Asset Management: Survey Says...
-- Semiconductor International, 9/1/2000
Results are in from a study sponsored by Semiconductor International on capital equipment buying. Cahners Research contacted 300 people responsible for selection/purchase of capital equipment. Half the respondents worked at companies with international locations.|
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Here's what the survey showed:
" 90% of respondents said they were part of a committee.
" While engineers are most likely to determine the need for equipment, managers (general and engineering) are most likely to evaluate suppliers, upper managers most likely to approve the purchase, and the purchasing manager most likely to negotiate the contract.
" 31% will not consider suppliers who are not on the approved supplier list; 61% will consider suppliers whether or not on the list; and 8% do not use such a list.
" Product quality is the most important buying criteria (86%), followed by customer service and support (78%), price (74%), delivery (69%), performance (64%), reliability (53%), technical support (34%), production information (23%) and company reputation (15%).
" The biggest problems/frustrations in the capital equipment purchasing process were late delivery, equipment not meeting specs and lack of technical support.
" The buying cycle is fairly short: 72% said less than three months.
" The best information source cited for learning about vendors was meeting with a salesperson. Ranking second and third were articles and ads in trade publications ahead of trade shows, supplier Websites and associations.
" The Internet is used mostly to get company and product information. Only 9% of respondents use it to place an order.
" 50% always check with their international locations when buying equipment, but there is a fairly even three-way split between cooperation on purchasing, all the purchasing being done here, and all purchasing being done there.
