Chemicals are an integral part of the global supply chain. Manufacturers around the world rely on the transparency, reliability and compliance of chemical suppliers; manufacturers have to ensure that the chemicals they use are verifiable, and this pressure is increasing every year.
Here are four questions that every manufacturer should ask their chemical companies.
What is your internal quality control policy?
Of course, this is an important issue. Every chemical supplier should follow some, if not several, internal agreements to ensure quality. At Noah technologies, the ISO 9001 quality control guidelines are the foundation of our sound self-management program. We use the principles of the system and other industry guidelines (ACA, USP, FCC, etc.) to ensure that our facilities and our staff maintain a very high level of quality.
How do you help with compliance?
Compliance regulations developed by various government organizations at the local, state and federal levels place an increasing burden on the manufacturing business, which they should bear. The right chemical supplier will reduce this burden through continuous documentation, ultimate traceability and custody logistics chain. If you run chemical companies that puts most of your compliance responsibilities on you, it may be time to consider alternatives.
How are chemicals tested and analyzed before they arrive?
From a management and production point of view, purity is important. Not all production processes require laboratory grade chemicals, but the larger the production scale, the greater the role of impurities. Noah technologies uses a variety of widely recognized analytical techniques to test the purity levels of our chemicals before they leave our hands, including inductively coupled plasma, ion chromatography, laser diffraction, and more.
What if you don't have the chemicals I'm looking for?
Manufacturers can optimize their internal logistics by working with as few chemical suppliers as possible. Inventory range is an obvious advantage of large and medium-sized chemical companies. If the supplier is not ready for the chemicals you need, how long will it take to find a source? What is the process of producing specific chemicals or compounds in-house? Is there a chemist in the staff to help with complex requirements? These are important answers for manufacturers.
