Purchasing Agent Spotlight
- 2 min read
Everybody needs something, and the people who can get them what they need are often just as valuable. In the oil and gas industry, companies need three main things: materials, equipment and services. The people who can get them those things are Purchasing Agents.
What a typical day looks like:
As part of a company’s supply chain management group, a Purchasing Agent is responsible for acquiring the right goods and services at the right price. But it’s more complicated than that: they also need to consider whether their would-be suppliers have enough of what they need, whether it has the right quality for their needs, and whether it’s even available when they need it. Then, once the purchasing agreements are signed, it’s up to the Purchasing Agent to build out a delivery schedule to get everything in on time.
Alternating between the office and the field, which can involve long drives to remote locations, Purchasing Agents are employed throughout the oil and gas industry.
The kinds of problems Purchasing Agents solve at work:
From the start, a Purchasing Agent has to be a problem-solver, considering bid strategies that are likely to deliver the best value for their company. Then, once the contracts have been negotiated, it’s up to the Purchasing Agent to make sure that there are systems in place to track their shipments.
In the worst case, a Purchasing Agent might have to follow up on undelivered goods, falling back on their tracking system to identify the breaks in the chain and then resolve the dispute with their supplier.
Skills used most on the job:
A keen attention to detail is the most important skill a Purchasing Agent needs to have. From drafting purchase agreements to building out delivery schedules, they need to be sure that every detail has been considered by the time the goods or services are delivered. Then, they need to be able to confirm that what’s been delivered is exactly what they ordered.
Senior Purchasing agents also need to have an eye on the future of their company, understanding strategic purchasing, sourcing decisions and policy development. In the long term, their attention to detail will mean the difference between a company that gets what it needs and one that doesn’t.
