Evaluating a research product supplier

Ask whether documentation is lot-specific and whether it is available before purchase rather than after.

Ask how the supplier handles a pending or missing record. A supplier willing to state that documentation is pending is easier to work with than one that implies coverage it cannot show.

Ask about storage and transit conditions, and whether packaging is matched to the product format.

Ask who answers technical questions and how quickly. Sourcing is a relationship, and response time is part of the specification.