Procurement clerks compile requests for materials, prepare purchase orders, keep track of purchases and supplies, and handle inquiries about orders. Usually called purchasing clerks or purchasing technicians, they perform a variety of tasks related to ordering goods and supplies for an organization. They make sure that what was purchased arrives on schedule and meets the purchaser's specifications.
Automation is having a profound effect on this occupation. Orders for goods now can be placed electronically when supplies are low. However, automation is still years away for many firms, and the role of the procurement clerk is unchanged in many organizations.
Procurement clerks perform a wide range of tasks. Some clerks perform strictly clerical functions, but others, particularly at small or medium-sized companies, do more complex tasks. In general, procurement clerks process requests for purchases. They first determine whether there is any of the requested product left in inventory and may go through catalogs or to the Internet to find suppliers. They may prepare invitation-to-bid forms and mail them to suppliers or distribute them for public posting. Procurement clerks may interview potential suppliers by telephone or face-to-face to check on prices and specifications and then put together spreadsheets with price comparisons and other facts about each supplier. Upon the organization's approval, clerks prepare and mail purchase orders and enter them into computers.
Procurement clerks keep track of orders and determine the causes of any delays. If the supplier has questions, clerks try to answer them and resolve any problems. When the shipment arrives, procurement clerks may reconcile the purchase order with the shipment, making sure that they match; notify the vendors when invoices are not received; and verify that the bills match the purchase orders.
Some purchasing departments, particularly in small companies, are responsible for overseeing the organization's inventory control system. At these organizations, procurement clerks monitor in-house inventory movement and complete inventory transfer forms for bookkeeping purposes. They may keep inventory spreadsheets and place orders when materials on hand are insufficient.
Work environment. Procurement clerks usually work a standard 40-hour week. Most procurement clerks work in areas that are clean, well lit, and relatively quiet. These workers sit for long periods of time in front of computer terminals, which many cause eyestrain and headaches. Workers in this occupation may sometimes work overtime or on varied shifts.
| 1. | Prepare purchase orders and send copies to suppliers and to departments originating requests. |
| 2. | Determine if inventory quantities are sufficient for needs, ordering more materials when necessary. |
| 3. | Respond to customer and supplier inquiries about order status, changes, or cancellations. |
| 4. | Perform buying duties when necessary. |
| 5. | Contact suppliers in order to schedule or expedite deliveries and to resolve shortages, missed or late deliveries, and other problems. |
| 6. | Review requisition orders in order to verify accuracy, terminology, and specifications. |
| 7. | Prepare, maintain, and review purchasing files, reports and price lists. |
| 8. | Compare prices, specifications, and delivery dates in order to determine the best bid among potential suppliers. |
| 9. | Track the status of requisitions, contracts, and orders. |
| 10. | Calculate costs of orders, and charge or forward invoices to appropriate accounts. |
| 11. | Check shipments when they arrive to ensure that orders have been filled correctly and that goods meet specifications. |
| 12. | Compare suppliers' bills with bids and purchase orders in order to verify accuracy. |
| 13. | Approve bills for payment. |
| 14. | Locate suppliers, using sources such as catalogs and the internet, and interview them to gather information about products to be ordered. |
| 15. | Maintain knowledge of all organizational and governmental rules affecting purchases, and provide information about these rules to organization staff members and to vendors. |
| 16. | Monitor in-house inventory movement and complete inventory transfer forms for bookkeeping purposes. |
| 17. | Monitor contractor performance, recommending contract modifications when necessary. |
| 18. | Prepare invitation-of-bid forms, and mail forms to supplier firms or distribute forms for public posting. |
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