MARKETING RESEARCH FROM THE STANDPOINT OF THE INDUSTRIAL BUYER*
HOWARD T. LEWIS Harvard University It should result in more stable operations on their part, giving them a larger return and assuring me of more dependstandpoint of industrial buyers, the men able sources of supply. I believe in marwho spend their company's money for keting research because the more my materials, fabricated parts, supplies, actual and potential suppliers know equipment, and repair parts and small about me, my requirements, my policies tools, and who buy these things not for and my problems, the better off we both re-sale but in order to assure the con- will be. tinued operation of the factory These various types of industrial goods are not The Meaning of "Quality" bought by the same procedures, decisions Stated very simply, procurement conregarding their purchase are not par- sists of getting the right materials at the ticipated in by the same people, and the right time in the right place and at the problems regarding their acquisition right price; it is the best possible comvary considerably. This complicates any bination of these four factors that makes analysis made by a research organiza- a good buy. This is pretty general, but tion, just as it limits to some degree note that it starts with "right material." any generalizations regarding the pro- What is this thing we call "right qualcurement pattern as between various ity"? Quality is that which fits a prodcompanies. Yet there is an emerging uct to a given use. The products vendors over-all pattern, and the basic principles have to sell are not simply good, they are are much the same in spite of necessary good for a given purpose, and the word and inevitable modification of their ap- "quality" is meaningless apart from the plication to specific situations. particular uses to which the buyer inAs an industrial purchaser, I am fully tends to put them. Furthermore, "qualconvinced that intelligently conducted ity" is a combination of