Description
When a scientist realizes they need a tool to solve an experimental problem he or she embarks on a journey. The journey may be simple and short or long and complex. This report examines the customer journey for life science products – the sum of the experiences a customer has when they interact with a company from searching for a solution, to considering alternatives, and ultimately making a purchase.
This report provides life science companies with rich, contextual data to highlight areas where scientists express varying levels of satisfaction with a process that differs significantly from that which they experience in their personal lives as consumers. The results of this study will be useful in aligning a life science company’s marketing and business processes with the preferences of their customers and provide more satisfactory customer interactions.
With 61% of respondents indicating they have evaluated alternative suppliers for their most recent purchase, vendors need to ensure they offer a seamless experience from the beginning of information gathering all the way through final order placement — or risk losing sales to competitors.
Based on the perspective of more than 900 scientific customers from around the world, this report delves into how scientists become aware of products, evaluate alternatives, select suppliers, and the navigate through often complex purchasing channels.
From the perspective of life scientists, the primary objectives of this report are as follows:
▪ Understand how customers are selecting products.
▪ Understand how many vendors they evaluate.
▪ Understand how they learn about vendors or products, and alternative products.
▪ Understand the purchasing experience.
▪ Understand factors that influence how customers purchase products.
▪ Understand e-procurement use, growth, perceptions.
▪ Understand institutional barriers to purchasing.
Table of Contents and Figures:
- Buying and Barriers
- Opportunities and Challenges
- Ideas for Vendors to Improve the Purchasing Process
- Ideas for Institutions/Employers to Improve the Purchasing Process
2. Supplier Selection
- Number of other suppliers considered during most recent purchase (NA, EU, APAC)
- Reasons for not considering multiple suppliers (NA, EU, APAC)
- Top 10 Suppliers within last 6 months
- Biologicals
- Research/Specialty kits
- Instrumentation
- Glassware/plastics
- Complete product solutions (that integrate instrument, reagent, consumables, etc.)
- Customized products
- Data analysis software
- How product most recently purchased was discovered (by customer segment (academic, pharma/biotech), age, product type)
- Methods used to order most recent purchase (by region (NA, EU, APAC) and product type)
- Ease of most recent purchase by product type
- Overall satisfaction with most recent purchasing experience by product type
- Ease of purchasing by stage (product discovery, information, pricing, checkout)
- Ease of purchasing by supplier
- Aspects of purchasing viewed as “not easy” by supplier
4. Contact With Supplier During Purchasing Experience
- Type of contact with supplier prior to most recent purchase (by customer segment, region)
- Reasons for contacting supplier prior to purchase by segment
- Ease of getting information from supplier contacted during purchasing
- Satisfaction with information from supplier contacted during purchasing
- Ease of getting information cross-referenced with satisfaction on information received (by supplier, product category)
5. Evaluation of Alternative Products During the Purchasing Process
- Were alternative products evaluated? If so, why?
- How alternative products are identified (by customer segment, age)
- How alternative products are evaluated (by customer segment)
6. Purchasing Channels and Methods
- Recent methods of purchasing lab products (by customer segment, region)
- Average percentage of purchases by method (by customer segment, region)
- Recent methods of purchasing by product type
- Methods used to place an order directly from supplier/distributor (by region, age)
- Average percentage of direct purchases (by method, region, age)
7. Use of e-Procurement as a Purchasing Channel
- Reasons methods are used most frequently to make direct purchases (online ordering, e-procurement, other)
- Reasons methods other than online or e-procurement are used to make direct purchases (by customer segment, region)
- Reasons online ordering is most frequently used (by customer segment, region)
- Reasons e-procurement is most frequently used
- Reasons why institution uses an e-procurement system (by customer segment, region)
- E-Procurement frequency of use (by customer segment, region)
- Estimated past 2-year change in e-procurement use by product type purchase and customer segment
- Expected change in future 2-year e-procurement use by product type purchase and customer segment
- E-Procurement brand by region
- Type of catalog used and estimated proportion of e-procurement purchases made (by customer segment, region)
- Overall knowledge of e-procurement system used (by customer segment, region)
- Importance of e-procurement system features
- Satisfaction with system features (by customer segment, region)
- Expected 2-year adoption of e-procurement (by customer segment, region)
8. Vendor Selection and Vendor Lists
- Barriers to purchasing products and services
- Selection process for life science consumables and equipment (by age, region)
- What approved vendor lists are based on (by customer segment, region)
- How institution/employer selects or adds to approved vendor list (by customer segment, region)
For sample data for this report, please download our report brochure, located on the left side of this page. For more detailed questions, or for assistance placing an order, please email us at reports@bioinfoinc.com or contact our sales department at 703-783-1710.
