r/procurement

I have an interview coming up for my dream job and I FEEL the pressure because I want this so so bad! It is a Procurement Specialist role for a big company in manufacturing industry. I have had interview with the recruiter, and hiring manager. This next one is a panel with 2 directors, senior manager, and VP, which makes it even more nerve wracking, since I haven't interacted a lot with people at that level. What kind of questions should I expect? Best ways to prep for this interview? What would be good questions to ask them? How to calm my nerves during the interview? I have been researching the company a lot and prepped a lot already but if anyone could offer me some tips or anything, it would be highly appreciated. I need to crush this interview

Honestly, just feeling a bit burnt out and wondering if everyone else's day-to-day is as chaotic as mine. Wondering if its just me or if anyone relates.

Would love to hear some of your stories

Looking at two entry level options - company A: manufacturing connected with energy. company B: defense/tech connected with the gov

Which gives better career trajectory? Seeing a lot of pros and cons to both.

Hi Folks,

I’m currently a Bid Manager based in Scotland and have been working in commercial roles for 10+ years. A lot of my career has involved tenders, frameworks, supplier/client relationships, account management and the wider client management process, so I have a working understanding of the procurement transaction from the supplier’s perspective. As a public-sector Bid Manager, that also includes the compliance side of things.

I’m in a stand-alone role at the moment and I’m suffering a bit from isolation and creative burnout. I’m now looking at moving to the other side of the procurement transaction, where I can hopefully work more closely with others and focus more on strategy and process, which are the parts I enjoy. I’ve just been invited to my first interview for a Procurement Officer role with a housing association.

I’m trying to work out whether procurement is a sensible long-term career move. If I got the role and built up a couple of years of procurement experience, are the opportunities generally good?

I’m not expecting to suddenly be earning £80k 😂. I’ve been in corporate roles for over 10 years and have never broken £45k, partly through bad luck with a TUPE and a redundancy that slowed things down, and I now work for an SME where bids are considered more of an admin function. I’m really looking for something that can match and hopefully exceed where I am over time, while also being a bit more enjoyable for me.

For anyone working in procurement, would you consider it a good career to move into at this point? And if you’ve moved into procurement from another commercial background, how did you find the transition?

I’d be particularly interested in hearing about the reality of progression, salary and how transferable the experience actually is between public, private and third-sector organisations.

Cheers!

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Let’s try to answer a very important question: Do you see any emerging or existing niches in procurement where the number of specialists is limited, strong domain knowledge is required, and staying up to date with the latest, complex trends is essential?

I can give you an example from another field - areas like AML (Anti-Money Laundering) and KYC (Know Your Customer) lack specialists knowing how to combine KYC process with graph databases, entity identification and network analysis in order to track all connections between the company, its entities, executives, transactions, etc. It requires understanding of databases, graph algorithms, data engineering and of course AML/KYC. Soon it will become even more complex as it will have to comply with EU AI Act and proper governance.

Do you see anything disrupting in procurement coming soon?

It does not need to be AI-related or include application of IT in procurement (but it can be).

Are there any organizations out there offering full remote and sustainable workload for senior level employee? My OT hours are just increasing every month. I am okay with working OT on occasion but constantly working 45+ hours per week is not sustainable for me anymore. Or is it just like this for all management level or senior level positions?

I’m in manufacturing but my friend just got laid off in tech. Anything going on that I can help her with? I already suggested the health field bc I’ve gotten calls recently. Ty!!!

I'm curious where people here draw the line between getting the lowest price and getting a supplier that's actually easy to work with.

Say one supplier is a little more expensive, but they're consistent with lead times, responsive when something goes wrong, and always have things like COAs, SDS, specs, or other documentation ready when needed.

For raw materials especially, I could see that reliability being worth quite a bit if it prevents production problems later.

What usually makes a supplier worth the extra cost for you? Quality consistency, communication, documentation, lead times, flexibility, or something else?

I'm not selling this yet. I'm just thinking about what I could build in the near future and trying to validate whether there's actually a need for it.

I have experience in structural procurement for utility-scale solar, wind, and hybrid projects. MMS (Module Mounting Structures) was my first specialization, so that's where I'd probably start.

I'm considering a basic PV Module Mounting Structure Procurement Package aimed primarily at junior procurement engineers / people new to renewable-energy procurement.

The package would include:

RFQ template

Technical-commercial comparison sheet

Vendor evaluation matrix

Price benchmarking sheet

PO checklist

Inspection checklist

Delivery tracker

OTIF tracker

Payment-term calculator

LC cost calculator

Vendor scorecard

Cost-breakdown template

I'm deliberately not including learning/study resources or detailed MMS modules in the initial package. Those would require significantly more effort to develop, and I'd probably keep them for a later, premium all-inclusive package.

For those working in procurement, especially junior procurement engineers:

How much would you realistically be willing to pay for a package like this if the templates were genuinely practical and ready to use?

Poll:

₹0–₹499 — I'd only consider it at this price

₹500–₹1,499 — I'd pay this if it saves me time

₹1,500–₹2,999 — I'd pay this for a genuinely comprehensive, professional package

I'm more interested in honest feedback than validation, so feel free to tell me if you think this is something people simply wouldn't pay for.

View Poll

How do you find new suppliers when sourcing a new product/material?

Let’s say you need to source a material or product that you haven’t purchased before. How do you go about finding new suppliers?

Do you:

• Search for the product/material on Google?
• Search for suppliers by country?
• Use Alibaba, Global Sources, Made-in-China, Thomasnet, etc.?
• Use AI tools like Perplexity or ChatGPT?
• Search industry directories or trade associations?
• Use LinkedIn?
• Something else?

