Motivating the purchasing professional.

The purchasing function has evolved from a tactical supplier of the parts needed for production to a strategic player in the production of goods and services. The growth of strategic alliances, electronic data interchange (EDI), and supply chain management have been discussed in depth in the literature. However, an important element of all the programs and technologies with which purchasing is now involved - one that has not been discussed - is who is going to manage and carry out these initiatives?

The key issue is not only what skills purchasing professionals will need to make this functional transition - but more important, how does a firm ensure that people with the skills needed for today are motivated to use those skills, and also learn the new skills they will need in the near future?

This article builds and tests a conceptual model of two specific motivators to acquire and use purchasing skills: compensation systems and performance measurement systems. The model draws on skills that have been identified as important in the purchasing literature, as well as specific theories from the field of organizational behavior.

A NEW KNOWLEDGE BASE IS REQUIRED

The purchasing profession has moved from its traditional "buyer orientation" to a "supply base management orientation," involving the following changes:[1]

* Buyers are becoming supply managers, insuring the flow of specified material from the supplier, and are becoming an integral part of the team that supplies the final product to the end customer.

* Supply managers create and manage change.