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How exposed to AI is a Procurement Clerk?

Of the 19 tasks O*NET lists for procurement clerks, 5 could be done in half the time with a chat window today. 6 cannot be sped up at all. Here is which.

Exposure means published research judged an AI could halve the time a task takes, at the same quality. It does not mean the task stops needing a person. How to read this

Also called
BuyerProcurement AssistantProcurement OfficerProcurement SpecialistPurchasing AssistantPurchasing AssociatePurchasing ClerkPurchasing CoordinatorPurchasing SpecialistWarehouse Clerk
Reachable today Needs software built first Cannot be sped up
19
tasks rated for this occupation
33%
hold a degree, from a survey of 20
62k
people do this job in the US
31 of 51
least protected in office and admin

Every task, and what AI can do with it

These are O*NET's task statements for this occupation, exactly as written, sorted into the three bands by the ratings behind this report. Nothing has been reworded.

Reachable with a chat window today

5
  • Prepare purchase orders and send copies to suppliers and to departments originating requests
  • Approve and pay bills
  • Prepare, maintain, and review purchasing files, reports and price lists
  • Monitor in-house inventory movement and complete inventory transfer forms for bookkeeping purposes
  • Prepare invitation-of-bid forms, and mail forms to supplier firms or distribute forms for public posting

Only with software built on top

8
  • Track the status of requisitions, contracts, and orders
  • Calculate costs of orders, and charge or forward invoices to appropriate accounts
  • Compare prices, specifications, and delivery dates to determine the best bid among potential suppliers
  • Maintain knowledge of all organizational and governmental rules affecting purchases, and provide information about these rules to organization staff members and to vendors
  • Respond to customer and supplier inquiries about order status, changes, or cancellations
  • Locate suppliers, using sources such as catalogs and the internet, and interview them to gather information about products to be ordered
  • Monitor contractor performance, recommending contract modifications when necessary
  • Train and supervise subordinates and other staff

Cannot be sped up

6
  • Perform buying duties when necessary
  • Determine if inventory quantities are sufficient for needs, ordering more materials when necessary
  • Check shipments when they arrive to ensure that orders have been filled correctly and that goods meet specifications
  • Contact suppliers to schedule or expedite deliveries and to resolve shortages, missed or late deliveries, and other problems
  • Review requisition orders to verify accuracy, terminology, and specifications
  • Compare suppliers' bills with bids and purchase orders to verify accuracy
What this does not say

This is not a prediction about your job

Nobody surveyed an employer. Tasks are counted equally, so a percentage here is a share of the list rather than a share of your week. And the ratings were made in 2023, which makes every figure a floor rather than a ceiling.

It must never be used to select anyone for redundancy. The full limits are here.

Where to go next

This is the standard task list for the title. The useful next question is which of the tasks you actually do should go near AI, and which should not.

Sort your own tasks Read the full report

Exposure ratings from Eloundou, Manning, Mishkin and Rock, GPTs are GPTs: Labor market impact potential of LLMs, Science 384, 1306–1308, 2024, used under the MIT licence. This page includes information from the O*NET Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. People Team AI has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Employment figures from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.