Table 1Transition record

supply chain assistanttopurchasing manager

A supply chain assistant already meets 18% of what the purchasing manager role asks for. The move turns on 19 required skills not yet in the profile.

From supply chain assistant

18%

Overlap1

To purchasing manager

7 Skills carried over

19 Required, not held

83.3 Difficulty2

adjacent 0–30

moderate 30–55

substantial 55–75

career change 75–100

this move, 83.3

This move: 83.3 of 100 · career change

1 Share of the purchasing manager role’s weighted skill requirement already met by the supply chain assistant profile. Required skills count in full, supplementary skills at 0.35. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs. 2 Combines what is missing with how specialised it is, so a gap of general skills scores easier than the same number of narrow ones.

Table 2

Table 2 · What you already bring

Of the 7 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A purchasing manager role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a supply chain assistant background worth leading with.

Skill the target role also needs Area

already held coordinate purchasing activities communication, collaboration and creativity
already held supply chain principles business, administration and law
already held analyse supply chain strategies information skills
already held international business business, administration and law
already held issue sales invoices management skills
already held maintain relationship with suppliers communication, collaboration and creativity

All 7 carried skills, including the 6 the purchasing manager role treats as required.

Table 3

Table 3 · What you would need to learn

The 46 missing skills fall into 7 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered below in the order worth working in: the areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the supplementary ones.

Skill to acquire Tier

01 communication, collaboration and creativity 6 required, 6 supplementary

required, not held maintain relationship with customers required
required, not held negotiate sales contracts required
required, not held liaise with managers required
required, not held manage contracts required
required, not held negotiate buying conditions required
required, not held order supplies required

optional, not held assess procurement needs optional
optional, not held implement procurement of innovation optional
optional, not held implement sustainable procurement optional
optional, not held advise on sustainable management policies optional
optional, not held attend trade fairs optional
optional, not held train employees optional

02 information skills 5 required, 7 supplementary

required, not held analyse supply chain trends required
required, not held assess supplier risks required
required, not held analyse logistic changes required
required, not held estimate costs of required supplies required
required, not held study sales levels of products required

optional, not held monitor stock level optional
optional, not held perform procurement market analysis optional
optional, not held track price trends optional
optional, not held analyse consumer buying trends optional
optional, not held calculate purchasing levels of raw materials optional
optional, not held carry out statistical forecasts optional
optional, not held maintain contract administration optional

03 management skills 4 required, 6 supplementary

required, not held manage inventory required
required, not held identify suppliers required
required, not held manage budgets required
required, not held strive for company growth required

optional, not held manage procurement planning optional
optional, not held ensure equipment availability optional
optional, not held manage rented goods returns optional
optional, not held manage staff optional
optional, not held manage supplies optional
optional, not held recruit employees optional

04 business, administration and law 3 required, 6 supplementary

required, not held corporate social responsibility required
required, not held supplier management required
required, not held supply chain management required

optional, not held category specific expertise optional
optional, not held market pricing optional
optional, not held procurement lifecycle optional
optional, not held pricing strategies optional
optional, not held procurement legislation optional
optional, not held risk management optional

05 assisting and caring 1 required

required, not held follow company standards required

06 engineering, manufacturing and construction 1 supplementary

optional, not held sustainable manufacturing optional

1 further area in the appendix

Table 4

Table 4 · Where to start

The 3 entries a purchasing manager role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.

Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.

Appendix

Appendix · The rest of the record

All 7 skills that carry over

Skill Type

already held analyse supply chain strategies skill
already held coordinate purchasing activities skill
already held issue sales invoices skill
already held maintain relationship with suppliers skill
already held quality standards knowledge
already held supply chain principles knowledge
already held international business knowledge

The 1 learning area not shown above

Skill to acquire Tier

07 working with computers 1 supplementary

optional, not held use e-procurement optional

27 supplementary skills, helpful but not required

Skill to acquire Tier

optional, not held assess procurement needs optional
optional, not held category specific expertise optional
optional, not held implement procurement of innovation optional
optional, not held implement sustainable procurement optional
optional, not held manage procurement planning optional
optional, not held market pricing optional
optional, not held monitor stock level optional
optional, not held perform procurement market analysis optional
optional, not held procurement lifecycle optional
optional, not held track price trends optional
optional, not held use e-procurement optional
optional, not held advise on sustainable management policies optional
optional, not held analyse consumer buying trends optional
optional, not held attend trade fairs optional
optional, not held calculate purchasing levels of raw materials optional
optional, not held carry out statistical forecasts optional
optional, not held ensure equipment availability optional
optional, not held maintain contract administration optional
optional, not held manage rented goods returns optional
optional, not held manage staff optional
optional, not held manage supplies optional
optional, not held pricing strategies optional
optional, not held procurement legislation optional
optional, not held recruit employees optional
optional, not held risk management optional
optional, not held sustainable manufacturing optional
optional, not held train employees optional

27 held skills the purchasing manager role does not ask for

Skill Type

not needed by the target role assist in planning production scheduling skill
not needed by the target role budget for financial needs skill
not needed by the target role carry out inventory control accuracy skill
not needed by the target role direct logistical functions skill
not needed by the target role forecast production quantities skill
not needed by the target role handle returns skill
not needed by the target role identify key processes of traceability systems skill
not needed by the target role identify software for warehouse management skill
not needed by the target role interpret business information skill
not needed by the target role inventory management rules knowledge
not needed by the target role monitor manufacturing quality standards skill
not needed by the target role monitor staff absences skill
not needed by the target role office software knowledge
not needed by the target role operations department processes knowledge
not needed by the target role organise business documents skill
not needed by the target role perform business research skill
not needed by the target role perform office routine activities skill
not needed by the target role prepare purchasing reportings skill
not needed by the target role provide technical documentation skill
not needed by the target role purchase supplies skill
not needed by the target role receive shipment packaging information skill
not needed by the target role sales department processes knowledge
not needed by the target role support managers skill
not needed by the target role use office systems skill
not needed by the target role use production planning software skill
not needed by the target role use sales forecasting softwares skill
not needed by the target role use spreadsheets software skill

10 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice

Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.

Skill to acquire Tier

required, not held corporate social responsibility required
required, not held supplier management required
required, not held supply chain management required
optional, not held category specific expertise optional
optional, not held market pricing optional
optional, not held procurement lifecycle optional
optional, not held pricing strategies optional
optional, not held procurement legislation optional
optional, not held risk management optional
optional, not held sustainable manufacturing optional

Index

Other moves recorded from supply chain assistant

Full index of moves from supply chain assistant

Note

How this record was compiled

Both occupations are taken from ESCO, which lists the skills and knowledge each occupation is expected to have and marks every one required or optional. Nothing here is a prediction about hiring, and nothing here knows that a particular employer wants a particular certificate. Treat Table 3 as a starting point for your own research rather than a syllabus. The full method states what these figures can and cannot tell you.