Buy fresh produce on the wholesale market
Overview
This standard is about the skills and knowledge needed for you to buy fresh produce on the wholesale market. You will need the skills and knowledge to establish your organisations produce buying requirements and then select and buy products to meet these requirements. You will need the skills and knowledge to demonstrate that you can negotiate and finish the purchase of products. This standard is for you if you work in food and drink manufacture and/or supply operations and are involved in production operations.
Performance criteria
You must be able to:
Establish your organisation's produce buying
requirements
identify your organisation's product purchasing needs
identify available budgets to support planned purchases
identify and take account of factors that may influence price
Purchase Stock
greet traders politely and courteously
describe the characteristics of the produce you need to purchase
assess the suitability of the available produce against your
produce needs
conduct the purchase courteously, and at a pace which meets the
needs of the trading conditions
negotiate and agree sale terms with the trader in accordance with
available budget
seek advice when negotiation goes beyond own limits of authority
organise for the delivery of purchased items from stock
maintain communication throughout
complete all purchase records
Knowledge and Understanding
You need to know and understand:
how to identify the full range of produce on sale
- how to identify and describe produce characteristics including
quality, ripeness and condition
- the factors that can influence produce availability and price
including weather, seasons and economic conditions
- why it is important to determine your organisation's produce
needs
- how to identify the budgets available to support the planned
purchases
- how to assess the suitability of produce against organisation's
produce needs
- communication skills including the importance of being polite and
courteous
- the implications of not communicating in accordance with
procedures
sales techniques
how and why it is important to establish a rapport with traders
why it is important to confirm needs in respect of quantities, type
and quality
negotiation skills
why it is important not to cause conflict during sales activities
the legal requirements that protect both the customer and the
trader
- what the limits of your own authority are and the consequences of
operating outside these limits
- the factors that can influence produce availability and price
including weather, seasons, economic conditions
- the mechanisms used to receive purchased stock