A subscriber has an upcoming interview for a purchasing manager job and wanted to know how to answer the interview question, “What will your contributions be?”

While I may not know what this individual’s contributions are, I can tell you what contributions a great purchasing manager makes. They include:

Cost savings:

Cost savings: A great purchasing manager identifies cost-saving opportunities and implements strategies that lower procurement costs. This may involve negotiating better prices, implementing value analysis programs, or sourcing from new suppliers.

Improved supplier delivery:

Improved supplier delivery: A great purchasing manager ensures that suppliers deliver goods and services on time and in full. This requires effective communication with suppliers, monitoring of delivery schedules, and developing contingency plans to address potential delays.

Improved supplier quality:

Improved supplier quality: A great purchasing manager ensures that suppliers deliver high-quality goods and services that meet the organization’s standards. This involves working closely with suppliers to identify and resolve quality issues, conducting regular quality audits, and implementing quality improvement programs.

Better service to internal customers:

Better service to internal customers: A great purchasing manager provides excellent service to internal customers by understanding their needs and priorities, communicating effectively with them, and delivering goods and services in a timely and efficient manner.

Improved productivity of the purchasing department:

Improved productivity of the purchasing department: A great purchasing manager optimizes the purchasing process to increase efficiency and reduce waste. This may involve automating manual processes, streamlining workflows, and adopting best practices from other industries.

Development of innovative solutions and out-of-the-box business improvements:

Development of innovative solutions and out-of-the-box business improvements: A great purchasing manager is always looking for ways to improve the procurement process and drive business value. This may involve developing new sourcing strategies, leveraging technology to improve procurement analytics, or collaborating with cross-functional teams to identify new opportunities.

Become a member of one of the world’s largest procurement associations today.

Recommended Reading:

• When A Manager Joins A Negotiation…
• How Procurement Professionals Can Win Over Reluctant Internal Customers, Part II
• Negotiating Tactics
• Purchasing KPI
• The Procurement Interview Question That Will Make You Sweat
• Purchasing Training Tidbits
• SPSM vs. CPO Suite
• Procurement Interview: Questions
• Improving Your Procurement Team’s Skills Requires This Commonly Forgotten Element
• Millennials Want A Procurement Career Path: Does Your Organization Have One?
• What Does Invoice Processing Cost?
• Making a Case for Procurement Automation
• Procurement Transformation
• Technologies for Procurement 
• Ways Procurement Can Better Manage Risks

Visit NLPA Learning, the new home to all of our certifications and online courses. NLPA Learning also includes learning resources, including live and on-demand webinars, publications and reports, articles, templates, white papers, and much more!