Our intermediate-level programme for maritime procurement, the Buyer course is suitable for the purchaser who operates on an operational or tactical level in a maritime procurement department. Delivered across four blocks of eight weeks, the course will help you master the skills to excel in your position. During this time, you will be trained to perform efficiently operational purchasing and logistical activities, including:

  • organising procurement processes in an efficient manner,
  • executing operational and tactical procurement process activities,
  • advanced legal aspects of procurement, communication and negotiation skills, and
  • financial economic skills and tools relevant for process management and negotiations.
Start Date
TBC
Duration
32 weeks
Study Time
12 hours per week
Study Mode
Online
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What we look for

  • You are enthusiastic, committed and have a basic knowledge about marine procurement and supply chain management. 
  • You have at least one year of professional experience in marine procurement and are looking to make the next step in your career OR you have successfully graduated from our Assistant Buyer course. 
  • You are familiar with all elements of supporting operational purchasing and logistical activities and have already built the foundational knowledge to operate as an assistant in the field of marine procurement and supply chain management. 
  • You have a satisfactory level of English, equivalent to upper-intermediate across writing, listening, speaking and reading bands.

Structure

During the programme, you will be studying four different modules that will help you build an intermediate-level knowledge in procurement and supply chain management:

Module 
Day 
 - 
Procurement and Supply Chain Management II

Get a better understanding of purchasing and specification processes. Learn to prevent gold plating, navigate the company’s strategic perspective on procurement, carry out supplier market research and much more.

Module 
Day 
 - 
Negotiation Skills II

Learn how and why to create a communication plan and become a highly-effective communicator. Dive into the different negotiation styles that exist, nation cultures and the ‘dos and don’ts’ in negotiations. Learn to prepare for supplier and stakeholder negotiations.

Module 
Day 
 - 
Legal Aspects of Procurement II

Understand general purchasing terms and conditions and learn about the battle of forms. Analyse the differences between common law and civil law and learn about the applicable law system.

Module 
Day 
 - 
Financial Economic Aspects

Get to grasp with financially analysing a supplier. Learn to analyse cost drivers, run cost-price analyses, and understand cost-reduction methodologies and strategies.

Teaching & assessment

All students will be given 24/7 access to our online learning platform. Teaching will be carried out through video seminars that can be watched at your convenience, written lessons, online group discussions and workshops. During our programmes, students learn as much from each other as they learn from the lecturers; as a result, it is expected of you to display commitment and continually get involved in online group discussions.

Assessment will be by a mixture of exams, quizzes, and written coursework. Participation into online workshops will be taken into account for the overall grade.

At the end of the programme, students will be awarded a graduate diploma and invited to an official graduation ceremony at one of IMPA’s main events, either in Singapore or London.

Fees

The tuition fee for the Assistant Buyer online programme is GBP 3,499. This includes permanent access to our Moodle online learning management system, all course materials and your own copy of the books required under the course's bibliography. At the moment, at least two of the following books are included:

  • H.M. Visser and A.R. van Goor, Logistics: Principles and Practice (2nd edition)
  • Fred Sollish and John Semanik, The Procurement and Supply Manager's Desk Reference (John Wiley & Sons, 2nd edition, 2012)
  • Margaret Griffiths and Ivor Griffiths, Law for Purchasing and Supply (Financial Times/Prentice Hall, 3rd edition, 2002)
  • John C Tracy Jr, Negotiating Procurement Contracts: The Knowledge to Negotiate (CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2011)
  • Kees Gelderman, A Portfolio Approach to Purchasing Strategies: A comprehensive study to the theoretical foundations and practical possibilities (LAP Lambert Academic Publishing, 2009)
  • X. Paul Humbert Esq., How to Analyze and Negotiate Warranties for Goods and Services: A Primer For Lawyers And Non-Lawyers Alike (CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 1st edition, 2017)

If your company is looking to enrol several employees in this course, please get in touch with us directly, as we are often able to work out a bespoke offer.

Funding

The Jan R. Johannessen Scholarship

Each academic year, IMPA offers a place on one of our online programmes to a student who would like to join the course, but is unable to gain the necessary funding. The student who wins this place is known as the Jan R. Johannessen scholar. For this, you need to write a 1000-word essay on the importance of education in maritime procurement and attach it to your application. The IMPA Council will review the essays and select the winning piece. You will then be informed in due course of the outcome. As competition is high, please apply early to avoid disappointment. We recommend applying for the scholarship within no less than one month before the start of the programme in which you plan to enrol.

The Alumni Loyalty Discount 

If you have successfully completed one of our online programmes on or after 2019, you will receive an Alumni Loyalty Discount. The amount of the discount is dependent on the grade you achieved in your previous course. This goes as follows: 

  • 15% if you achieved a “Distinction”,
  • 10% if you achieved a “Merit”, and
  • 5% for successful completion.

Please note that, in order for this discount to be applied, there is no need to do anything. Upon applying for the programme, our admission team will automatically apply the discount if you are one of our alumni.