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OaSIS 2025 Version 1.0
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14403.01 – Purchasing control workers

Purchasing control workers process purchasing transactions, resolve supply problems and prepare and maintain files, reports and price lists.

Overview

Example job titles

  • Procurement clerk
  • Purchase order clerk
  • Purchasing control clerk

Core competencies

  • Management of Material Resources to maintain appropriate stock levels, prevent shortages or overstock situations and ensure resources are used effectively
  • Persuading and Negotiating to communicate effectively, resolve delivery issues and secure favourable terms, using tact and influence to reach mutually acceptable agreements that balance cost, quality and timelines
  • Near Vision to read and verify documents, such as purchase orders, invoices or price lists, in order to ensure correct processing of transactions
  • Mathematical Reasoning and Numerical Ability to ensure accurate transaction processing, budget adherence and effective financial management
  • Speech Recognition and Verbal Ability to interpret verbal requests, confirm specifications and communicate clearly with suppliers and colleagues about delivery issues, price quotations and purchase details
  • Attention to Detail to identify and correct errors, ensuring all information is correctly recorded and purchases are handled accurately
  • Knowledge in Clerical to understand how to track purchasing activities and ensure all necessary paperwork is organized and accessible

Main duties

This group performs some or all of the following duties:

  • Review requisition orders for accuracy and verify that materials, equipment and stock are not available from current inventories
  • Source and obtain price quotations from catalogues and suppliers and prepare purchase orders
  • Calculate cost of orders and charge or forward invoices to appropriate accounts
  • Process purchases within purchasing authority
  • Contact suppliers to schedule deliveries and to resolve shortages, missed deliveries and other problems
  • Prepare and maintain purchasing files, reports and price lists.

Additional information

  • The duties of purchasing and inventory control workers may overlap in some establishments.
  • Progression to supervisory positions or more senior occupations such as purchasing agent or retail buyer is possible with additional training or experience.

Similar occupations classified elsewhere

Exclusions:

  • Procurement and purchasing agents and officers (12102)
  • Retail and wholesale buyers (62101)
  • Storekeepers and partspersons (14401)

NOC hierarchy breakdown

NOC version

NOC 2021 Version 1.0

Broad occupational category

1 – Business, finance and administration occupations

TEER

4 – Occupations usually require a secondary school diploma; or several weeks of on-the-job training

Major group

14 – Administrative and financial support and supply chain logistics occupations

Sub-major group

144 – Supply chain logistics, tracking and scheduling coordination occupations

Minor group

1440 – Supply chain logistics, tracking and scheduling coordination occupations

Unit group

14403 – Purchasing and inventory control workers

Occupational profile

14403.01 – Purchasing control workers

O*NET in-it

This page includes information from the O*NET 27.2 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Employment and Social Development Canada has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.