Engineers search for better response times to requests for information

Like just about everyone else these days, engineers and technical professionals prefer to use online search tools to research products or services prior to purchase.

According to a survey from GlobalSpec—a vertical search, information services, and electronic publisher serving engineering, manufacturing, and related scientific and technical markets—91 percent of respondents use the Web to locate components and suppliers. What's more, 90 percent use the Web to get product specifications, and for 56 percent, those specifications are considered the most valuable information gained when searching for products and components.

But while 82 percent of survey participants say they use the Internet for research—compared to 68 percent a year ago—their requests to suppliers aren't answered in a timely manner.

Engineers reportedly prefer to contact suppliers and manufacturers via the Internet (42 percent); while another 36 percent prefer email. Yet when using email to contact a supplier, 45 percent of engineers say they have to wait at least three days—and often longer—to receive a response.

"This represents a missed opportunity for both parties," says Angela Hribar, chief sales and marketing officer at GlobalSpec. "The communications lag slows manufacturers' research and development, and new product launches—and that affects a company's profitability. At the same time, suppliers are missing out on sales."

Many suppliers think responding to information requests within two or three days is sufficient, Hribar says, but the reality is that industrial professionals now expect a same-day response to their queries.

"We think a same-day response is a realistic expectation, provided suppliers have real-time data from their suppliers," Hribar says. "Companies have improved their response times, and now respond 6 percent faster than they did a year ago. But it still isn't fast enough. For suppliers to seize sales opportunities, they need to better understand what customers and prospects need, want, and value. Then suppliers must put processes in place that enable them to respond more quickly to customers' and prospects' requests."