As a purchasing agent, you are tasked to do many things upon which the success of a company depends. Your job is difficult, and this is made even tougher when you’ve got to deal with specialized materials such as custom cable assemblies. Your ability to effectively find the right manufacturer for the job while also maintaining your company’s bottom line is paramount to keeping your job. Truth be told, you’ve got to be at the top of your game all the time.
 
Purchasing agents are usually responsible (though various industries may differ) for things such as negotiating vendor terms & pricing, keeping an eye on budgetary constraints, and even going so far as to be mindful of working out the best lead time for the delivery of goods. They also need to have a technical capacity to know what it is they are talking about, and depending on the technical intricacies of an industry, is easier said than done.
 
When working with custom cable assemblies, a purchasing agent needs to be aware of the following:
 
A Working Knowledge of Their Industry — As alluded to before, a good purchasing agent is knowledgeable of the industry in which he or she works. This means getting familiar with equipment and machinery, taking the time to understand the historical development of processes that have changed the industry over time, and seeing how the products & services of their company directly impact their customers.
 
Breakdown of What, When, and Where Materials are Needed — Since you’re working with custom cable assemblies, a purchasing agent needs to know what specifications must go into the materials being ordered, as well as maintain a plan to get the materials delivered at a certain time and place.
 
Aside from the purchasing agent’s job of understanding things on their company’s end, the agent must also be aware of a number of things on the part of any prospective manufacturers they will choose from. The agent must be aware of:
 
Products Made and Industries Served — While custom cable assemblies are the focus in this instance, it’s important to know what other products are made by a manufacturer so that you have a clear idea of what kind of breadth they have. It’s also good to know that they work with many industries because it showcases their flexibility.
 
Certifications, Licenses, and Compliance — Of course, a purchasing agent must know whether a prospective manufacturer has all of the right certifications and licenses in place and that they adhere to a strict level of compliance as required by the industries they serve & the materials they use.
 
Custom cable assemblies, by their nature, are specialized to be built in a certain way so that they perform a certain way. This places a lot of pressure on purchasing agents who know they must get things right the first time. This is why it’s imperative to choose a dependable manufacturer with a successful record of providing all manner of cable assemblies, wire harnesses, and electromechanical assemblies for a wide variety of industries.
 
Trust your custom cable assemblies to LoDan Electronics, Inc., a leader in custom-engineered interconnect solutions since 1967.