3 Characteristics of a Good Purchasing Agent

Air cargo shipping and other services are necessary in order to manage and control the flow of information, energy, and goods from their place of origin in production to their finals sales destination. Cargo companies use avenues like air and ocean cargo shipping to get their items where they need to go.

Who is involved in this extensive process? Well, one major player in the cargo game is the purchasing agent. Purchasing agents in the USA, as well as around the world, assist businesses in the selection and purchase process of goods and services. They do this by gathering and screening information about the products themselves, their prices, and their suppliers. The purchasing agent job is a crucial one, and it’s important to make sure companies have the right people filling those jobs. Here are three characteristics that every good purchasing agent should have, provided by Tony Pashigian.

Integrity
Integrity is a very important characteristic that any purchasing agent should possess. This means that they believe in doing what is right, and that they’re trustworthy and reliable. This particular quality should be present for every transaction, no matter what the situation.

Knowledge and Organization
Understanding the data and having the accurate knowledge to complete the job is obviously important for purchasing agents to have. However, it goes a little deeper for them. They should know more about what they are buying than the person they are buying it from. They have to be able to get the lowest prices and negotiate whenever possible.

Anticipation
In a career like purchasing, a lot of things can go wrong. It’s unsettling how easy it is to waste valuable time trying to fix problems that occur. Purchasing agents, however, should be able to anticipate those problems. Instead of reacting to issues, they should proactively be solving them before they happen. This can save a company a lot of time, money, and hassle.

Finding purchasing agents in the USA can be hard. You want to make sure that you have just the right one for the job. To do that, make sure they have integrity, knowledge, organization, and anticipation. Those ingredients will certainly equal success in any purchasing agent.