mduhartguy-ga:
Congratulations on your new job! It may seem daunting right now, but
you'll become a pro in no time.
The field of supply chain management is not a cheap one (kind of funny
in an ironic way, since it's the job of a good supply chain manager to
find the lowest economic cost deals!) to become good in.
You can start by scoping out as much free info as you can get from
some of the paid-membership purchasing associations such as:
Institute for Supply Management
http://www.napm.org
American Purchasing Society
http://www.american-purchasing.com
Purchasing Management Association of Canada
http://www.pmac.ca
(yes, I realize that you are in the US, but some of the info at the
PMAC site is universal)
For automating the PO system, it'll vary a lot depending on how your
company's financial systems work, and how your company prefers to do
business (ie. how it pays, terms, shipping/receiving requirements,
etc). The only free or cheap solutions you'll find are templates for
Excel or Access, or proprietary database systems that you cannot
easily import into a more mature solution later on. What you really
need if you do a lot of purchasing every day is for the company to
invest in a good supply chain management system. Until then, you are
best advised to do the following, for at least the first month:
- set up a spreadsheet with columns for every different piece of
information you think you need on each purchase order (ie. "fields",
such as Supplier Name, Supplier Address, Item Ordered, Qty, etc.)
- for each purchase order, record the information in the spreadsheet,
adding columns as new information types are needed
- after a month, you'll have a very good idea of which information is
vital to you in your role, and which info is superfluous
- now, with your list of required fields, create (or find someone you
know to create) a simple Access database with a PO report template, OR
- test-drive something like ManageMore Standard Edition (
http://www.managemore.com ) which retails for $845US
For gaining access to a good directory of suppliers, your best bet is
to join one of the supply chain management organizations so that you
can gain access to their directories. Anything else is really no more
effective than letting your fingers do the walking through the Yellow
Pages. That said, don't forget to use the Yellow Pages, especially the
online versions so that you get coverage beyond your local region.
This may help:
Internet Yellow Pages Worldwide
http://www.iypww.com/
For courses... again, join one of those supply chain management
organizations I mentioned above, and/or take their classes! Best to
learn from people in the business.
To help you keep track of everyone and everything, be diligent about
using a personal information management tool like MS Outlook to manage
your contacts (make sure you use the notes fields to record subtleties
such as the names/nicknames of the inside sales reps for each company
you purchase from, and details about how they ship and how they prefer
payment), and use the Journal feature to record when you phone them so
that you have a track record to refer to when things go awry. And
finally, the most important point: don't be afraid to ask for
suggestions. If you need a supplier for widgets who is reliable and
delivers fast, chances are that your contact at another supplier, say
of sprockets, can probably recommend one. The personal touch is best.
Your contacts know that if they can help you succeed, you will reward
them with more business, and they won't need to worry about "breaking
in" a new purchaser as long as you stay in your job.
Best of luck! I've posted this as a comment instead of an Answer,
because given the scope of what you're asking for, I'm thinking that
its more advice and suggestions you are looking for rather than direct
factual Research. Hope you find some of this helpful.
Regards,
aht-ga |
