From Purchasing Magazine:
Supplier relationships, compliance issues take center stage when buying chemicals online.
By Rich Weissman — Purchasing, 4/10/2008
While e-sourcing has found its way into nearly every spend area imaginable today, buying chemicals online requires significantly more attention than most spend areas. A buyer’s need for detailed product specifications and regulatory compliance information often outpaces the need for speed in sourcing chemicals, and further emphasizes the need for strong supplier relationships.
Larry Giunipero, the ISM Professor of Purchasing and Supply Management at Florida State University in Tallahassee sees compliance as the major bottleneck in easily purchasing chemicals online. “There is an element of control in the chemical purchase that may not be so prevalent in other online purchases,” says Giunipero. “Buyers have to be concerned with material safety data sheets (MSDS), hazmat issues, and even DOT regulations for the transportation and storage of chemicals.” (more…)
