Buyer Job Description: Responsibilities of Buyer

Buyer Job Description

Before discussing buyer job description lets have an idea of who is a buyer. A buyer is a person or a company who is responsible for buying the required product or services for their own use or for reselling. In other words, a buyer is an entity that actually sources and buys a solution for a particular problem. Here in this article, I will discuss the roles and responsibilities of buyers and what qualities will be required to become a good buyer.

Responsibilities of a Buyer

In a buyer job description, you may find several responsibilities are mentioned. If you want to become a professional buyer for a company, then you must perform the following responsibilities:

1. Sourcing/ buying the right products as per the requirement of the company.
2. Continuously monitoring market demand and supply for your required products.
3. Negotiate with the supplier/ manufacturer to get the product at the best price.
4. Make procurement contract with the supplier as per future demand, the contract can be long term or short term which is based on the product type.
5. Communicate with sales/ Production manager about their requirements.
6. Submit a report to the top management of an organization where you are working as a buyer.
7. Work for developing a good supply chain so that you can buy your required product easily.
8. Analyzing each and every buying opportunities available for a particular situation.
9. Place purchase order to the seller of a particular product or services
10. Estimate the future buying needs of your company.
11. Follow up on the buying process and update the buying status of your product.
12. Collecting sample product and analyze them in terms of price, quality, and availability for different suppliers and then make a buying decision.
13. Develop and maintain a buying database were you need to keep records of every buying product and update the status of every requisition placed by the different departments.
14. Check and verify all the required specifications of the purchased products.

Job Description of Garments Buyer

As a garments buyer basically we mean, person or company buying a bulk quantity of garments products from the manufacturers or suppliers. But this is not only applicable to buying garments products but also buying is required for the manufacturers of garments products. A manufacturer needs to source yarn, fabric, trims and accessories, a coloring agent, printing materials, packing materials, etc. All these buying requirements are fulfilled by the procurement department of a garment factory.

Job Description of Buyer of Garments Seller

As a garments product seller, you may purchase products for your own retails store to sell it to the other selling agents. A commonly used garments buyer job description includes:

1. You will be responsible for sourcing garments from around the world or locally.
2. Sourcing should be done from a quality manufacturer or your company nominated suppliers.
3. Negotiate with the supplier for sells terms and conditions and buying price.
4. Conduct audit in the garments factory as a garments buyer, which is commonly known as the buyer’s audit.
5. You are responsible for ensuring 100% quality requirement made by the company.
6. Collecting garments sample and evaluate accordingly
7. Place buying order for bulk quantity and follow up on the production and receiving process.

Job Description of Buyer of Garments Manufacturer

If you are a garments manufacturer, then for your garments factory you must source your raw materials from local or international sources. As a buyer, you are responsible to purchase all the necessary item for your company and buyer job description may include:

1. You will be responsible to find out all prospective suppliers from local and international.
2. Identify which supplier will be good for our buying of raw materials. Here good in terms of quality, cost, availability, and lead time.
3. Collect samples, evaluate, and finally buy the product (yarn, fabric, dyes chemicals, trims, and accessories) from the suppliers.
4. Develop a good supply chain for buying textile and garment materials.

Qualities of a Good Buyer

As a good buyer, you need to have 6 different types of qualities and skills. The following qualities may include in the buyer job description which is expected by the employer.

1. Negotiation Skills
2. Adequate Product Knowledge
3. Proper Understanding of Market
4. Good Communication Skills
5. Ability to Buildup Link
6. Analytical Ability

Negotiation Skills

Negotiation skills are the topmost priority given quality required for the buyer. Because the employer believes that a good negotiation will help to get the least price for the product. In general, a buyer negotiates with the seller with the price and quality. If you want to become a good negotiator, then you must acquire some key negotiation qualities. Garments buyers give more focus on negotiation as they purchase bulk amount and manufacturer/ supplier has less bargaining power.

Adequate Product Knowledge

As a buyer when you want to buy a product you should have proper knowledge of that particular product. So that you can buy the right product, the right quantity at the right price. Product knowledge is all about knowing, where this product is available, how many suppliers deal with this product, how much it can cost, and finally how to evaluate its quality.

Proper Understanding of Market

Understanding market demand and supply will be helpful to make a buying decision and negotiation. As a good buyer, you always choose the source or time where the product price is low. Always keep in mind the local and international market so that you can compare the cost associated with the sourcing of that product and choose the right decision.

Good Communication Skills

As a price negotiator, you must have the quality of effective communication. Buyers communicate with suppliers or sellers through mail, phone call, or direct visit (face to face communication). So where to use which language you should know and how effective buying is to be done through the right communication skills you need to be aware of.

Ability to Build up Link

Here link building means, building your supply chain (procurement channel). If you successfully build up your own channel/link, then it will be easy for you to purchase the right product by giving minimum efforts with maximum benefit.

Analytical Ability

This skill is required to evaluate the suppliers whether they are giving the right products or not, whether they are charging an accepted market price or not. Good analytical skills will help you to analyze the market and buying decision making.

Buyer Job Description.pdf