Purchasing and Supply

• To provide students with an introduction to the key principles and objectives that underpin the professional purchasing task.
• To provide a framework that can be used in order to identify potential sources of supply, appraise and select the best suppliers from these sources and then monitor and encourage improvement in these suppliers.
• To provide an understanding of the process of negotiation, and the strategies and tactics required for an effective negotiation complemented by specific aspects of behaviour.
• To provide an understanding of the methods used by organisations to obtain the right quantities of stock or inventory.
• To provide an understanding of the immediate business environment which affects the organisation and the individual in business activities.

• To provide an understanding of supply market analysis and its importance to the purchasing process.
• To provide  an introduction to strategic purchasing and supply issues, showing the importance of the alignment of purchasing and supply strategy to overall corporate objectives, and their impact on organisational success.
• To provide an understanding of issues surrounding the preparation and management of contracts, and the implications of these for the organisation.
• To provide both an understanding of the logistical issues that organisations are faced with when trading internationally and an introduction to specialist techniques that organisations purchasing internationally will need to employ.
• To provide an understanding of the purpose of, and techniques used in, evaluating the contribution of the purchasing and supply function to the performance of the organisation.

The Level 4 Foundation Diploma in Purchasing and Supply consists of five compulsory units. One of these, Purchasing Contexts is an integrative unit which is designed to draw together the knowledge and understanding achieved in the other four units and to demonstrate how these units combine and integrate in a working environment. The integrative unit should be taken after the compulsory units have been completed.

The course is designed for those new to purchasing or veteran professionals looking for a refresher course to reinforce existing skills.  It will also be of interest to persons who have to interact with the purchasing department as part of the process organisation.

Participants will learn:
•    Basics needed to handle purchasing effectively
•    Updated concepts for cost and time effective purchasing
•    Purchasing’s role in the organisation and methods of maximizing value

In most manufacturing enterprises, material content is 40% to 80% of the product cost. In distribution, it can be even higher. Service industries typically see lower percentages, but inventory still has significant cost and service impact. Participants in this course will learn the purpose of maintaining inventory, approaches to determine appropriate levels, and methods of physical control.

This course covers the theory, techniques and management of physical supply and distribution. Emphasis is placed on organization, rate structure, equipment management, scheduling, control operations, inventory management, and other macro and micro logistics. Participants will review government regulations, industry trends and relations, technological development and corporate strategy.  Upon completion, learners will be able to:

• Develop an understanding of local and international logistics
• Understand the integrative nature of the function and the synergies to be obtained from integration
• Improve on the bottom line impact of the logistics function

Provide participants with a knowledge of the principles and techniques involved in bid evaluations across industries

Develop ability to evaluate bids across industries using innovative techniques with an ability to integrate the current issues involved in bid evaluation in the Caribbean and those of the international lending agencies.

At the end of the program, participants should have developed a working knowledge of the fundamental procedures and practices for effective creation and management of contracts.
The course targets persons who are involved in the development, execution and administration of contracts but who have not been given formal training, or who, having received formal training can now benefit from a refresher

Supply chain management seeks to enhance competitive performance by closely integrating the internal functions within a company and effectively linking them with the operations of its suppliers. Business owners, business managers, procurement and marketing personnel, and individuals influential in the strategic direction of their respective organizations can use supply chain management to attain sustainable competitiveness.

At the end of the course, participants should:

• Develop an understanding of the opportunities and challenges of operating in the international supply market.
• Have a working knowledge of the principles and practices of the international supply chain to improve their day to day operational performance in international procurement.
• Enhance their ability to create value for their organizations through use of effective strategies and tactics in the international supply market.