Caribbean secondary education

Certificate
Office administration
School based assessment

Name of candidates : Safeera Mohamed

: Chinthia Persaud
: Eric Yang
: Jada Havercome
: Justin Mars
: Tyrese Bayley
Student Registration Number :
Center Name :
Center Number : 090046
Name of Teacher : Ms. Ramdatt
Territory : Guyana
Name of School : St. Rose’s High School
Date of submission :

1
Topic : Procurement and Inventory Management

Title : To investigate the roles and functions of the Procurement

and Inventory Management Department and the importance of each document used within this
department at National Hardware Limited.

2
 Acknowledgement

The completion of this School Based Assessment would not have been possible without the
guidance and assistance received. The researchers would sincerely like to thank God for the
strength given to endure all the hardships faced in the completion of this SBA. Secondly, special
thanks given to the subject teacher, Miss Ramdatt, for her assistance and guidance throughout the
course of this SBA. Lastly, thanks to the respondents who provided the necessary data needed
for this study.

3
 Introduction

This School Based Assessment focused mainly on the roles and functions of the Procurement
and Inventory Department at a firm called “National Hardware Limited”. It engrossed mainly on
the roles and functions of the Procurement and Inventory Department as well as the documents
used by the procurement and inventory department. Additional information needed for the
completion of the School Based Assessment was also obtained in the process.

4
 Table of Contents

Acknowledgement.....................................................................................................................................3

Introduction...............................................................................................................................................4

Criteria One...............................................................................................................................................6

Title of the project.................................................................................................................................7

Objectives of the Project.......................................................................................................................8

Functions of the Procurement Department.........................................................................................9

Business Correspondence(letter)........................................................................................................10

Criteria Two.............................................................................................................................................12

Methodology.........................................................................................................................................13

Questionnaire.......................................................................................................................................13

5
 Criteria one

1. Title of the Project

2. Two (2) objectives of the project
3. Two (2) functions of the Procurement Department
4. Business Correspondence (Letter)

6
 Title of the project

Topic : Procurement and Inventory Management

Title : To investigate the roles and functions of the Procurement and Inventory Management
Department and the importance of each document used within this department at National
Hardware Limited.

7
 Objectives of the project

The objectives of this research are:

1. To find out what are the functions of the Procurement department of National Hardware
Ltd.
2. To find out how the preparation of purchasing documents leads to efficiency at National
Hardware Ltd.

8
 Functions of the procurement department

The functions of the Procurement Department are:

1. Determining items to purchase

2. Negotiating with suppliers

9
 Business correspondence (letter)

St. Rose’s High School,

245 Church and Camp Street,

South Cummingsburg,

Georgetown, Guyana.

November 16th,2023

The Manager,

National Hardware Ltd,

15 ‘A’ Water Street,

Georgetown, Guyana.

Dear Sir/Madam

RE: PERMISSION TO CONDUCT SCHOOL BASED ASSESSMENT

The researchers are Grade 11 students of St. Rose’s High School who will be writing Office
Administration in 2024. This letter is to seek permission to conduct a research on your
organization, in order to complete our group’s School Based Assessment (S.B.A), so that we can
receive a satisfactory grade at our Caribbean Secondary Examinations (CSEC). Our topic is for
this SBA is “Procurement and Inventory Management”, hence, our wish is to distribute
questionnaires to the staff of National Hardware’s Procurement Department and observe its
function. We would also like to find out how the preparation of purchasing documents lead to the
efficient running of your organization. All information that is acquired at National Hardware
will be kept confidential and we hope for your speedily reply.

10
Thank you for your consideration.

Yours sincerely,

Safeera Mohamed

Eric Yang

Chinthia Persaud

Justin Mars

Tyrese Bayley

Jada Havercome

11
 Criteria two

1. Methodology Employed
2. Questionnaire
3. Five Questions Asked by
4. Schedule of Activities
5. Regulation and Policies

12
 Methodology

This research was conducted as a requirement for the Caribbean Secondary Examinations
Certificate (CSEC) Office Administration School Based Assessment. As required, the
researchers chose to conduct this research at National Hardware Ltd. To gather the information
needed for this research, the researchers used both primary sources and secondary sources of
data collection to retrieve the vital information for this study. Primary data collection instrument
took the form of questionnaires while secondary data collection instruments used were printed
materials, information from websites and books.

Questionnaire

A questionnaire is a research tool featuring a series of questions used to collect useful

information from respondents. The researcher chose to used the questionnaire as it helps to save
time with its structured format that is predefined, making it faster for respondents to provide
answers. Another reason is that it helps to collect larger amounts of data, this is sp as it allows
for both open ended and closed ended questions. Questions for the questionnaire were typed and
the instrument was printed.

Questionnaires were distributed to respondents in the procurement department on the _________

and the time given to complete was _______. On the __________ the researchers collected
____________ completed questionnaires.

13
 Questionnaire

This questionnaire is designed to obtain information on the functions of the procurement

Department and how the preparation of purchasing documents lead to efficiency at National
Hardware Ltd.

Please indicate your answer by placing a tick (✔) in the check box next to the option chosen or
writing the answers in the blank spaces provided.

