Skilled purchasing professionals are a strategic asset in any market condition. They know their assigned trades and every other trade in the market. They know what materials they use, where they buy them, and who manufactures them. They know specific SKU-level pricing and the quantities required for each house. They know the different labor tiers needed to install those materials and understand the market rates for each level of skill and the hours required to install the products in every home. All that knowledge enables skilled purchasing pros to avoid unnecessary price increases and to reduce costs when the cost drivers go down, having a profound impact on profitability. Every dollar saved by a knowledgeable purchasing professional goes directly to the bottom line; a sales professional would have to sell 10 times as much to produce the same bottom line impact. In market downturns, I've seen builders turn to their purchasing department for help navigating the storm. But you must hire the right people, train them, remove roadblocks to success, and keep them focused on the end goal.
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