Bài 15 — PURCHASING: Mua sắm · Đặt hàng · Kho & Vật tư
Chương 15 của truyện dài “Project Aria” — Aster Home Technologies. (Hồi II — Ra thế giới.) 20 từ (mục 11.1 Mua sắm & Đặt hàng + 11.2 Kho & Vật tư trong
vocab-list.md). Nhân vật chính: Ray Osei (COO) · Ben Tran (trainee) · Fred Okonkwo (nhân viên mua hàng). Cameo: Priya Nair (Tài chính).
Phần 1 — Truyện chêm (học từ qua ngữ cảnh)
Con số từ phòng Tài chính chuyển sang khiến Ray Osei chau mày: ngân sách mua linh kiện cho dây chuyền Aria bị siết đến nghẹt. Ông gọi Ben — đang ở chặng luân chuyển mới tại phòng Vận hành — và Fred Okonkwo, nhân viên mua hàng kỳ cựu, vào cuộc.
Việc đầu tiên là purchase (mua) linh kiện sao cho vừa rẻ vừa đủ. Fred lật cả xấp catalog (danh mục sản phẩm) của các bên bán, khoanh những mã hàng cần. Với mỗi linh kiện, Ray yêu cầu ít nhất ba supplier (nhà cung cấp) gửi quotation (báo giá) để so, rồi mời các vendor (bên bán) vào một vòng bid (chào thầu) cạnh tranh. Ai chào giá tốt nhất mà vẫn đạt chuẩn thì thắng.
Fred có mẹo: mua in bulk (số lượng lớn) để ép discount (giảm giá) sâu, thay vì mua lẻ theo giá retail (bán lẻ); đặt ở mức wholesale (bán buôn) thì rẻ hơn hẳn. Cậu còn săn được một đợt clearance sale (xả hàng) và vài mã đang markdown (hạ giá) từ một nhà cung cấp muốn giải phóng kho. Chốt xong, Ben học cách place an order (đặt hàng) đúng quy trình — phát hành một purchase order (đơn đặt hàng) cho từng lô merchandise (hàng hóa), ghi rõ số lượng và ngày giao.
Nhưng mua thì phải nhìn cả kho. Ben theo Fred xuống take inventory (kiểm kê inventory — hàng tồn kho): đối chiếu từng kệ, xem mã nào còn stock (hàng trong kho), mã nào sắp cạn để replenish (bổ sung) kịp. Vài linh kiện chủ lực đã hết, nhà cung cấp báo phải chờ — đang backorder (đơn hàng chờ vì tạm hết). Ngược lại, một số supplies (vật tư) phụ lại dư ra thành surplus (hàng dư thừa); Fred đề xuất đẩy bớt cho đỡ chật kho.
Mọi thứ tưởng đâu vào đấy — cho tới khi Ray nhận cuộc gọi từ nhà cung cấp linh kiện quan trọng nhất, mắt xích mà cả dây chuyền Aria đang trông vào.
Hết Chương 15. Giọng đầu dây bên kia ngập ngừng: nhà cung cấp chủ lực gặp sự cố, không thể giao đúng hẹn. Cả kế hoạch mua sắm khéo léo của Ray bỗng hụt một chân trụ. Ngân sách đã kịch trần, deadline Halston thì treo lơ lửng — Aster buộc phải tìm gấp một nguồn linh kiện thay thế, mà hàng thay vội thì chưa chắc đã lành. Chương sau (lesson-16): vận chuyển, phụ phí, và một lô hàng thay thế đến trong tình trạng đáng ngờ.
