Most supplier disputes trace back to an ambiguous specification. This guide covers the fields that should be stated explicitly.
A product name is not a specification. Two buyers using the same name may intend different sequences, different salt forms or different modification sets. State the sequence class, any modifications, the salt or counter-ion form and the molecular weight range against which the batch will be released.
A purity target without a method is not measurable. State the target as an area percentage and name the method — for example, reverse-phase HPLC at a stated wavelength. Where the analytical requirement is contractual, state the column and gradient too, so that a comparable result can be reproduced.
The quantity required and the packaging format interact. State whether the quantity is required as a single unit or distributed across vials matching an internal aliquotting procedure. This is the field most often left unstated and most likely to require rework.
State which documents are required, in what format, and referencing which numbering convention. If the institutional review process uses a certificate template, provide it at quotation stage. Documentation requirements discovered after dispatch are expensive to resolve.
Value, not only storage position. This is the field most often left unstated and most likely to require rework.
| Field | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Sequence class & modifications | Removes ambiguity where a product name maps to more than one structure |
| Salt / counter-ion form | Affects molecular weight, solubility and the identity comparison |
| Purity target & method | Makes the release criterion measurable rather than aspirational |
| Quantity & packaging | Determines filling, unit count and handling fit |
| Documentation format | Prevents a certificate that cannot be filed against the internal record |
| Analytical criteria | Enables verification at goods-in without a further request |
| Storage & shipping regime | Matches packing and temperature control to the material |
| Internal reference / tender no. | Links the supply to the correct cost centre or procurement file |
Send the catalogue reference or target sequence, required purity, quantity and destination. The procurement desk returns a formal quotation with the documentation package and lead time.