Pregnancy and Family Planning

Professional Buyers

- Trained professional buyers typically carry out buying in business-to-business markets. They have titles such as purchasing agents, procurement officers, or directors of materials management.

- They focus on economic factors beyond the initial price of the product such as transportation and delivery charges, accessory products or supplies, maintenance, and other outgoing costs.

- Responsible for selecting quality products and ensuring their timely delivery.

Buying Centers

- The buying center is a group of people in an organization who participate in a purchasing decision.

- Generally, the members have some expertise or interest in the decision, and as a group they are able to make the best decision.

- Roles in the buying center:

1. Initiator- begins the process by recognizing that the firm needs to make a purchase.

2. Use- a member of the buying center that actually uses the product.

3. Gatekeeper- controls the flow of information to others in the organization.

4. Influencer- affects the buying decision by giving advice and sharing expertise.

5. Decider- makes the final purchase decision.

6. Buyer- executes the purchase decision.

The Business Buying Decision Process

- Step1: Recognize the Problem

- make a purchase request, usually in writing

- form a buying center, depending on the complexity of the purchase.

- Step 2: Search for Information

- buying center members (1) develop product specifications, which is a written description of the quality, size, weight, and other details required of a product purchase. (2) identify potential suppliers (3) Obtain proposals (bids) and quotations that require detailed information from vendors.

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