ASSIGNMENT 1: TACTICAL VS. STRATEGIC ROLES MATERIALS AND RESOURCES
Textbook:
Purchasing and Supply Chain Management; Nelson Education (Latest Edition)
ASSIGNMENT DESCRIPTION AND GUIDANCE
The purpose of this assignment is for you to outline and distinguish the strategic and tactical roles and responsibilities of a purchasing professional. Your task is to find a job ad for a purchasing professional role and distinguish between which roles and responsibilities would be tactical vs. strategic.
Please follow the instructions outlined below. You are to upload your final assignment in the assigned submission folder.
ASSIGNMENT STEPS
Research a job ad in the purchasing field. Select a job ad where you can identify at least 3 or 4 tactical and strategic responsibilities.
Download the job ad as you will need to submit it as part of the assignment.
Create a table or a chart with three columns with the following headers: Tactical, Strategic, Reasoning.
Review and distinguish which of the required roles and responsibilities in the job ad are considered to be tactical and which ones would be strategic and fill them in under the appropriate columns in your table/chart.
Provide reasoning to back up your choices in the “Reasoning” column in your table/chart to demonstrate your thinking process.
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The differences between tactical and strategic roles and responsibilities in the purchasing field, as well as some examples of each. You can then apply this knowledge to a job ad of your choice to complete the assignment.
Tactical roles and responsibilities in purchasing typically involve the day-to-day operational activities and execution of procurement processes. They focus on immediate actions and short-term goals to ensure the smooth functioning of the purchasing function. Some examples of tactical responsibilities include:
Issuing purchase orders and managing order fulfillment.
Conducting supplier negotiations and managing contracts.
Monitoring inventory levels and coordinating with suppliers for timely deliveries.
Resolving operational issues and handling supplier performance evaluations.
Strategic roles and responsibilities in purchasing involve long-term planning and decision-making to support the organization’s overall objectives and competitive advantage. Strategic purchasing professionals are responsible for aligning procurement strategies with organizational goals, developing supplier relationships, and driving continuous improvement. Some examples of strategic responsibilities include:
Developing and implementing sourcing strategies to optimize cost, quality, and supplier performance.
Conducting market research and analysis to identify new suppliers and technologies.
Collaborating with cross-functional teams to identify opportunities for process improvements and cost savings.
Building strategic relationships with key suppliers to ensure a reliable and competitive supply chain.
When analyzing a job ad, you can identify tactical responsibilities by looking for keywords related to operational tasks and daily activities, such as “processing purchase orders,” “managing supplier relationships,” or “monitoring inventory levels.” On the other hand, strategic responsibilities can be identified by keywords indicating long-term planning, decision-making, and strategic thinking, such as “developing procurement strategies,” “conducting market analysis,” or “driving supplier innovation.”
