The survey was sent by fax to people with job classifications of purchasing, production, maintenance, and capital projects. Respondents have responsibility for buying industrial MRO, industrial OEM, electrical, HVAC (heating, ventilating, air conditioning), and PVF (pipe, valves and fittings) products.

The survey consisted of 14 questions. Two questions isolated customer demographics and the remainder asked respondents to indicate their agreement with a series of statements on a scale from 1 to 4 (1=Disagree, 2=Somewhat Disagree, 3=Somewhat Agree, and 4=Agree). Respondents who did not have an opinion on questions or were neutral were told to leave the question blank. Fewer than 1 percent of the responses were left unanswered.

Results from more than 100 respondents were compiled in a database and analyzed using statistical software. Surveys were faxed to a list of MRO/OEM buyers, mechanics, etc., using lists provided by MRO Today, a sister publication owned by Pfingsten Publishing L.L.C. The results are listed for each question along with possible explanations or reader considerations. The order of questions corresponds to the order of their listing in the survey.

View the survey instrument.

Customer classifications yielded a variety of functions. There were many stand-alone purchasers and maintenance buyers. However, many buyers listed their functions as purchasing and production, maintenance and capital projects, or maintenance and production. Purchasing agents or buyers made up 65 percent of the sample and maintenance/capital project/production personnel the remaining 35 percent.

Comparative statistics for purchasing agents vs. maintenance personnel yielded only two statistically significant differences (questions 4 and 11). The answers for both groups, however, showed little to no difference in their answers and perceptions of the outside sales force. In all except two of the 12 questions, there was no significant difference in the perception of the value of outside salespeople among both groups. The reason for this is unknown but it is opposite the current sales management belief that end-users of products and services value outside sellers more than purchasing agents. Sales managers who use outside sellers to describe detailed product value to the user/buyer groups should carefully consider the survey results. 

Purchasers and end-user/buyers covered several commodity groups. Analysis of singular product group purchasers and user/buyers yielded no significant differences among industries represented.

This article originally appeared in the January/February 2002  issue of Progressive Distributor. Copyright 2002.

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