加拿大外贸
当采购的人可能会有同样的问题 ——不同的职位描述的其实都像在描述同一个工作。当年在我一次面试的时候向人力资源经理提问这个问题时没有得到解答。同样的现象在其他工种上似乎并没有出现 (除了人们通常混淆的客户经理account manager和会计经理 accounting manager,这实际上是非常不同的工作!)。这里我们科普一下他们大致上的分别.采购（Sourcing）:
在购买领域最常见的名称,尤其是来自美国的公司。大部分的时间里sourcing做的是前线工作，比如寻找及确认新供应商,维护现有供应商关系。在较小的公司里他们有时也是产品閞发项目经理(这并不代表他们懂. 须知PROJECT MANAGER的工作可大可小)。然而,除非很小的蚊形公司,我很少会看到他们跟进采购订单和交付。
采购（ Procurement）：
当我在字典里查到这个单词的时候我笑鸟(不信你可以试试)。这是对于这个严肃的职业来说一个小小的玩笑。然而,逻辑是一样的。PROCUREMENT致力于前段的搜索和甄别新的资源,后段的就不一定是他的范围。我感觉这个名称在欧洲企业中比在美国更常见。
采购（Purchasing）:
类似于Sourcing,这也是一个常见的名称。非常多用于香港企业(这也是为什么当我想到采购时它是我脑中第一个想到的名称)。然而,实际上Purchasing意味着更多的购买/下单活动,而不是只是寻找/发现。当我看到这样的名称时,我的感觉是他们要不就的业务非常小的只有几个人处理整个供应链管理过程,要不就是大型企业,PURCHASING的人只需要处理下单(属供应链多于采购)。
商品经理(Commodity Manager):
这个头衔的人很像是来自大公司的。商品经理通常专注于一个或两个过程/物料。我听过一个有趣的故事：一个在麦当劳管理西红柿酱种类的商品经理可能影响全球西红柿的价格。这可能有点夸张。然而在我的老东家中的一家主要生产黄铜门锁的公司，,商品经理需要密切关注全球黄铜的市场价格，为了做预测和建立我们的成本预测模型。在一些较小的(仍然很大!)公司里，商品经理很可能是只管理特定的产品/业务的供应。这里的定义可能不同,但是思想是相似的。
买家（Buyer）:
你的最爱, 给你下订单的人。初级买家关注文件,而资深买家可以做的远不止这些。在一些公司里,买家决定着供货商之间的订单比率——所以供货商应该多多重视!! 即使采购经理批准你成为他的供应商, 入了AVL ,BUYER仍有权不多发给你订单.，我就亲身经历过了 – 我们在中国找的供货商, 美国的buyer只给了一点点单然后不用. 找了白找.
买手（Merchandiser）:
一些时尚和礼品行业大多使用“买手”这个头衔。买手需要各种技能组合起来完成他/她的工作。他们关注市场趋势然后决定为公司采购什么。大多数情况下,他们还会直接面对客户，向客户推荐他们认为好的产品。有经验的买手对他们公司来说是贵重的资产。一些企业依靠他们的市场感觉而生存下来。
總結:
一般来说,这些名称的差异从业务规模、性质、行业和国家文化这些方面来说各有不同。我不认为这里有任何严格的规则。知道这个名称的来历并不能保证你可以理解你的客户。相反,它只是提供了你一个在餐桌上更多地了解你的客户的好的话题开始。
I was confused myself when I first enter this field of professional – there are different job title descripting the same piece of work. The same question was not even able to be answered when I questioned this to the HR manager during one of the interview. Same phenomenon does not seem to appear in other field (except that people usually confused account manager with accounting manager, which are actually very different job!). Seem like an unfair game that the one placing PO has the right to enjoy more titles.
Not true. As a matter of fact, there are sub-groups classifying the buying professionals, all depends on their function. Let’s go though it one by one.
Sourcing:
The most common title in the buying camp, especially from US corporate, is sourcing. Most of the time sourcing do front line jobs like identifying new suppliers, maintain existing supplier relationship. In smaller business they are also project manager when developing new product with suppliers (not meaning that they all obtain the right skill..). However, unless real small business, I seldom see them follow up regular purchase order and delivery.
Procurement:
I laughed when I look into dictionary for this word (and you can try). It is a light joke for this serious career. Nevertheless, logic is the same. Procurement focuses on searching and screen new source, and should only be that. I got a feeling that this title is more common in European business than American.
Purchasing:
Similar to Sourcing, this is a common title. That is also very much used in HK business (and that why it is the first impression for myself when I think of this kind of job!) However, purchasing mean more on the actual buying activity instead of just looking/finding. When I see the title like this my feeling is that their business is either very small with only few people take care the whole supply management process, or large business that the one with the title only take care of ordering (supply chain job).
Commodity manager:
People carrying this title are very likely from bigger company. Commodity manager usually focus on a process/material or two. A funny story I heard was that the decision from a commodity manager in McDonald who manage the ketchup category could affect the global commodity price of tomato. That might be an extreme case. However in one of my last company which is a major brass door lock manufacturer, the commodity manager needs to follow the global brass market price closely in order to predict and recommend our cost forecast modeling. In some smaller (still big!) business their commodity manager could be the one managing the supply/source of one specific product/business line. Definition could be different, but idea is similar.
Buyer:
Your favorite customer. Buyer is the one who actually place order to you. Junior buyer focus on documentation, while senior buyer could do a lot more than that. In some business, buyer decides the ratio of purchase b广告een a pre-definite 1st and 2nd source – which make buyer an important role for suppliers. Even the sourcing manager approves you as a valid supplier, you could receive no or very little order if the buyer does not convinced. They have the inventory responsibility in his/her company.
Merchandiser:
Some industries like fashion and gift mostly use the term “merchandiser”. Merchandiser requires combination of skills to make his/her job. They look up market trend and make decision on what is good to put in their basket. Most case, they also face their customer directly and recommend what they believe good. Experience merchandiser is a strong asset to their company. Some businesses rely on their merchandising skill and sense to make their living.
In general, how the title named varies from business size, nature, industry and cultural of the country. I don’t think there is any strict rule. Knowing the story of title does not promise you in understanding your customer’s role. Instead, it offers you a good starting topic on the dinner table to know more your customer.
评论
good article
评论
SO PROFESSION , TKS .
加拿大电商昨天我把提单复件发给了客户，今天收到了他回信，如下： Dear Nicholas, please send all shipping documents. We will check B/L copy and we will reply ASAP. Thank you Best Regards ......................................... 加拿大电商刚从事这行半年，对电子行业不了解，自己整理了些，算是学习，供大家分享，也请大家补充。我毕竟是个文科生，对这方面知识严重欠缺。 DVD:英文全名是Digital Video Disk, 即数字视频光
·中文新闻 澳大利亚反犹太主义：新南威尔士州警方称 Woollahra 破坏行为“
·中文新闻 出于福利考虑，医院取消了见习妇产科医生的资格