Purchasing Essentials

Now Only

$389

AUD

35% off

$599 AUD

Quick Facts

Delivery Method Online
Professional Certificate
24hrs Suggested Study Time
3 Months Access
Tutor Support
Study On Any Device
3349 Students

Improve your company's bottom line by mastering the fundamentals of purchasing.

Discover and master the fundamentals of purchasing by understanding your strategic and tactical roles as a purchasing practitioner. Improve your company's bottom-line profitability by learning and implementing key concepts such as negotiation, supplier sourcing and qualification, outsourcing and make-or-buy analysis. Learn the basics of supplier partnerships, capital budgeting and green buying.

In this self-paced online course, you will learn how to define internal customer needs, generate purchase requisitions and purchase orders, expedite, trace and receive supplier deliveries, maintain effective purchasing records and create and manage various purchasing budgets. I will help you learn about business law, contracts, leasing, Six Sigma and total quality management (TQM). You will learn how to recruit, select and evaluate purchasing personnel, and learn the importance of business ethics.

Courses are delivered to you through expertly executed lessons, online instruction and interaction with like-minded students. Our courses are designed to deliver all of the benefits of studying in a classroom whilst giving you the flexibility to study at a time and place to suit your needs. You can access your classroom 24/7 from any device with an internet connection.

This course has a 3 month duration. You'll complete comprehensive lessons, quizzes and assignments before submitting your final exam at the end of the course to achieve your certificate. Courses must be completed within the 3 month access period.

In this first lesson, you'll learn about the various types of professional purchasing certification, including those offered by the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) and the National Institute of Government Purchasing (NIGP). We'll explore the breadth of the purchasing body of knowledge and identify several areas where purchasing provides value to organizations. You'll also discover the significance of buying on a total cost basis and learn how savings you generate for purchased materials and services improve your company's bottom-line profitability.

Today, you'll learn how to set a vision and mission statement, and how to develop objectives and strategies. We'll also discuss the mechanics of creating purchase requisitions and purchase orders and how to use them effectively. We'll finish up by exploring different conditions that benefit from negotiation and the steps and techniques that contribute to a successful outcome.

All organizations use a purchasing cycle to manage buying activities. To help you effectively manage purchasing activities, this lesson presents a seven step-cycle that begins with need recognition and ends with receipt of delivery. We'll discuss the first five steps in depth, and see how specifications, branding, and samples are three common methods for defining user needs. You'll also learn about four different forms of competition (monopoly, oligopoly, full competition, and perfect competition) and see how competition affects prices.

In this lesson, we'll conclude our exploration of the purchasing cycle by discussing steps six and seven (perform follow-up and receive the delivery). Then we'll examine expediting, follow-up, and tracing as methods to enhance on-time deliveries. You'll also learn how purchasing supports the receiving function and discover the underlying concepts of make or buy and leasing.

As a purchasing professional, you depend on your suppliers. After all, without capable suppliers, it would be very difficult (if not impossible) to meet your organization's needs. So today we'll discuss the importance of proper source selection, and how to prepare a prospective supplier list. You'll find out how to evaluate each supplier-sourcing element and determine when to conduct a supplier visit.

Green buying is an extremely important organizational concept. Firms that use it successfully achieve internal objectives and also satisfy societal goals. In this lesson, we'll discuss the purpose of green buying and review its 3Rs (reduce, reuse, and recycle). To help you locate historical information when you need it, we'll investigate the various types of purchasing records and discuss electronic record keeping and reporting. You'll also learn all about competitive bidding and understand how to use a request for quotation (RFQ) or a request for proposal (RFP).

In today's lesson, we'll discuss important legal matters that purchasing professionals encounter daily. We'll begin by looking at business law and then move on to talk about contracts. You'll learn about the principal-agency relationship and the four major forms of organization (sole proprietorships, general partnerships, limited partnerships, and corporations).

Suppliers rely on manufacturing and quality systems. Purchasing professionals need to know about these systems because their use (successful or unsuccessful) highly influences suppliers' abilities to fill your purchase orders on-time, with quality, and at a desirable price. Today, we'll look at Six Sigma and Total Quality Management (TQM), and identify how these philosophies and methodologies benefit organizations. You'll learn about the elements of a supply chain, Manufacturing Resource Planning (MRP II), and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP).

Purchasing, as a major organizational function, is involved with a number of different types of budgets. These budgets include the purchasing department administration budget (also known as an expense budget), the production materials budget, and the maintenance, repair, and operating (MRO) budget. To use budgets wisely, you need to know how they work, what they are supposed to accomplish, and how they are constructed. In this lesson, you'll discover the primary purposes, advantages, and disadvantages of budgets. We'll cover how to select a budget period, review variable budgets, and understand budget variances.

