採購英文怎麼說?商務溝通必備字彙與對話整理

採購英文怎麼說?商務溝通必備字彙與對話整理
在現今全球化的商業環境中,無論你想進外商公司、從事國貿,還是在科技業工作,「採購」(purchasing/procurement)絕對是一個重要的技能。多數人以為採購就是「買東西」,但在專業領域中,「採購」還包括供應鏈管理、法務合約、成本會計以及高超的談判技巧。在今天的學習文章中,我們將帶大家認識「採購英文」的多元面向,並且提供「採購英文」的高頻字彙與實用情境對話,讓你掌握「採購英文」的核心。
 


一「採購」的英文用哪個?

 

Buy vs. Purchase vs. Source vs. Procure

在初級英文中,我們通常用 buy表達所有的購買行為。但在商務英文中,根據採購涉及的範圍與正式程度,我們需要更多的字彙。理解這些字詞的差異,能讓你在職場溝通中顯得更專業
 
Buy
這是最通用的字,用於日常生活中較簡單、小規模的購買行為。在商務場合,如果指的是少量的零星採購,也可以使用。例句:
 
Small businesses often buy office supplies from local retailers to save on shipping costs.
(小型企業經常向當地零售商購買辦公用品,以節省運費。)
 
Purchase
這是比buy更正式的字彙,普遍用於公司文件、發票、合約當中。它強調的是一個具體的交易過程,核心在於具體的交易行為,如發送訂單、付款與收貨。例句:
 
The corporate department decided to purchase a new fleet of electric vehicles for the sales team.
(公司部門決定為業務團隊採購一批新的電動車車隊。)
 
Source
這個字不只是「購買」,而是「尋找」,核心在於找尋、評估與選擇供應商。例句:
 
Our company is looking to source sustainable raw materials from reliable vendors in Southeast Asia.
(我們公司正尋求從東南亞可靠的供應商那裡,尋找永續的原物料來源。)
 
Procure
這個字通常指大型企業或政府體系中,一套完整的「採購」流程,包含標案、合約談判、品質控管,一直到最後的入庫。例句:
 
The government has strict regulations on how to procure medical equipment during a public health crisis.
(政府對於在公共衛生危機期間如何採購醫療設備,有著嚴格的法規。)
 

二「採購」的五大核心:The 5 P's

 
專業的採購不只是把東西買進來,更重要的是管理整個流程。我們可以用5 P's來拆解採購英文的學習範圍:
 

1. Proposal (提案與邀標)

  • Request for Proposal (RFP) 需求建議書
  • Request for Quotation (RFQ) 報價要求書
  • Submit a bid 投標
     

2. Planning (需求規劃)

採購必須與生產部門協調,確保庫存充足但不過剩。
  • Demand forecasting 需求預測
  • Inventory management 庫存管理
  • Lead time 交付週期(交期)
     

3. Pricing (成本與定價)

這是採購的核心,購買者通常會爭取最佳價格與付款條件。
  • Bulk discount 大額折扣
  • Payment terms 付款條件
  • Unit cost 單位成本
     

4. People (供應商管理)

採購不僅是買東西,更是與「人」打交道。
  • Vendor relationship management 供應商關係管理
  • Supplier audit 供應商稽核
  • On-site inspection 現場檢驗
     

5. Project Management (專案管理與物流)

確保貨物如期抵達,並處理合約風險。
  • Quality control (QC) 品質管制
  • Logistics and distribution 物流與配送
  • Risk mitigation 減輕風險
 

三「採購英文」高頻字彙

 

1. lead time (phr.) 交期

We must reduce the lead time to ensure the products reach customers on time.
(我們必須縮短交期,以確保產品準時送達客戶手中。)
 

2. vendor (n.) 供應商

Our primary vendor offers a better price, but their delivery time is often inconsistent.    
(我們的首選供應商提供較好的價格,但他們的交貨時間通常不穩定。)
 

3. specification (n.) 規格

The supplier failed to meet the technical specification outlined in the original contract.  
(供應商未能達到原先合約中提到的技術規格要求。)
 

4. backlog (n.) 積壓訂單

The company is currently struggling to clear a massive backlog of international orders.  
(該公司目前正努力消化大量積壓的國際訂單。)
 

5. compliance (n.) 符合

Our procurement process must maintain full compliance with environmental and labor regulations.
(我們的採購流程必須保持完全符合環境和勞工法規的要求。)
 

6. discrepancy (n.) 不符

We found a major discrepancy between the quantity ordered and the quantity delivered.        我們(我們發現訂購數量與實際交付數量之間存在重大差異。)
 

7. expedite (v.) 加快

We need to expedite the shipment to ensure the production line does not stop.
(我們需要加快貨物的運送,以確保生產線不會停工。)
 

8. liability (n.) 責任;義務

The supplier accepts full liability for any damages that occur during the transportation process.
(供應商對於運輸過程中發生的任何損壞承擔全部賠償責任。)
 

9. outsource (v.) 外包

To reduce costs, the firm decided to outsource its customer support to a specialized agency.  
(為了降低成本,該公司決定將其客戶支援業務外包給專業機構。)
 

10. payment terms (phr.) 付款條件

Negotiating favorable payment terms can significantly improve the company's monthly cash flow.
(談判有利的付款條件可以顯著改善公司的每月現金流。)
 

11. quote (n.) 報價書

Please provide a written quote for the raw materials by the end of the day.      
(請在今天提供一份關於原物料的報價書。)
 

12. remittance(n.) 匯款

The finance department has already processed the remittance for your latest shipment of goods.
(財務部門已經處理了你最新一批貨物的匯款手續。)
 

