[Guest Article by Roman Rytov, CEO of EREZTECH] Even in the specifications-driven chemical commodity markets, price cannot be the sole deciding factor for the discriminating specifier of metal-organics: the stakes are simply too high.
Of course, price is a necessary qualifier. But the specifier is entering into a commitment that typically goes on for years — and decisions made early on become more tightly “locked in” at each development milestone.
This article is to help you enter into — with your eyes wide open — a highly productive relationship with a new chemical supplier. Here are 10 steps to qualify and access your new organometallics supply partner:
Of course, price is a necessary qualifier. But the specifier is entering into a commitment that typically goes on for years — and decisions made early on become more tightly “locked in” at each development milestone.
This article is to help you enter into — with your eyes wide open — a highly productive relationship with a new chemical supplier. Here are 10 steps to qualify and access your new organometallics supply partner:
1. Increasingly stringent purity standards
Needless to say, your purity specifications must be met — now and forever — no matter what. In the high purity fine and specialty chemicals markets, purity can be measured out to 3, 4, or even 5 decimal places. What are their metrology capabilities?
Ask how you new supplier handles requests for higher purity standards than they’ve previously delivered. And what programs they have in place to continuously manufacture to those new, higher standards.
2. How to quantify their level of service?
Everyone says they have great service. So here are some pointed questions to ask a potential chemical supplier:
- How quickly can I expect your sales reps to respond to my inquiries?
- How knowledgeable is the sales staff about the R&D and production development process?
- How, specifically, will your company move from the R&D stage of the custom synthesis of metal-organics to the milestones for the required production quantities?
- How will any questions I have regarding compliance, accounting, packaging, and shipping be resolved?
All aspects of the business should be considered when creating an impression of the supplier: from the very first phone call to each subsequent interaction.