higher qualifications) is required in Austria. For access to such higher qualifications at colleges, technical colleges and universities, buyers from the basic training require the vocational matura (vocational maturity examination), which consists of the final apprenticeship examination and four other exams.

Web links

• Buyers in Berufenet the Federal Employment Agency
• Career and industry information for apprentices and trainers from the Austrian Chamber of Commerce
• Education and training information for buyers from the Institute for Economic Research: BerufsInformationsComputer (BIC)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Training regulation for buyers  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (PDF; 217 kB) of the Austrian Ministry of Economic Affairs, valid since 2004  
2. ↑ Current examination regulations ( Memento of the original dated December 28, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (PDF; 71 kB) of the Austrian Ministry of Economic Affairs, valid since 2007  
3. ↑ Further education information from the Institute for Economic Research in Education (BIC) accessed on August 9, 2010