For many organizations, capital expenditures represent the largest disbursement of funds. And purchasing practitioners play a number of roles in capital budgeting including assisting with requests for capital expenditures, serving on capital budget evaluation committees, and leading teams to acquire capital assets. Today's lesson will help you effectively participate in these activities. You'll learn the definition of capital budgeting, understand the initiation process for capital request proposals, and examine different justification methods for project proposals.

A supplier partnership is a fairly recent type of arrangement. It characterizes a progressive way for sellers and buyers to work together. Supplier partnerships require an extensive amount of preparation and commitment, but the payoff is substantial for firms that succeed. Today, we'll discuss the prerequisites and elements of a supplier partnership. We'll also explore ethics and organizational politics and study their effects on purchasing practitioners.

In our final lesson, you'll discover how to recruit, select, and evaluate purchasing personnel. Then you'll learn how to implement a performance planning process, including administering performance reviews. And finally, you'll find out why so many people dislike giving performance reviews and get tips on how to make your reviews more meaningful.

Tony Swaim

Tony Swaim has helped many clients, colleagues, and students reach their professional and personal goals. He has been an online instructor since 1998 and has taught at colleges and universities across the United States since 1981. His focus areas ... Read more

Read Tony Swaim's Profile

Frequently Asked Questions

Once you've made the payment, we'll send you a confirmation email with a link to start your course. Feel free to get started whenever you're ready!

You'll have 3 months access to your course. In that time you are free to study at your own pace. The course duration is 24 hours.

Online learning is a flexible way to study that fits around your schedule, giving you the freedom to learn at your own pace from anywhere in the world. You'll have 3 months to complete the course and can take the multiple-choice questions and final exam whenever it suits you.

If you need help, you can contact us anytime. You can also join the discussion area where you can interact with other students. The discussion area for each lesson is open for the entire duration of the course.

Of course! We offer a 7-day money back guarantee. As long as you haven't completed the course, you can get a full refund within 7 days of enrolling.

We do not offer extensions or transfers for this self-paced course. However, you will have 3 months to complete the course, and if you need to cancel within the first 10 days of enrolment, we offer a money back guarantee.

What people are saying about our courses

This is my first online class and I enjoyed it very much. I found it to be very informative and a great learning experience. The quizzes were great and I found them to be very helpful.

Verified Student

Great course material. I found it to be very current and applicable to my job. This class encouraged me to continue with my on-going education.

Verified Student

Hey, thanks a bunch for getting me started on the right foot. I had a lot of fun with the class and look forward to the next one. I am also currently taking Project Management Fundamentals and find that course to be educational and exciting as well. I am working towards my state purchasing certification and your classes are extremely helpful.

Verified Student

See More Reviews

The Learning Environment

From the moment that you enrol in the Purchasing Essentials you will become an integral part of our learning community. You'll find yourself with the freedom to learn at a speed that suits you, on any device, from anywhere in the world. Achieving your career goals no longer has to mean compromising family and work commitments.

Ready to get started?

Enrol Now

Our Values

Learn At Your Own Pace

We believe in personalised learning. That's why we provide all the tools and support you need to succeed at your own pace. With flexible learning, you'll stay motivated and retain more information. Plus, you can balance your studies with work and family commitments to make your dreams a reality.

We Won't Break The Bank

Education should be accessible to anyone who wants to learn. That's why we offer some of the most competitive prices in the industry with payments plans for just $25 per week. Investing in your future is a smart choice and doesn’t have to break the bank.

Industry-Led Courses

There's no better way to learn than from experts with years of experience in your field. That's why each of our 200+ industry-led courses are designed to give you a real-life perspective on your industry. With our expert mentors, you'll learn from people who have a wealth of knowledge and experience, and who are passionate about sharing it with you.

Get The Personal Support You Deserve

At Vibe Learning, we're real people who are dedicated to providing you with personal support every step of the way. Our industry experts are not only professional and knowledgeable but also incredibly passionate about sharing their expertise with you. With their guidance, you'll gain invaluable insights and practical knowledge to help you succeed.

Still looking?

Check out the following courses related to Purchasing Essentials:

Supply Chain Management

Logistics and Distribution Management

Manufacturing Fundamentals

Total Quality Fundamentals

Six Sigma: Total Quality Applications

Discover more online courses

Purchasing Essentials

$599

$389AUD

Save 35%

Merrill Ream Speed Reading

Now Only

$389

AUD

35% off

$599 AUD

Quick Facts

Delivery Method Online
Professional Certificate
24hrs Suggested Study Time
3 Months Access
Tutor Support
Study On Any Device
6118 Students

Acclaimed speed reading expert teaches you how to save yourself time by reading faster with better comprehension.

Are you struggling to keep up with a flood of email, articles, reports, and books? Save yourself hours of time and increase your productivity by learning to read faster and with better comprehension. Taught by acclaimed speed reading expert Dr. Merrill Ream, this course is a complete speed reading experience. Topics are presented in a logical progression with plenty of time to help you master the skills and techniques you'll need for lasting proficiency as a speed reader.