For example, what I currently do is pretty simple:

>

But I feel there must be better or more efficient ways to discover suppliers, especially when sourcing internationally.

What tools, websites, databases, or methods do you use for supplier discovery?

And if you use AI (Perplexity, ChatGPT, Gemini, etc.), how exactly do you use it in the sourcing process?

I’m curious about the actual sourcing process/tools people use to discover new suppliers, especially when looking for manufacturers rather than just distributors or resellers.

Bit long but seeking advice

As of this week/7 days ago I began work as a buyer for a ship repair yard, with the only other buyer there having worked there 10 years and near retirement.

Im new to buying but coming from another much more sophisticated shipyard working a much similar role and Im more than aware of the roles function and how to perform it.

This place has no part numbers whatsoever it uses.

Requisitions are just quickly hand written notes of whatever is needed and how much, this information is relayed to the vendor, then once a purchase is confirmed a single row in an excel sheet is made with a summary of the entire order and its cost, as well. (And other details such as program information)

Nothing is labeled with part numbers in the warehouse and mostly relies on a single guy to come in and tell us when somethings low.

Additionally there are no internal purchase order numbers. Instead, orders are identified by the original req being scanned then being placed in the relevant program folder and changing the file name to reflect program name +sub system + its price.

It feels like I went from the year 2500 to a place that uses sticks and stones for everything.

Nothing is used that I would classify as an ERP system.

At the very minimum Ive started designing a supplier database in excel, but should I be doing more? Would it even be worth it to start building a dumb part numbering system in excel to have available?

I also had in mind to possibly build a more detailed purchasing log in which every line of a purchase is written down in an excel sheet including a part number

On one hand I believe these would add a level of needed organization, on the other hand Im afraid of "slowing down processes" when this is just how its been done for 12 years.

Also unsure if this is above my paygrade.

Additional Context: Due to being part of a larger group of shipyards and contracts being involved as part of that; Single-sourcing is the primary procurement method for most all material.

Additionally its cost plus 20 so "savings" arent exactly incentivised

I’ve been wondering about this after talking to a few people in sourcing
a supplier can look cheaper on paper but once you factor in quality issues, lead times, communication, shipping and all the little problems that come up, switching doesn’t always seem worth the hassle.
At the same time, staying with the same supplier for years just because “it works” can probably mean missing better options
the tricky part seems to be figuring out when a new supplier is actually better, rather than just cheaper on a quote
people who handle sourcing or procurement, what usually makes you seriously consider switching suppliers? Is it mainly price, quality, delivery issues or something else?
and how do you usually compare a new supplier with the one you’re already working with?

Does any one expert in the whole process of contract also do you use the collaboration with Microsoft and how does it help on the process,

Please tell me how can i make the contract cycle more efficient and to avoid the back and forth in the contract review

Hi everyone!

I recently accepted a Buyer position with an electrical components manufacturer and I’ll be starting next week.

I’m excited about the opportunity, but also a little nervous as this will be my first traditional buying/procurement role.

I’ve spent the last several years working in distribution operations and product management, so I was able to use a lot of that experience with inventory, vendors, order management, and supply chain operations to make the transition.

For anyone who moved into procurement from another area, what was the transition like? I’d also be curious to know what the biggest learning curve was for you, and what are some common mistakes you see other new Buyers make?

I know a lot of it will come with experience. But I’d like to go into the role with the right mindset and build good habits from the beginning.

Any advice is appreciated. Thanks!

Hello. I'm 24M, Indian, living in India, with an essentially useless business degree, and have been offered a purchase/procurement role in a family business. I have no prior work experience of any sort, and this will be my first job.

They work Monday through Saturday 10 AM to 6 PM,

and they've already told me that my job is more of a field one and less a desk job. They've got suppliers in all four corners of my district, and according to them, traveling and negotiation are the two primary requirements for this.

I will be required to do everything from sourcing to getting the PO printed, but I'm completely inexperienced when it comes to any of it. Legit, I don't know how this shit works, at all.

I asked them if they're going to train me from A to Z since they've seen my CV and know that I have zero knowledge about any of these processes, but they've refused to provide a clear answer. On top of that, with this being a family business, and Indian labour "laws" being the way they are, if they decide to try something funny in the future, I won't have any legal support.

If you were in my position, would you take this job? Or just take plain ol' accounting, which is something I can actually get into with my degree, and is a guaranteed desk job, albeit less lucrative when it comes to the salary?

Thanks in advance :)

One of our suppliers offered a pretty decent discount if we pay the full order upfront instead of sticking with our usual terms. On paper it's an easy yes because we'll be buying the inventory anyway. I'm just hesitant to pull that much cash out of the business at once when we have payroll and a few other invoices coming up. I'm curious on how other owners decide when an early payment discount is worth taking?

Hey guys,
I’m looking to improve and streamline our contract lifecycle in Oracle. Since we already have a fully integrated system, I believe there is an opportunity to make the process more practical, efficient, and less dependent on manual work and emails.

Currently, the contract process starts from the RFQ, where the supplier reviews the template and negotiates with the buyer through the system messages. The buyer then creates a contract number and uploads the final draft.

However, I’m seeing several bottlenecks throughout the process. For example, the Legal team does not have direct visibility of the contract unless we send the documents through email.

We also face formatting issues when contract drafts are uploaded or integrated into the system, which can affect the quality of the final document.
Ideally, I would like to redesign the process so that the entire contract lifecycle can be managed through Oracle from RFQ to final signature.