I work in the procurement department. Essentially, I'm a planner-buyer. I buy the parts that make up a computer. I don't have to source the parts though. Head office in Austin, Texas, decides on the parts vendors. We encourage all our suppliers to hold stock in a hub in Limerick and we call it off as required.

My responsibility is disk drives. I have to work out how many drives we will need at any given time. The requirements are based on our production plans. Timing is vital. There's no point planning to build X number of computers if the materials aren't available. Similarly you don't want to pile up supplies. Dell is an industry leader in inventory management.

I started my career in administration with Wang computers and moved into purchasing there. I completed an IPEX course in materials management at what was then NIHE, Limerick.

My work is challenging and varied. This morning, for example, a quality problem on a range of disc drives emerged. We have a range of options open to us. We could, for example, try to get a replacement product or we could decide to change production. Our priority at all times is to keep the production lines open.

In this job you always have to expect the unexpected. A supplier whose record has been impeccable can suddenly let you down. At times it's hugely pressurised, but it's ever changing and you can get involved in a wide range of commodities.