Phần 2 — Bảng tổng hợp từ vựng
| Từ | Phiên âm (IPA) | Loại | Nghĩa | Collocation thường gặp | Ví dụ câu tiếng Anh |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| purchase | /ˈpɜːtʃəs/ | v/n | mua; việc mua | make / purchase sth | The company purchased parts from three vendors. |
| place an order | /pleɪs ən ˈɔːdə(r)/ | phr | đặt hàng | place an order with a supplier | Please place an order through the system. |
| purchase order (PO) | /ˈpɜːtʃəs ˈɔːdə(r)/ | n | đơn đặt hàng | issue a purchase order | Each shipment needs a purchase order. |
| supplier | /səˈplaɪə(r)/ | n | nhà cung cấp | a reliable supplier | They rely on one main supplier for chips. |
| vendor | /ˈvendə(r)/ | n | bên bán, nhà cung cấp | approved vendors | Only approved vendors may bid. |
| quotation / quote | /kwəʊˈteɪʃn/ | n | báo giá | request a quotation | Ray requested a quotation from each supplier. |
| bid | /bɪd/ | n/v | chào thầu, đấu giá | submit / win a bid | The lowest qualified bid won the contract. |
| in bulk | /ɪn bʌlk/ | phr | với số lượng lớn | buy in bulk | Buying in bulk earns a bigger discount. |
| wholesale / retail | /ˈhəʊlseɪl/ · /ˈriːteɪl/ | adj/n | bán buôn / bán lẻ | at wholesale prices | Factories buy at wholesale, not retail. |
| discount | /ˈdɪskaʊnt/ | n | sự giảm giá | offer / negotiate a discount | Large orders earn a 25% discount. |
| markdown | /ˈmɑːkdaʊn/ | n | sự hạ giá | a further markdown | The parts had a 20% markdown. |
| clearance sale | /ˈklɪərəns seɪl/ | n | đợt xả hàng | hold a clearance sale | The supplier held a clearance sale. |
| catalog(ue) | /ˈkætəlɒɡ/ | n | danh mục sản phẩm | browse the catalog | Fred checked the vendor’s catalog. |
| merchandise | /ˈmɜːtʃəndaɪz/ | n | hàng hóa | ⚠️ danh từ không đếm được | Each order lists the merchandise and quantity. |
| inventory | /ˈɪnvəntri/ | n | hàng tồn kho | take inventory = kiểm kê | They took inventory of every shelf. |
| stock | /stɒk/ | n | hàng trong kho | in stock / out of stock ⚠️ cũng = cổ phiếu | The part is currently out of stock. |
| replenish | /rɪˈplenɪʃ/ | v | bổ sung (hàng) | replenish supplies / stock | The warehouse must replenish low items. |
| backorder | /ˈbækɔːdə(r)/ | n | đơn hàng chờ (tạm hết) | be on backorder | The chips are on backorder for weeks. |
| supplies | /səˈplaɪz/ | n | vật tư | order more supplies | Some spare supplies were left over. |
| surplus | /ˈsɜːpləs/ | n | hàng dư thừa | surplus stock ⚠️ cũng = thặng dư ngân sách | The extra parts became surplus. |
⚠️ Bẫy hay gặp: place an order — dùng động từ place, KHÔNG dùng make an order. merchandise = hàng hóa, danh từ không đếm được (không có merchandises). stock ở đây = hàng trong kho (khác nghĩa cổ phiếu ở Lesson 14). surplus ở đây = hàng dư thừa (khác thặng dư ngân sách ở Lesson 14). supplier ≈ vendor (đều là bên bán). backorder — đi với on (on backorder). inventory — cụm take inventory = kiểm kê. wholesale (bán buôn) ↔ retail (bán lẻ).
Phần 3 — Bản truyện tiếng Anh (luyện đọc/nghe)
Chapter 15 — Squeezing Every Dollar
The figure that came over from Finance made Ray Osei frown: the budget for buying Aria’s components had been squeezed to the bone. He pulled in Ben — now on a new rotation in Operations — and Fred Okonkwo, a veteran buyer.
The first task was to purchase the components cheaply enough. Fred went through the vendors’ catalogs, circling the part numbers they needed. For each component, Ray asked at least three suppliers to send a quotation to compare, then invited the vendors into a competitive bid. Whoever offered the best price while still meeting the standard would win.
Fred had a trick: buy in bulk to force a deep discount, rather than buying at retail prices; ordering at wholesale was far cheaper. He even found a clearance sale and a few items on markdown from a supplier trying to clear its shelves. Once the choices were made, Ben learned how to place an order the proper way — issuing a purchase order for each lot of merchandise, stating the quantity and the delivery date.
But buying means watching the warehouse too. Ben followed Fred down to take inventory: checking every shelf, seeing which items were still in stock and which were running low and needed to be replenished in time. Several critical components were gone, and the supplier said they were on backorder. On the other hand, some spare supplies were left over as surplus, which Fred suggested clearing out to free up space.
Everything seemed to be in order — until Ray took a call from the supplier of the single most important component, the link the whole Aria line was counting on.
Phần 4 — Bài tập TOEIC (tự làm trước, chưa xem đáp án)
Part 5 — Incomplete Sentences
Chọn phương án đúng (A/B/C/D) điền vào chỗ trống.