13. solvency (n.) 償付能力

We must verify the solvency of our business partners before signing any long-term contracts.
(在簽署任何長期合約之前,我們必須確認商業夥伴的償付能力。)
 

14. bid (n. ) 標案

Several international companies submitted a bid for the new high-speed railway project.       
(數家國際公司投標新的高鐵計劃。)
 

15. yield (n.)產量

Improving the production yield is the most effective way to lower the overall unit cost.   
提高產量是降低整體單位成本最有效的方法。
 

16. audit(n.) 稽核

Our team will conduct a supplier audit next month to check their quality control.    
(我們的團隊下個月將進行供應商稽核,以檢查其品質管制情況。)
 

17. bulk discount (phr.) 大額折扣

The vendor agreed to give us a bulk discount if we order in large quantities.    
(供應商同意如果我們大量訂購,將給予我們大額折扣。)
 

18. logistics (n.) 物流

Effective logistics management is essential for ensuring that products arrive at the warehouse on time.
(有效的物流管理對於確保產品準時抵達倉庫非常重要。)
 

19. overhead costs (phr.) 經常性開支

Reducing overhead costs allows the company to invest more money into research and development.    
(減少經常性開支使公司能夠將更多資金投入到研發中。)
 

20. defective (adj.) 有瑕疵的

We returned the defective batch of sensors and requested an immediate replacement from the vendor.       
(我們退回了那批有瑕疵的感測器,並要求供應商立即更換。)
 

四情境對話

 
以下是三個採購人員經常遇到的情境,請注意對話中如何使用上面字表裡的字彙。
 

情境一:談判價格 (Negotiating prices)

Buyer: Thank you for sending the quote. However, the unit cost is higher than our budget for this quarter.
(買方:感謝你寄來報價單。可是,單位成本高於我們本季的預算。)
Supplier: We use premium materials to ensure high quality. That is why our price is slightly above the market average.
(供應商:我們使用優質材料以確保高品質。這就是為什麼我們的價格略高於市場平均水準。)
Buyer: I understand, but we are planning a large-scale project. If we increase our order to 5,000 units, can you offer a bulk discount?
(買方:我理解,但我們正在規劃一個大型專案。如果我們將訂單增加到 5,000 件,你能提供大額折扣嗎?)
Supplier: If you commit to 5,000 units, we can reduce the price by 10% and offer better payment terms.
(供應商:如果你承諾購買 5,000 件,我們可以降價10%,並提供更好的付款條件。)

情境二:催促交期 (Expediting an order)

Buyer: Hello, I'm calling regarding Purchase Order #882. The original lead time was three weeks, but we haven't received the shipment.
(買方:你好,我打來是關於採購單 #882。原本的交期是三週,但我們還沒收到貨。)
Supplier: I apologize. We experienced a short-term labor shortage, which created a backlog in our production line.
(供應商:非常抱歉。我們遇到了短期的勞工短缺,導致生產線出現積壓。)
Buyer: We have a strict deadline for our product launch. Is there any way to expedite the process?
(買方:我們的產品發表有嚴格的期限。有什麼辦法可以加快這個過程嗎?)
Supplier: We will prioritize your order and use air freight instead of sea freight to speed up the delivery at no extra cost.
(供應商:我們會優先處理您的訂單,並改用空運而非海運,在不增加額外費用的情況下加速送達。)
 

情境三:處理品質瑕疵 (Handling quality issues)

Buyer: We just finished the on-site inspection of the latest shipment. Unfortunately, we found a major discrepancy in the specifications.
(買方:我們剛剛完成了最新一批貨物的現場檢驗。不幸的是,我們發現規格上有重大的差異。)
Supplier: I'm sorry to hear that. Could you provide more details about the technical issues?
(供應商:我很遺憾聽到這個消息。你能提供更多關於技術問題的細節嗎?)
Buyer: About 15% of the components are defective and do not match the original specification we agreed upon.
(買方:大約 15% 的零件是有瑕疵的,而且與我們原先商定的規格不符。)
Supplier: We take this very seriously. We will send replacements immediately and investigate the cause in our quality assurance department to prevent this from happening again.
(供應商:我們非常重視這件事。我們會立即寄送換貨,並在我們的品質保證部門調查原因,以防止此類事件再次發生。)
 

五字彙複習

選正確答案
 
1. To ensure ______ with the new environmental laws, all suppliers must submit a detailed sustainability report.
(A) discrepancy
(B) compliance
(C) solvency
(D) warranty
 
2. The long ______ for the raw materials caused a major delay in the factory's production schedule. (A) overhead costs
(B) backlog
(C) lead time
(D) bulk discount
 
3. Please review the technical ______ carefully to make sure the machine meets our requirements.
(A) remittances
(B) specifications
(C) audits
(D) bids
 
4. The vendor agreed to ______ the delivery because our inventory level reached a dangerously low point.
(A) outsource
(B) expedite
(C) procure
(D) audit
 


解析:
 
1. 根據句意,供應商必須提交永續發展報告,目的是「符合」法律,所以正確答案為(B) compliance。
2. 根據句意,導致工廠生產進度重大延誤的是原物料的「交期過長」,所以正確答案為(C) lead time。
3. 根據句意,為了確保機器符合需求,必須仔細審查「規格」,所以正確答案為(B) specifications。
4. 根據句意,因為我們的庫存已降至危險低點,因此供應商同意「加快」配送,所以正確答案為(B) expedite。
 
結論
我們在今天的學習文章裡,介紹了「採購英文」的多個領域,並且整理採購英文的高頻字彙與情境對話。如果學員們想學習更多商務英文,我們推薦巨匠美語的商用英文課程。跟著巨匠美語一起,持續探索更多商用英文的關鍵之鑰,讓你的英文表達更專業!