Week 9: Careers in Purchasing and Supply Management

QUESTION

Week 9: Careers in Purchasing and Supply Management

Based on your experience or readings, discuss the career possibilities available to Supply Management professionals in first ten years of this century. What, in your judgment, is the basic difference between career potentials for Purchasing and Supply Management professionals in the public and private sectors? In which sector, in your judgment, is the potential for career growth greater during the next ten years? Are the skill sets different for Purchasing and Supply Management professionals who plan for employment in the public sector from those who plan for a career in the private sector?

ANSWER

Career Opportunities for Purchasing and Supply Management Professionals

The Purchases and Supply Management team of any business organization is tasked with several duties in the daily undertaking of its responsibilities. Business functions such as outsourcing, distribution, inventory control, procurement, warehousing, logistics and product development fall into the hands of the Purchasing and Supply team. With many roles designated to the department, Purchasing and Supply Management professionals have a wide range of career opportunities to get into. These include purchasing agents for companies, operations managers, logistics analysts, supply chain managers, purchasing managers, logistics managers, storage and distribution managers, and warehouse managers (Noe, Hollenbeck, Gerhart, Wright, 2003).

The Purchases and Supply Management professionals in the public sector differ from those in the private sector on the basis of their basic goals and practices. Public sector professionals are governed and guided by legislative laws and bodies. These spell out their duties and goals (Pynes, 2008). Private sector professionals are controlled by boards of directors and existing business plans of their respective employers. These professionals have a profit-making goal, unlike their counterparts in the public sector.

The private sector provides more opportunities for Supply Chain professionals, as the sector is able to establish strategic supply chain partnerships. The public sector gets funding from the government and serves the public. There are no strategic supply chain relationships with any other companies. Also, the private sector offers a diverse range of opportunities, as the sector deals with many different goods and types of businesses. The private sector values entrepreneurship and innovation, and supplier relationship management in the fulfillment of purchases and supplies (Heizer, 2016). The potential for career growth is evidently higher in the private business sector.

Professionals focusing on the private sector require specialized skills in consumer relations, supplier relations, product development, customer service, product commercialization, and purchasing logistics. Professionals who are interested in the public sector, on the other hand, require knowledge of the existing business legislations regarding Purchases and Supply Management, preparation of legal reports on business dealings, and measures to determine success in public service.

References

Noe, R. A., Hollenbeck, J. R., Gerhart, B., & Wright, P. M. (2003). Gaining a competitive advantage. Irwin: McGraw-Hill.

Pynes, J. E. (2008). Human resources management for public and nonprofit organizations: A strategic approach (Vol. 30). John Wiley & Sons.

Heizer, J. (2016). Operations Management, 11/e. Pearson Education India.