What I do
I am a purchasing agent/customer service/secretary/invoicing specialist/transportation coordinator. Whew! There are more titles I could come up with but this pretty much covers the majority of what I do.
My main job is coordinating movement of frozen product from the company to outside warehouses. Then it is my job to take orders for that product from either our customers or brokers, then commit the order to our accounting program (Peachtree), then forward that sales order to the outside warehouse with details on when and where to ship it on their pool trucks or LTL’s (Less Than Truckload) if needed. Sometimes I have to deal with trucking issues, appointments, angry buyers and other such stuff that can be a major pain in my backside.
When bringing product in I have to produce purchase orders for the outside warehouses. It is a prenotice of a container from out of the country or a truck from the one plant we have in the states. I have to also pre-pay for containers to be processed on the west coast (union issues). We have 4 major ports that we bring containers in from Europe… New Jersey, Norfolk VA, Charleston SC and San Pedro CA.
I have over 25 brokers to contend with, who, all total cover over 75 customers. Of those customers, 95 % have multiple DC’s (Distribution Centers), with over 65% having 5+ DC’s. I cover every major grocery chain in the US, Alaska and Hawaii. Just an example: Kroger and all affiliates, Safeway, Albertsons, Publix, Winn Dixie and the military. I also have a secondary product that goes to half of the Wal-Mart DC’s in the US. We have over 10 different products including a cookie line.
When I am not placing or sending out these above things, I am invoicing those orders once delivered. Over 80 % of the invoices I do have to be done twice. Once in our accounting program and again in an EDI program that sends the invoice direct to the customers. Once that is completed I have to also file them.
I average 20+ orders a day; with more during the holidays where it can spike to 40. Turn that around and that is the amount of invoices to be done a day. Then add in an average of 5 inbound containers or trucks and 1 or 2 warehouse transfers a week. Then mix in the trouble calls from buyers, brokers, and warehouses.
At the moment I have a warehouse closing down… so I have had to produce an additional 22 warehouse transfers in just the last 3 days. I am also in the process of bringing in a new program to help ease my double invoicing duties… but all the customer and company information has to be plugged in. I have not had time.
This week also brought in the big bosses from Belgium AND the outside sales guys. Thankfully today was their last day. Maybe now I can get some work done. LOL I get paid well, but have no medical and that has been my major concern lately. I am definitely not getting any younger!
Well… that gives you an inkling into my daily routine. Are you as tired now as I am? 
Wow, I’m a church secretary. Right now we are in between priests because ours retired after 33 years. So I feel like a little indian with a dozen chiefs right now. It’s a little nerve-wracking but just for the moment. (I hope.)
I’ve been thinking about getting back into the legal field lately. And my mom thinks I should take a gander at politics with the things I want to change for our troops.
Thanks for sharing your day with us.
PHEW!!! I’m tired just reading all that. And I thought my job was crazy, and I just have to deal with psychologists all day long! Ever feel like you’re being analized all day long? It’s fun. Friday’s rock though because there are NO doc’s in the office, and we actually get work done that day (not counting the goofing off and LONG lunch break!). Keep smiling!
You bet that made me tired! Wow, you have been busy. I hope now that they have gone back to Belgium, your life can be somewhat normal again.
Not having health insurance is awful. You always worry. I hope you can get them to change their policies and get you hooked up.
Yeah, Whewwwww. Talk about multi-tasking. Glad for you that the bosses are gone. Maybe get after hours to get the new program up and running. Would be worth it.
Keep grinning…….
A lot of what you do, I can relate to having worked 13 years for a shipping company. Our headquarters were in N.J. but the company was actually a Puerto Rican outfit. I worked at the port here, documenting freight. Then I transferred to the maintenance dept. and did payroll, etc for the mechanics. My office was above the shop where the trucks came to be repaired. It was a great job, but unfortunately now they’re out of business.
I wish you had health insurance; heck, I wish I had it too. We just have to be extra careful, don’t we? Have a good weekend! ((HUGS))
Sorry, W, I meant to say the shop where they brought the containers! duh!!!