How long have you been in Purchasing?
I have been working in hotel purchasing for the past six years. After graduating college, I started my career in Dubai within the purchasing department in a mid-luxury hotel group, proceeding to the Fairmont Dubai in January 2017.
What products in particular are you on the lookout for?
Once the hotel budget has been approved by the owners, each department head approaches the purchasing department with their inquiries in order to get the yearly procurement needs fulfilled. For example, we are currently on the lookout for bed mattresses and we have just recently completed a large-scale purchase of in-room safety deposit boxes for all of our 394 rooms and suites.
What is the biggest challenge in purchasing today?
As there is an increasing competition in the market between a large number of different suppliers, I personally feel that there is a transparency factor, which we always have to be aware of. Have we really done our market research well? Have we put all our forces to the market, in order to obtain the best prices for the hotel? I have been hired to get the best-priced products, at the same time not compromising on the quality.
What does a supplier have to do to impress you?
Transparency is certainly a key quality. If a guest has come to the hotel, they want hoteliers to be transparent and fair with them, and expect nothing but excellence in every step.
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