Buyers Are Well-Suited To Lead Business Teams

The Steve Jobs quote at the bottom of this page is worth paying close attention to. Expanding on that thought is the fact that teams need a leader to set objectives, get everybody to work together amiably, and set the agenda. Buyers and purchasing managers are in an ideal position to be that leader. Why, you may ask? Because they interact with all areas of the business. They deal with their own sales or marketing department. They deal with any engineering function within the business. They deal with the in-house law operation. They also deal with accounting and finance, operating departments, such as quality control, production, inventory control, warehousing, and even human resources.

Chief purchasing officers often interact with the company’s president or other company officers. This is helpful in gaining support for team programs.

A team leader from the purchasing operation has the advantage of working well with suppliers in order to achieve the team’s objective whereas a leader from another department may jeopardize supplier relationships or divulge information that is detrimental to the purchasing operation.

Even though someone from another department is the leader of the team, the purchasing function should never refuse to be a member, where in some way, even remotely, purchasing may be involved in the program. Be alert to the formation of new teams and make sure purchasing is represented by volunteering your involvement.

Purchasing personnel may initiate the formation of a team to help solve company problems which may also be purchasing problems. Solutions to both supplier problems and internal problems can often be solved better by getting the support of other departments through team influence.