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Unit 4: Business Markets and Business Buyer Behaviour
4.5.4 Product and Vendor Evaluation Notes
This step relates to the process of evaluation of the products on the list and the vendors. The
buying centre makes an evaluation to determine which products (if any) meet the laid down
specifications. Various vendors are also evaluated on the basis of criteria such as price, delivery,
service, warranty and credit etc. In our example of two-wheeler auto manufacturer, members of
the buying centre evaluate the paint-spraying machines in the consideration set according to the
evaluative criteria established by the engineers and technicians. The members also evaluate the
vendors of these products to determine their ability to supply and provide after sales service.
Some typical attributes listed below may be used by the buying centre for each vendor in order
to choose the most suitable candidate.
1. Overall reputation of the vendor
2. Financing terms
3. Vendor’s flexibility in adjusting to buyer organisation’s needs
4. Experience with the vendor in comparable situations
5. Technical service offered
6. Confidence in the sales personnel
7. Convenience of placing the order
8. Data on reliability of the product
9. Price
10. Technical specifications
11. Ease of product operation or use
12. Preferences of principal user of the product
13. Training support offered by the vendor
14. Training time required
15. Reliability of delivery date assured
16. Ease of maintenance
17. Expected post-purchase service from the vendor.
4.5.5 Product and Vendor Selection
Information gathered during evaluation stage is used to finally select the product to be purchased
and the vendor from which the purchase will be made. At this stage, the deciders and the buyers
from two-wheeler auto manufacturer’s buying centre finally decide to purchase a particular
brand of paint spraying machine from XYZ vendor because the product and the supplier measure
up to the established evaluative criteria. Terms and conditions, such as payments, delivery
dates, warranties etc. are both complex and critical in industrial markets.
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