hesitate to explain why you're making this offer, and what you expect in return. This is part of"negotiating the relationship, " and you don't want to make such a generous offer without expecting something in return. ORDERING A CUSTOM PRODUCT A product whose composition or quantity differs from the catalog item may be considered custom by many manufacturers. Such specialized items tend to be expensive; the following sug gestions are provided to help you obtain the desired item at minimal cost and aggravation Vague specifications cause problems. If you call a company and ask for 100 liters of phosphate buffer at pH 7.5, will it matter how the ph is adjusted? Does it matter whether sodium or potassium phosphate is employed? Complete and detailed communication with the manufacturer is crucial. You as the buyer must take charge to ensure that the company tells you what information must be provided, specifi cations, and all other details. Ideally a supplier will ask several detailed, and maybe obvious, questions in order to truly under stand your needs. Be suspicious of companies that ask little and promise everything. Some custom products are simple to specify but it might not be feasible to thoroughly describe complex, or novel, products. In these cases it may be helpful to describe to the manufacturer what you don't want as well as what you do Know Your Quantity Needs and Frequency of Delivery Manufacturers can't determine cost, nor their ability to deliver the proposed product, without knowing accurate quantity require ments and the frequency of orders. Know Your Spending Limits Although you do not want to negotiate price immediately with a manufacturer, you should know what you are willing to pay for the custom product. This will shorten your list of prospective manufacturers. Document Your needs A thorough, comprehensive record of your answers to the pre eding questions will prove invaluable during your conversations with suppliers Tyre and Kruegerhesitate to explain why you’re making this offer, and what you expect in return. This is part of “negotiating the relationship,” and you don’t want to make such a generous offer without expecting something in return. ORDERING A CUSTOM PRODUCT A product whose composition or quantity differs from the catalog item may be considered custom by many manufacturers. Such specialized items tend to be expensive; the following sug￾gestions are provided to help you obtain the desired item at minimal cost and aggravation. Know Exactly What You Need Vague specifications cause problems. If you call a company and ask for 100 liters of phosphate buffer at pH 7.5, will it matter how the pH is adjusted? Does it matter whether sodium or potassium phosphate is employed? Complete and detailed communication with the manufacturer is crucial. You as the buyer must take charge to ensure that the company tells you what information must be provided, specifi- cations, and all other details. Ideally a supplier will ask several detailed, and maybe obvious, questions in order to truly under￾stand your needs. Be suspicious of companies that ask little and promise everything. Some custom products are simple to specify, but it might not be feasible to thoroughly describe complex, or novel, products. In these cases it may be helpful to describe to the manufacturer what you don’t want as well as what you do. Know Your Quantity Needs and Frequency of Delivery Manufacturers can’t determine cost, nor their ability to deliver the proposed product, without knowing accurate quantity require￾ments and the frequency of orders. Know Your Spending Limits Although you do not want to negotiate price immediately with a manufacturer, you should know what you are willing to pay for the custom product. This will shorten your list of prospective manufacturers. Document Your Needs A thorough, comprehensive record of your answers to the pre￾ceding questions will prove invaluable during your conversations with suppliers. 18 Tyre and Krueger