Guide to Purchasing Organizations

Join purchasing associations to grow as a professional

Purchasing councils range from international groups to statewide or local organizations. They are a group of professionals just like you, with one goal in mind: to advance the purchasing industry.

I recommend: The Health Industry Group Purchasing Association (HIGPA) is a trade group comprised of 21 group purchasing organizations, including multi-hospital systems, associations, non-profits and for-profit corporations and healthcare provider alliances. HIGPA educates on ways to improve efficiencies in the buying, selling and use of goods and services, advocates for health care group purchasing associations and promotes discussion among GPOs. Use the HIGPA website to become a member or sign up for upcoming events. Institute for Supply Management’s (ISM) goal is to be the leader of supply management. Compare your salary to other supply management professionals on the ISM website.

Pay annual dues to belong to purchasing councils

Purchasing groups' dues usually range depending on the membership level. Once you find an association you want to join, decide what type of commitment your company is willing to give.

I recommend: American Purchasing Society brings more than 2,000 professionals together at the only international conference solely devoted to purchasing and supply management. Sign up for an individual membership to access American Purchasing Society's wealth of resources in the "Members Only" section. You can also post resumes in the "Career Center" section. Company membership comes with three memberships for employees and allows you to post job openings. The Association for Merchandise Planning and Allocation (AMPA) is an international organization that promotes communication and interaction among retail practitioners. AMPA requires members to be a merchandise planning retail professional, complete a survey, have access to the Internet and attend AMPA meetings. Complete the surveys and sign up for membership online.

Benefit individually and professionally from joining a purchasing association

When you join purchasing groups, you get access to magazines, business reports, a career center, groups and forums. Statistics show that professionals who belong to an association make more money than non-members, because of their access to resources and career development tools. Not only do you make bigger profits, but you develop more self confidence.

I recommend: Association for Operations Management (APICS) is a purchasing organization with more than 43,000 professionals from thousands of international companies. As soon as you sign up to be an APICS member, watch your email for the e-newsletter, chock full of industry news and information. You also save on business and management training seminars and conferences. Supply Chain Council (SCC) offer its members SCOR training and access to publications. It’s a non-profit consortium with benchmarking and evaluation tools to help companies make fast and dramatic improvements.