1. Ray asked at least three ______ to send a price quotation for the same component.
(A) inventories
(B) suppliers
(C) catalogs
(D) discounts
2. With the budget so tight, the team had to ______ every component at the lowest possible price.
(A) purchase
(B) replenish
(C) discount
(D) bid
3. Before choosing a supplier, the manager requested a detailed ______ listing the price of each part.
(A) merchandise
(B) surplus
(C) inventory
(D) quotation
4. Several vendors submitted a ______ for the contract, and the lowest qualified offer won.
(A) catalog
(B) bid
(C) discount
(D) receipt
5. Buying in large quantities allowed the company to negotiate a substantial ______ on each unit.
(A) inventory
(B) surplus
(C) discount
(D) vendor
6. Fred flipped through the vendor’s ______ to find the exact part numbers he needed.
(A) catalog
(B) bid
(C) backorder
(D) discount
7. Each purchase order specified the quantity and delivery date for every lot of ______.
(A) surplus
(B) quotation
(C) inventory
(D) merchandise
8. Ben and Fred went to the warehouse to take ______ and see which parts were running low.
(A) discount
(B) inventory
(C) bid
(D) catalog
9. When a popular component runs low, the warehouse must ______ its supply quickly.
(A) itemize
(B) dispatch
(C) replenish
(D) markdown
10. Several key parts were out of stock, so the supplier placed them on ______ until new units arrived.
(A) backorder
(B) discount
(C) surplus
(D) catalog
11. A few minor parts had been over-ordered and were now sitting in the warehouse as ______.
(A) inventory
(B) merchandise
(C) backorder
(D) surplus
12. Only approved ______ are allowed to sell parts to the company.
(A) inventories
(B) discounts
(C) vendors
(D) catalogs
Part 6 — Text Completion
Questions 13–16 refer to the following memo.
MEMO — Procurement Process Team, to keep spending under control, please follow the correct steps. Do not contact suppliers informally; instead, (13)______ through the system so there is a record. For every confirmed request, the system will issue a (14)______ with a unique number. Wherever possible, buy (15)______ rather than in small amounts, since larger quantities earn better prices. Finally, check current (16)______ levels before ordering, so we don’t pay for parts we already have.
13. (A) take inventory (B) issue a refund (C) place an order (D) submit a bid
14. (A) discount (B) purchase order (C) clearance sale (D) markdown
15. (A) at retail (B) on backorder (C) at markdown (D) in bulk
16. (A) stock (B) vendor (C) quotation (D) surplus
Questions 17–20 refer to the following notice.
NOTICE — Halston Components Co. To make room for new models, we are holding a major (17)______ on selected parts this month. All listed items have been reduced by a further (18)______ of 20%. We supply large factories at (19)______ prices and smaller repair shops at retail. Order now to secure essential (20)______ before they sell out.
17. (A) purchase order (B) backorder (C) clearance sale (D) inventory
18. (A) surplus (B) quotation (C) vendor (D) markdown
19. (A) wholesale (B) retail (C) backorder (D) inventory
20. (A) discounts (B) supplies (C) bids (D) catalogs
Part 7 — Reading Comprehension
Questions 21–23 refer to the following report.
Aster Procurement — Weekly Status With the manufacturing budget tightened, the operations team has worked to source Aria’s components as cheaply as possible. For each part, at least three suppliers were asked for a quotation, and the lowest qualified bid was accepted. By ordering in bulk, the team secured discounts of up to 25 percent. A full inventory check revealed, however, that several critical components are out of stock and now on backorder, with no firm delivery date from the main supplier.
21. How did the team keep component costs low?
(A) By paying retail prices
(B) By buying from a single vendor
(C) By ordering in bulk to earn discounts
(D) By skipping the inventory check
22. What problem did the inventory check reveal?
(A) Prices had risen
(B) The catalog was outdated
(C) The warehouse was full
(D) Critical components are on backorder
23. The word “source” in the report is closest in meaning to
(A) sell
(B) obtain
(C) return
(D) count
Questions 24–26 refer to the following article.
Marlowe Business Journal — Supply Snag Hits Aster Aster Home Technologies has hit an unexpected snag in its race to launch the Aria line. The company’s main component supplier has warned that it cannot meet the agreed delivery schedule, leaving several key parts on backorder. Because Aster’s budget is already stretched thin and its Halston launch date is fixed, managers must now find an alternative source quickly. Analysts warn that rushing to a new, unproven supplier carries its own risks — parts bought in haste are not always reliable.
