- Introduction to purchasing
- Definition of purchasing
- Purchasing steps
- The role of the purchasing function
- Centralized versus decentralized purchasing
- Buyer roles and responsibilities
- Specific duties of a buyer
- The right job description for a buyer
- Skills and qualities of a successful buyer
- Reactive versus creative buyer
- Limitation of authorities
- Adding value as a buyer
- Purchasing methods and strategies
- Conventional purchase blanket orders
- Forward buying
- Outsourcing
- Stockless Buying
- Leasing
- E-procurement
- Evolution in strategies for purchasing
- The purchasing process
- Request for Information, Quotation, and Proposal (RFI, RFQ, RFP)
- Purchase requisition
- Purchase order
- Total cost of ownership
- Local sourcing versus international sourcing
- Supplier selection
- Problems with suppliers
- Total purchasing cycle
- Logistical consideration
- Letters of Credit (LCs)
- Carrier modes
- Carrier evaluation and selection
- Transportation documentations
- Incoterms
- Packaging
- Material disposal
- Partnership and negotiation
- Partnership with suppliers
- Partnership requirements
- Building good relationships with suppliers
- Negotiating with suppliers
- Qualities of negotiators
- Negotiation principles
- Strategies for negotiation