Published on Career Center on ClassifiedPost.com

Best 'value for money'

From stocking up on stationery supplies to negotiating with suppliers over big-ticket items, procurement officers seek "best value for money" in every purchase in order to contribute to business success.

"Those employed by an organisation are expected to understand its needs by engaging [different] user departments," says Carrie Lau, chairwoman of the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (Hong Kong Branch). "While receiving [purchasing] requests from the departments, procurement officers should be proactive in helping colleagues and management define their needs."

Apart from buying physical goods and materials, such as office supplies, machinery, and computer and printing equipment, procurement officers negotiate with external suppliers over services in areas ranging from operations, information technology and engineering, to c