24. What is the main problem described in the article?
(A) The main supplier cannot deliver on time
(B) The launch was cancelled
(C) Component prices doubled overnight
(D) The budget was increased
25. Why must Aster act quickly?
(A) Its stock is too large
(B) A discount is ending
(C) Its Halston launch date is fixed
(D) A new catalog is due
26. What risk do analysts warn about?
(A) Prices will fall sharply
(B) The warehouse will overflow
(C) Customers will complain
(D) Parts bought in haste may be unreliable
Phần 5 — Đáp án & giải thích
Part 5
- B (suppliers) — “asked three suppliers to send a quotation” = nhà cung cấp. inventories/catalogs/discounts sai nghĩa.
- A (purchase) — “purchase every component at the lowest price” = mua. replenish/discount/bid sai nghĩa.
- D (quotation) — “a detailed quotation listing the price of each part” = báo giá. merchandise/surplus/inventory sai nghĩa.
- B (bid) — “vendors submitted a bid… lowest offer won” = chào thầu. catalog/discount/receipt sai nghĩa.
- C (discount) — “buying in large quantities… a substantial discount” = giảm giá. inventory/surplus/vendor sai nghĩa.
- A (catalog) — “flipped through the vendor’s catalog… part numbers” = danh mục sản phẩm. bid/backorder/discount sai nghĩa.
- D (merchandise) — “each lot of merchandise” = hàng hóa. ⚠️ không đếm được. surplus/quotation/inventory sai nghĩa.
- B (inventory) — “take inventory… which parts were running low” = kiểm kê hàng tồn. discount/bid/catalog sai nghĩa.
- C (replenish) — “replenish its supply quickly” = bổ sung hàng. itemize/dispatch/markdown sai nghĩa.
- A (backorder) — “out of stock… placed them on backorder” = đơn hàng chờ. discount/surplus/catalog sai nghĩa. ⚠️ on backorder.
- D (surplus) — “over-ordered… sitting in the warehouse as surplus” = hàng dư thừa. inventory/merchandise/backorder sai nghĩa.
- C (vendors) — “only approved vendors may sell parts” = bên bán được duyệt. inventories/discounts/catalogs sai nghĩa.
Part 6
- C (place an order) — “place an order through the system” = đặt hàng. ⚠️ dùng place. take inventory/issue a refund/submit a bid sai ngữ cảnh.
- B (purchase order) — “issue a purchase order with a unique number” = đơn đặt hàng. discount/clearance sale/markdown sai nghĩa.
- D (in bulk) — “buy in bulk rather than in small amounts” = mua số lượng lớn. at retail/on backorder/at markdown sai nghĩa.
- A (stock) — “check current stock levels before ordering” = mức tồn kho. vendor/quotation/surplus sai nghĩa.
- C (clearance sale) — “holding a major clearance sale… make room for new models” = đợt xả hàng. purchase order/backorder/inventory sai nghĩa.
- D (markdown) — “reduced by a further markdown of 20%” = hạ giá. surplus/quotation/vendor sai nghĩa.
- A (wholesale) — “supply factories at wholesale prices and shops at retail” = bán buôn. ⚠️ đối lập retail (đã có trong câu). backorder/inventory sai nghĩa.
- B (supplies) — “secure essential supplies before they sell out” = vật tư. discounts/bids/catalogs sai nghĩa.
Part 7
- C — đội hạ chi phí “by ordering in bulk… secured discounts of up to 25 percent”. (A) trái (retail đắt hơn); (B)/(D) sai.
- D — kiểm kê phát hiện “several critical components are out of stock and now on backorder”. (A)/(B)/(C) không nêu.
- B (obtain) — “source” (components) = tìm nguồn/mua về ≈ obtain. sell/return/count sai nghĩa.
- A — vấn đề chính: “main component supplier… cannot meet the agreed delivery schedule”. (B)/(C)/(D) sai/không nêu.
- C — phải gấp vì “its Halston launch date is fixed” (và ngân sách căng). (A)/(B)/(D) sai.
- D — rủi ro: “parts bought in haste are not always reliable” (nhà cung cấp mới, chưa kiểm chứng). (A)/(B)/(C) sai.