Assessing Buyer/Planner Performance in the Supply Network Available to Purchase

The buyer and planner functions are critical in purchasing because they provide the primary linkage with suppliers in the logistics network. For manufacturing companies that switch to modern production strategies such as just‐in‐time and manufacturing resource planning (MRP II), the responsibilities of the buyer/planner are even more critical, since purchasing and physical distribution take on increased importance. As job responsibilities change when implementing new systems, management must be cognisant of the factors that comprise favourable performance. These issues are examined and an assessment process is outlined. In addition, a performance assessment (PA) model is presented to assist the purchasing or logistics manager in making a more enlightened judgement of buyer/planner job performance.