1. What is your gender?

Male
Female

2. How long have you been working in the procurement department at National Hardware
Ltd?
Under 1 year
1-3 years
4-6 years
Over 6 years

3. What is your position in the procurement department?

4. What are some of the duties you are required to perform while working in the
procurement department?

5. Why do you think that the procurement department is doing a good job in carrying out its
functions?
It’s able to consistently source high-quality materials at reasonable prices.

14
 It’s team has been able to establish strong relationships allowing for efficient and
effective procurement processes.

It has implemented innovative ideas and strategies

6. How does the preparation of purchasing documents by level entry clerks contribute to
the efficiency of operations at National Hardware Ltd?
The organization can ensure that the documents are accurately and efficiently
completed.

Allowing other departments to focus on more strategic business objectives.

Help maintain a standardized process for purchasing across the organization.

7. What are the common challenges faced by entry level clerks in the procurement
department while preparing purchasing documents?
Lack of experience in preparing purchasing documents
Insufficient knowledge of procurement policies and procedures
Inadequate training on data entry and record-keeping
Time management issues while juggling multiple tasks
Limited access to necessary resources and information
Difficulty in ensuring compliance with legal and ethical standards

8. How does National Hardware ensure that the procurement department is functioning
effectively and efficiently?
Conduct regular audits to evaluate the performance of the procurement department.
Implement a system of checks and balances to ensure compliance with policies and
procedures.
Provide ongoing training and development opportunities to the procurement team.

15
 Establish clear performance metrics and KPIs to measure the effectiveness and
efficiency of the procurement department.
Foster a culture of continuous improvement and encourage feedback from
stakeholders.

9. What are the consequences of poor procurement practices on National Hardware Ltd
operations and financial performance?
Higher costs for an organization
Delays in the delivery of goods or services
Increased risk of fraud or corruption
Purchase of low-quality goods or services
Non-compliance with laws and regulations

10. How does the procurement department contribute to the overall efficiency at National
Hardware Ltd?
Sourcing goods and services at the best possible price, quality, and speed.
Minimize costs, reduce risk, improve supplier relationships, and increase operational
efficiency.
Drive innovation, support sustainability initiatives, and enhance the overall
competitiveness.

11. What are the different types of purchasing documents that are prepared by entry level
clerks in the procurement department?

16
12. How important is the accuracy of purchasing documents in ensuring the smooth
functioning of National Hardware Ltd?
Very important
Somewhat important
Not very important
Not at all important

13. How does the procurement department determine the vendors with whom to do
business?

14. Who is responsible for determining the items to purchase in the procurement
department?

15. What is the role of negotiation with suppliers in the procurement department?

17
 Schedule of activities
Dates Activities
8th June, The researchers were given the School
2023 Based Assessment.
7th October, The researchers decided to conduct the
2023 research at National Hardware Limited
9th October, The researchers drafted and submitted
2023 the titles and objectives of the research
to the subject teacher
9th October The functions of the Procurement
, 2023 Department was completed and
submitted to the subject teacher
The introduction, acknowledgement and
correspondence letter, which was to be
taken to the organization to seek
permission to do the School Based
Assessment (SBA), was submitted for
checking by the teacher.
A respondent letter which was to be put
before the questionnaire was drafted and
submitted for checking by the subject
teacher
31st The researchers described the
October, methodology used for the project and
2023 created a questionnaire to be dispersed
in the chosen department of the
organization.
Five questions asked to the office
personnel were put together by the
researchers.
16th The questionnaire and five questions
November , asked to the office personnel were all
2023 submitted for final checking
Comments
The subject teacher explained the
SBA and gave a general overview of
what has to be done
This organization was approved by
the subject teacher
The tile and objectives were
reviewed by the subject teacher for
approval
Approval was given for the functions
of the department by the subject
teacher
The subject teacher reviewed the
letter, introduction and
acknowledgement and made the
necessary corrections
The subject teacher examined the
letter and later approved it after
necessary corrections were made.
The subject teacher examined and
approved the methodology. The
questionnaire and interview sheet
were approved after the necessary
modifications were made by the
subject teacher.
These questions were checked and
approved by the subject teacher
Final approval was given to the
researchers and they were guided on
their next step.
18
17th The researchers made contact with the The questionnaires were
November, organization and set up a time to drop of disseminated.
2023 the questionnaires.

30th The researchers returned to the The questionnaire responses were

November , organization to uplift the questionnaires analyzed and the next step was taken.
2023

A table of results was created based on The presentation of data was

the questionnaire responses and the data submitted to the subject teacher for
was presented using graphs correction.

19
 Regulations and Policies
Legislation

(PAYE)- Pay as You Earn, Section 93 (1) of the Income Tax Act, chapter 81:01.
One legislation governing the workplace is Pay as You Earn (PAYE) which was introduced to
the constitution of Guyana in 1994. This rule governs businesses to pay a sum of money to the
Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) every month for each employee. This sum of money is taken
out of each employee’s salary at the end of the month, then paid to Guyana Revenue Authority
(GRA).

Awareness of the Legislation Given

The researchers became aware of the legislation after hearing about it from the General Manager
of National Hardware Limited.

Health and Safety Practices

One of the health and safety practices observed was that fire safety provisions were available for
protection against fire. There was equipment such as fire extinguishers and fire alarms placed on
the inside walls of the building.

Staff Rule

One staff rule that the researcher had to comply with while carrying out the project is that there
should be no eating or drinking in the building. Signs indicating this were posted on the doors
and walls of the building.

20