Brief guide to designing an efficient purchasing plan

[jrineakter]

Building your inventory based on the products of one supplier or another can be a differentiating factor when it comes to obtaining more or less benefits in your company. Choosing the best suppliers is the essential basis when designing an efficient purchasing plan… But, be careful, because it is not the only factor to take into account.

Curiously, the purchasing plan is a rare bird in a business world that prefers to build its inventory intuitively, without too much thought or planning. Without taking into account that, to give a basic example, a good purchasing plan can be decisive when it comes to reducing the final price of our products and services.

And that is something that no business can refuse... So, for all these reasons, below is a brief guide with the six steps to take into account when building an efficient purchasing plan.

1. Reflect
Never (absolutely never!) should you rush headlong into such a megalomaniacal project without thinking things through. So, before getting into the subject, it is necessary to ask the following question: what is needed? This question can be answered with a real inventory of needs, which states what we need, in australia number data what quantity, when and at what price.

This would include not only inventory products, but also high-priced strategic products (i.e. equipment, infrastructure, insurance, etc.) and specific, everyday purchases (such as office supplies).

2. Compare candidates
When you study your candidates, you will find two basic types: those that aim for competitive costs and those that provide the best quality. In between, there will be a whole set of suppliers from which you will have to choose, weighing up what is best for your business. Do this by informing yourself not only about the products to be purchased, but also about the needs of the market.

3. Contact suppliers
Once you have a list of potential candidates, it's time to meet them... And here's a tip that can be very useful: having someone come to see you at your office is the easiest thing in the world, but if you go and meet them at their facilities, you'll be able to see with your own eyes how they work. You'll even be able to get a pretty good idea of ​​their strengths and weaknesses, and this is something that can ultimately make you choose one provider over another.

4. Avoid exclusivity
Having a single supplier may be the most convenient option, but it is by no means the best option. It is always best to have more than one supplier for a product, so you can avoid a stockout on their part that could expose a vulnerable situation in your inventory. In addition, if your suppliers know that they are not the only ones, they will strive to be more competitive and offer you more benefits.

5. Seek “equal to equal” treatment
If a supplier is larger than your business, they may not give you preferential treatment and may actually allow themselves to be unfair to you because they know you need them. On the other hand, if a supplier is smaller than your business, they may have serious problems supplying your inventory… Bottom line? Always try to base your dealings with suppliers on a true equal-to-equal relationship.

6. Implement a control
The work is not over once you have established a purchasing plan in which all your needs are covered by a series of reliable suppliers. Far from it. Then it is time to implement a control system that allows you to assess the quality of your suppliers' products as well as the service they are providing you.

You can use spreadsheets to track and evaluate all parts of your purchasing plan. Or you can opt for software (like Holded , for example) that includes inventory options that make everything mentioned up to this point in the article easier.