Evaluation of suppliers and of supplied equipment

ISTA Sampling Seminar June 16, 2014

Edinburgh, Scotland, UK

Jette Nydam, Gene Bank Curator

Purchase policy – why?

• ISTA says? • Good idea?

• Common sense?

NO not needed

• We can only purchase from one supplier! • No influence on the result what purchase

policy we have • The government tells us where to supply –

we have no influence • We always buy the best on the market

anyhow • We do not buy any equipment

YES – good idea

• Tool to avoid too many mistakes • Tool to improve • Tool to constantly and systematically

overview current and possible suppliers • You do not have to start from the very

beginning each time you need service or have to purchase

You evaluate both your purchase and your suppliers anyway - but without noticing

Purchase policy examples

• We only buy from ISO-certified suppliers • We only purchase from approved suppliers • We follow the purchase policy of our

superiors (government, company etc) • After purchase we always evaluate the

supplies and re-evaluate the supplier

Example

Small ?

Large ?

Station car?

Number of seats ?

Gasoline economy

Colour?

Expectations – a car

• Expectations • Doors can be closed, gears are functioning,

breaks are functioning, you can reach the pedals etc.

After receipt of car

ü colour ümark ü size ü number of seats ü delivery time ü price • Comfortable seats • Gasoline economy

Expectations?

• Colour of seat complete different – maybe orange?

• Take a tour in the car • Any surprises?

– Trunk cannot close without using a key? – Gears are functioning – but the rear gear is not in

the given direction on the gear stick!

Gasoline economy

• Gasoline economy – drive long distance etc.

• Comfortable seats? – sit in the car for a long distance – expectations, other ways of checking this?

Evaluation of the supplier

• Were you satisfied? • Did you get the car in time? • Did it fulfil your requirement? • Did it fulfil your expectation? • How was the service from the car seller? • Will you recommend him to your friends? • Etc. • Difference – to suppliers of sampling

equipment??

Requirement • Length and diameter of a

probe

How to check • Measure it and record

when the probe is received

Easy – easy color, length, width,

1.5 m

0.02 m

Requirement – The moisture bag shall be

moisture proof

– The divider shall not select

– The automatic seed sampler shall take representative samples

How to check

– Lottas presentations J

Easy to identify

– but not always easy to check

ISTA Handbooks

Difficult to define/identify

but easy to check

• The lid shall fit

• Bags shall be glued properly

• Divider pouring pan shall be of light material and/or have a handle

• Smooth handles

Because it is something you expect that is in order

Light heavy pans? Does the lid fit?

Easy to check

500 g 100 g Does it leak?

Difficult - difficult

• Some requirements are difficult to identify/describe and also difficult or time consuming to check

• Maybe you only know requirements from experience –

• and how often do you purchase dividers and automatic sampling equipment?

Requirement • The divider shall be

smooth and no seeds/inert matter shall get stuck in the divider

• Capacity of the automatic seed sampler

How to check? • Pour grass seed through

the divider then pea seeds – are there any grass seeds in the pea seeds?

• Time-consuming – run a whole seed lot, note the time etc.

Difficult

Records

Remember to record all your checks

J

Evaluating the purchase

1. Set up requirement to your equipment/supply and think about how to check after receipt

2. Make a check list 3. Perform the checks Recommendation: Checks very often include to go the extreme of the use of your purchase - if the checks show that the extreme can be fulfilled – then the equipment will also function under normal conditions

• CAR – Did you get what you

ordered? – Were you satisfied? – Was the car

delivered in time? – Was your

expectations fulfilled?

• Sampling equipment – Did you get what you

ordered? – Were you satisfied? – Was the equipment

delivered in time? – Was your

expectations fulfilled?

Evaluating supplier

Evaluate supplier cont.

• How was the after sale service? • Was it easy to get in contact with the

company - salesman? • Were the information from the company

sufficient? • …..

Evaluation - form

• For each point introduce one of the following: – yes/no, – graduation from e.g. 1-5 – wording like: excellent, satisfied, OK, not satisfied, – always space for remarks

Recording example

Supplier

Product Time management

Quality of delivered goods

Handling complaints

Conclusion

A Service automatic sampler

Excellent Excellent No complaint OK

B Moisture bags

Not OK OK Complaint about time, B never came back

Not OK

C Seals

List those approved

• ISTA accreditation standard 5.4.4 List of approved suppliers for the seed

laboratory ”Testa” Supplier Equipment

/service Approved date

Approved by

Remarks

A1 Probes 2014.03.04 QUA B2 Seals 2014.01.05 QUA

• It is easy to evaluate • It is relative easy to check the

equipment

• It is not always easy to set up requirement that can be evaluated

• It is often not easy to identify and get your expectations expressed as specific requirements

• But have a policy and a form to fill in

• Use your ISTA colleagues to assist you to set up requirements

• And the next time you buy new equipment/supplies it is much easier

Conclusion

Thank you for your attention