Procurement Clerks

• Prepare purchase orders and send copies to suppliers and to departments originating requests.
• Compare suppliers' bills with bids and purchase orders to verify accuracy.
• Prepare, maintain, and review purchasing files, reports and price lists.
• Check shipments when they arrive to ensure that orders have been filled correctly and that goods meet specifications.
• Compare prices, specifications, and delivery dates to determine the best bid among potential suppliers.
• Review requisition orders to verify accuracy, terminology, and specifications.
• Determine if inventory quantities are sufficient for needs, ordering more materials when necessary.
• Calculate costs of orders, and charge or forward invoices to appropriate accounts.
• Maintain knowledge of all organizational and governmental rules affecting purchases, and provide information about these rules to organization staff members and to vendors.
• Contact suppliers to schedule or expedite deliveries and to resolve shortages, missed or late deliveries, and other problems.
• Track the status of requisitions, contracts, and orders.
• Respond to customer and supplier inquiries about order status, changes, or cancellations.
• Locate suppliers, using sources such as catalogs and the internet, and interview them to gather information about products to be ordered.
• Train and supervise subordinates and other staff.

Source: O*NET OnLine information for Procurement Clerks.

• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
• Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
• Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
• Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
• Active Learning - Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.

Source: O*NET OnLine information for Procurement Clerks.