A day in the life - Chris Donaldson, Business Support at MWI Buying Group

My first job of the day is always to check on the answerphone and emails to see if we have had anything come in that requires immediate action. This can be a range of queries from members, manufacturers, and suppliers. 

Most of the work I carry out is an asap situation however, I have two high priority tasks each month that do not have a flexible deadline, they are the Member Changes Report and assisting with the month end accounts. 

The Member Changes Report goes out to manufacturers, wholesalers and suppliers detailing any changes for our members throughout the month. The report ensures that everyone concerned is aware of our memberships status for the 1st of the following month, and results in our members receiving all the relevant rebates, savings, and discounts.

At the beginning of the month, I assist with part of the processing of the previous month’s accounts for members. My tasks involve inputting data from suppliers enabling us to invoice our members. Once the accounts are complete and available on our members portal, I then produce and send extra reports. 

Throughout the month my daily tasks vary widely. They include talking to practices regarding invoicing queries, net net pricing, new or alternative products, identifying their needs and putting them in touch with the relevant service provider and producing additional reports, to name a few. I provide portal training and demos to existing, new and prospect members, and provide support to the Business Manager’s answering queries, producing quotes, and providing information. I also manage the Business Academy bookings for our seminars that run throughout the year across the UK.