Birmingham, England, United Kingdom
Accomplished & experienced buyer for Chilled, Dairy & Frozen Food products for Y International UK Ltd, purchasing on behalf of our sister company Lulu Group International; exporting to our group-owned retail business of 230+ stores across the Middle East. As an exporter of both direct & indirectly procured UK branded goods, I have experience leading business purchases, securing the best products and services across a range of categories, as well as building an excellent network of supplier relationships. My friendly, yet professional, manner has provided my team with a number of valuable new opportunities & key relationships developed have generated a raft of additional income for the business. After 8 years in FMCG Procurement, I'm currently seeking a new challenge where I can apply myself to new projects.
• Develop & implement a buying strategy. • Managing the team, providing guidance, training, and support to ensure effective & efficient operation. • Collaborate with suppliers to negotiate prices, terms, NPD launches. • Identify & introduce new potential suppliers and products. • Ensure compliance with purchasing policies, procedures, and regulations. • Ensure company database is relevant and maintained. • Collaborate with Sales Team to ensure purchasing is aligned with the Companies goals. • Ensuring FSI are first to market with NPD, liaising with sales department.
-Taking over as the main point of call for all vendors. -Consolidating orders from 7 Buying Offices in the GCC using SAP. -Cross-referencing with suppliers to create Excel order sheets. -Using SAP to write, place & track Purchase Orders. -Emailing orders to suppliers and following through to completion; checking & confirming order acknowledgements, pricing, confirming Best Before dates & liaising with Goods In for incoming deliveries. -On delivery, creating splits to be used by the warehouse to consolidate shipments for each region. -Reporting discrepancies on deliveries and following through to resolution. -Creating Order Updates for each of the buying offices including information about stock that is unavailable and the shipments that each available product is sent out on. -Preparing & Creating Pallet Labels, Packing Lists, Invoices, Customs Decs as well as any other accompanying documents for all shipments. -Checking and finalising shipment documents and sending these on to freight forwarders and the regional buying offices. -Organising & booking Vet Inspections with DEFRA, Chamber of Commerce & local Health Departments for consignments that are ready to be dispatched. -Organising & booking containers & collections for Sea Consignments that are ready to be dispatched. -Using SAP to create Sales Orders. -Building & maintaining effective communication at all levels within the business and externally with our suppliers and internationally based buying teams. -Compiling reports on product performance & statistics -Visiting worldwide trade shows & events such as SIAL, Anuga and Gulfood to meet and connect with prospective suppliers as well as strengthening the bond with existing ones, whilst also to explore new business opportunities in markets further afield to Lulu. -Maintaining the Master Data File in both Excel & SAP. -Taking charge of any NPD, from the point of emailing vendors for product details, creating the articles in SAP & adding to the Master Data Files.
While the majority of my duties were the same as the Buying Assistant, I would now start; - Taking over as main point of call for some vendors. - I had more independence in selecting which suppliers/products would be short-listed & presented to Lulu. - I would now also accompany the Buying Manager to UK based trade shows; Speciality Fair, IFE, Lunch! and others to scout for new suppliers. - Accompanying the Buying Manager on & off-site, shadowing & learning how to conduct meetings with suppliers both new & existing. - Consolidating orders from 7 Buying Offices in the GCC using SAP. - Cross-referencing with suppliers to create Excel order sheets. - Using SAP to write, place & track Purchase Orders. - Emailing orders to suppliers and following through to completion; checking & confirming order acknowledgements, pricing, confirming Best Before dates & liaising with Goods In for incoming deliveries. - On delivery, creating splits to be used by the warehouse to consolidate shipments for each region. - Organising & booking Vet Inspections with DEFRA, Chamber of Commerce & local Health Departments for consignments that are ready to be dispatched. - Liaising closely with Freight Forwarders to organise flight schedules & booking pallet spaces for outbound Air Shipments. - Organising & booking containers & collections for Sea Consignments that are ready to be dispatched. - Collating & submitting product information for registration, in line with different International FDA requirements; ADFCA, SFDA, MOPH Qatar. - Mentoring & coaching the Junior Buyers, teaching them the SOP as well as instructions on how to use SAP.
- General admin & data entry work with basic SAP & Excel Data, including; information records, databases of financial information, time sheets & Production Lines' daily output logs. - Assisting the Buying Manager with the selection of the right product mix. - Making initial contact with new suppliers, once the product ranges are selected. - Writing, placing & tracking Purchase Orders, ensuring products are purchased to the agreed specifications & prices. - Creating splits for warehouse consolidation use. - Assisting the Buying Manager & other colleagues with other enquiries. - Answering department & company correspondence, including phone calls, emails & letters.