I'm considering purchasing laser equipment and want to make sure I choose the right supplier. What are the key questions I should ask to validate a potential supplier?
Validating suppliers is crucial when purchasing laser equipment. There are three main areas you should focus on:
- Basic supplier validation questions
- Questions about support capabilities
- Financial and operational verification
Let's start with the basic validation questions. What should I ask first?
1. Basic Supplier Validation Questions
The two fundamental questions to validate any supplier are:How long has this supplier been in business?
Who are their existing customers?
Reference a bank's customer evaluation entry limits, the business operation history must be more than three years (longer is better), and they should have a substantial customer base (several hundred at least).
That makes sense. What about evaluating their support capabilities? What specific questions should I ask?
2. Evaluating Support Capabilities
If you value supplier supportability, ask these specific questions:How many full-time field service technicians does the supplier have?
How many full-time electrical and software engineers does the supplier have?
There are two types of laser integrators. One type sources every subassembly from the market, including software, and integrates them into a machine. They believe finding the right vendors helps keep up with technology advancement, but the shortcomings are obvious - not just compatibility issues, but also slow after-sales service response.
The other type develops the controller, software, and even laser sources, making integration more independent and controllable, with faster and more effective field service response.
To effectively support customers, field service technicians should comprise around 20% of total employees, with at least 4-5 full-time software and electrical engineers to support continuous development and necessary field service. Without this labor configuration, relying on subassembly vendors' labor won't deliver good support to laser equipment end users.
What about financial verification and other due diligence I should do before making a payment?
3. Financial and Operational Verification
Before paying the deposit, conduct a regular D&B credit check. This ensures the equipment supplier has good cash flow conditions and can deliver equipment on time.If necessary, you can schedule a visit to the supplier's factory to see their operations and employees firsthand. This provides valuable insights into their manufacturing capabilities and operational standards.
Thank you! This gives me a comprehensive framework for evaluating laser equipment suppliers. I'll be sure to ask these questions during my supplier selection process.
You're welcome! Taking the time to properly validate suppliers will help ensure you choose a reliable partner who can provide quality equipment and ongoing support. Good luck with your supplier selection!