On this first day of class, you'll read a story to evaluate your present reading rate. You'll learn how many words per minute you read now, and then we'll compare that number to what percent of the reading material you're really comprehending. You'll also get an opportunity to check out the speed reading accomplishments of some of my former students. Then, you'll complete an eye-span exercise to start you on the path toward becoming a speed reader!

In this lesson, you'll practice some basic reading eye movements and learn how they're important to the speed reading process. Then, you'll take a reading rate and comprehension test. Your results will give you a baseline that you can use to chart your speed reading progress in this course, lesson-by-lesson. From there, you can set goals to increase you reading rate while maintaining a good reading comprehension.

By now, you might feel that the activities you're using to master your speed reading skills are becoming routine and repetitive. So today, we'll talk about how and why you should continue doing the Regulated Reading, Timed Reading, and Assignment exercises to gain increased reading rates with good reading comprehension. Finally, you'll read some stories that are formatted to help you improve your speed.

Today, we'll examine the retinal image phenomena and how it relates to a speed reader's eye movements. Speed reading is a skill that's best achieved by doing repetitive practice, so we'll continue working on those exercises that are helping you to improve your speed.

You'll probably find it helpful to work on lesson activities in the same comfortable and familiar surroundings. In this lesson, we'll talk about eight bad reading habits that contribute to slow reading, then we'll explore how to overcome them. Finally, we'll review some terminology that's unique to speed reading.

In this lesson, we'll look at 16 good speed reading practices you can apply to our course exercises and any other reading you do outside of class. We're at the midpoint in the course, so this is also a good time to compare your reading rate and comprehension scores with those of the former students you read about in Lesson 1. From there, we'll set goals for you to meet in the remaining lessons.

You'll probably be reading pretty quickly by the time you reach this lesson, but how can you make sure your comprehension scores are keeping up? Today, we'll look at skills you'll need to work on to improve your comprehension. You'll find out what keys and identified parts are unique to all stories, and knowing those will help you to improve your comprehension. You'll be glad to learn that you already know a few speed reading skills and techniques as we continue to apply them to our course activities.

Today, you'll practice speed reading skills and techniques in real-world reading materials outside of class. You'll learn a method you can use to measure your speed reading rates when you're reading such materials. At this point, you'll be eager to read outside materials, not just for their content, but to further develop your speed reading skills and techniques.

We're now ready to analyze your personal speed reading style. You'll once again compare your speed reading rate and comprehension scores with those of former students in Lesson 1 to see how you stack up against others. We'll also compare your current scores with the scores you recorded at the beginning of the course to see how far you've come!

Today, we'll look at eight word recognition vocabulary skills that you can work into your personal speed reading style. You'll learn how context clues and literal and inferential meanings in stories influence comprehension. All are part of the English language and fit right in with speed reading.

Today, we'll see if we can figure out which of your behavior patterns are most useful in your own speed reading style. First and foremost, you need flexibility to focus on improving your reading speed, then you need an experimental attitude to get rid of poor reading habits. We'll study how the time you put in and the effort you expend affect your speed reading progress.

In our last lesson, we'll look at your personal speed reading accomplishments, as well as your speed reading future. Form here on out, you're in the real world of reading. But you'll go into it with a lifelong speed reading skill. You'll learn how to adjust your personal speed reading style to any materials you read, because now you are a speed reader!

Merrill Ream

Merrill L. Ream, Ph.D. has taught his speed reading techniques to thousands of students in high schools, adult schools, colleges, universities, and the U.S. Navy. Dr. Ream's published works include a university textbook entitled "The Merrill Ream ... Read more

Read Merrill Ream's Profile

Frequently Asked Questions

Once you've made the payment, we'll send you a confirmation email with a link to start your course. Feel free to get started whenever you're ready!

You'll have 3 months access to your course. In that time you are free to study at your own pace. The course duration is 24 hours.

Of course! We offer a 7-day money back guarantee. As long as you haven't completed the course, you can get a full refund within 7 days of enrolling.

What people are saying about our courses

When I started in chapter1, my reading speed was 165. By the time the course ended I was up to 642. While this may not seem very high for other students, it was quite an accomplishment for me, being that English is my second language. I will continue practicing and will get faster. I really liked this course, and will recommend it to my friends.

Verified Student

I am an avid reader. Thanks to this course I more than doubled my reading speed and increased my comprehension. I will continue to practice the skills I learned in this course. Thank you.

Verified Student

I enjoyed this course, but it is not over! I plan to continue to practice the techniques that have been taught.

Verified Student

See More Reviews

The Learning Environment

From the moment that you enrol in the Merrill Ream Speed Reading you will become an integral part of our learning community. You'll find yourself with the freedom to learn at a speed that suits you, on any device, from anywhere in the world. Achieving your career goals no longer has to mean compromising family and work commitments.

Ready to get started?

Enrol Now