Manage Purchase Orders

One of the primary duties of a purchasing assistant is completing and maintaining purchase orders for raw goods, materials, and supplies. Purchasing assistants work closely with specific departments to gather and submit orders or work across the entire organization. In this role, purchasing assistants record purchases at the time of request and submit these orders for final approval from the department manager or the purchasing manager.

Oversee Shipping Schedules

Purchasing assistants manage pickups and drop-offs for incoming and outgoing shipments. They check deliveries against purchase orders to ensure that all materials have arrived intact and in the ordered quantity. They may also schedule outgoing shipments for returns or when sending purchased materials or supplies to a company’s off-site locations. In many cases, purchasing assistants contact vendors to follow up on late or missing shipments or to report damaged goods.

Maintain Purchase Records

Purchasing assistants maintain detailed paper or computerized records of purchases, including quantities ordered and received, shipping information, and costs associated with the purchase. They may provide these records to department heads to facilitate budget reconciliation and maintain purchasing department files to simplify repeated orders for regular purchases. Additionally, the purchasing assistant may compile and submit these records to the accounting department to support financial management and reporting.

Oversee Vendor Activities

Many purchasing assistants build relationships with vendors and support their organizations’ profitability. They may issue bid requests and review and submit contracts. Purchasing assistants also work directly with vendors to gather and negotiate price lists, compare vendor offers for shipping rates and material prices, and maintain vendor contract records. More experienced purchasing assistants may review vendor bids, conduct negotiations, and assist with decision-making.

Manage Inventory

Purchasing assistants also monitor the company’s inventory levels to determine when new purchases should be scheduled. To accomplish this, the purchasing assistant may use computerized inventory management software or conduct visual inspections of inventory and storage spaces to ensure accuracy. Purchasing assistants use the inventory information to determine when to place replenishment orders or provide supplies from on-hand inventory instead of creating a new purchase order.