Purchasing Agents Representing a Global Economy

Amazon. FedEx. UPS.

All of these offer services. Amazon links buyers and sellers from around the globe. FedEx offers printing services through FedEx Kinkos and UPS ships goods globally, as does FedEx. Each of these companies profit through the growth of the global economy. That includes an industry that is little talked about: Air freight.

In 2012, the global aviation industry transported an estimated $6.4 trillion worth in cargo. And according to IBIS World research, the air cargo industry was expected to generate an estimated $75.4 billion in revenue by the end of 2013. With the growth of the global economy, the significant increases in air travel and links between companies and customers all around the world, the revenue likely has grown. And significantly.

The aviation industry, shipping air freight, has grown and occurs through three primary methods: air passenger planes, air cargo planes, and combi planes.

Air passengers planes reserve a significant amount of space for passengers and their luggage. Cargo room is found in the belly of the plane, which stores goods transported from country to country.

Cargo planes retain goods throughout the confines of the plane.

Combi planes are a mix between the two.

The air cargo industry brings in a reported value of 30% of the aviation industry. These planes, shipping goods, are healthy for the general economy. Their planes have value. Companies that utilize the planes for the service of shipping have tighter controls on their process due to the importance of the goods and meeting the demands of customers.

More and more companies are utilizing door to door delivery.

Door to door delivery means taking a good from a company and delivering it to the customer without any delays in the route. Door to door movers have an added bonus over their competitors, which take multiple stops along the way. A door to door service helps reduce travel time because the service utilizes minimal stops. It also reduces the need for connection time and the lessened time helps preserve the quality of goods.

Door to door transport has grown in popularity, though it comes at a cost to the consumer. Because the consumer receives the goods in less time, there is an extra cost to delivering the goods quickly. In some cases, overnight or two-day delivery may be 50% or more than the usual delivery fee.

What is a Purchasing Agent

Although it may seem like an untoward transition, a purchasing agent and the purchasing agent responsibilities have increased in the global shipping economy. While a purchasing agent for a smaller company might operate within the guidelines of standard America, the purchasing agent for a global company will be charged with finding and acquiring goods from the country of origin.

The answer to What Is A Purchasing Agent is that a purchasing agent is a man, woman, or non-binary individual that searches for goods and services for the company they work for. The purchasing agent then acquires the goods or services.

However, the answer to What Is A Purchasing Agent when it comes to a company that does acquires goods globally is a different answer. The purchasing agent, in Bolivia for instance, would need to have local knowledge on what types of services or goods are available and can be bought. This means knowing the language, the culture, the way business works.

The answer to What Is A Purchasing Agent adheres to a larger issue within the U.S. companies going overseas. Companies must have local knowledge and understanding of economic and cultural insights, which can be drawn from locals. This is important to doing business.