Identify the Right Manufacturer Determining which suppliers truly want your business is not a rfect science. Some manufacturers will tell you when they can Ifill your needs, while others will hint but won't say no outright Hints can include requests to buy a very large minimum quantity, suggestions of alternate products, or the news that delivery is not possible for ages. The trick is that these comments aren't always hints to chase away your business, but legitimate technical or busi ness concerns that can't be avoided. After dealing with two or three potential suppliers, you will be able to identify those sup pliers who are serious about your business Obtain a Document That Details the Order Acknowledgment Require the company to document, in excruciating detail what they will produce for you. If the description isnt complete, detailed, and accurate, make the company do it again. If some thing goes wrong, it will be your only proof of what the supplier promised to do for you. RESOLVING PROBLEMS There is nothing inherently negative in the word"problem. " Its origin lay in phrases meaning“ anything thrown forward”or“to lay before. A problem provides opportunities to sharpen your research skills and ultimately improve the reliability of your data Keeping an open mind and an inquisitive nature when problems arise will minimize your frustration and speed the problems resolution Problem prevention is faster than problem solving. To prevent problems from occurring, read the information supplied with the product Suppliers usually work hard to determine what informa tion is required to successfully use a product. Although reading directions may be boring, it can prevent many problems. If you wish to use a product in a way that is not clearly described by the directions, consider asking the supplier the following ques tions before proceeding with the experiment Has the product been successfully applied to your intended application? Even when the answer is no, suppliers could help you determine the likelihood of success. Is it safe to modify the procedure in the manual? Changing the volumes of reagents, incubation times, sample preparation, tem perature of reactions, or any number of other seemingly minor Getting What You Need from a SupplierIdentify the Right Manufacturer Determining which suppliers truly want your business is not a perfect science. Some manufacturers will tell you when they can’t fulfill your needs, while others will hint but won’t say no outright. Hints can include requests to buy a very large minimum quantity, suggestions of alternate products, or the news that delivery is not possible for ages. The trick is that these comments aren’t always hints to chase away your business, but legitimate technical or busi￾ness concerns that can’t be avoided. After dealing with two or three potential suppliers, you will be able to identify those sup￾pliers who are serious about your business. Obtain a Document That Details the Order Acknowledgment Require the company to document, in excruciating detail, what they will produce for you. If the description isn’t complete, detailed, and accurate, make the company do it again. If some￾thing goes wrong, it will be your only proof of what the supplier promised to do for you. RESOLVING PROBLEMS There is nothing inherently negative in the word “problem.” Its origin lay in phrases meaning “anything thrown forward” or “to lay before.” A problem provides opportunities to sharpen your research skills and ultimately improve the reliability of your data. Keeping an open mind and an inquisitive nature when problems arise will minimize your frustration and speed the problem’s resolution. Problem prevention is faster than problem solving. To prevent problems from occurring, read the information supplied with the product. Suppliers usually work hard to determine what informa￾tion is required to successfully use a product. Although reading directions may be boring, it can prevent many problems. If you wish to use a product in a way that is not clearly described by the directions, consider asking the supplier the following ques￾tions before proceeding with the experiment: • Has the product been successfully applied to your intended application? Even when the answer is no, suppliers could help you determine the likelihood of success. • Is it safe to modify the procedure in the manual? Changing the volumes of reagents,incubation times,sample preparation,tem￾perature of reactions, or any number of other seemingly minor Getting What You Need from a Supplier 19