The pandemic has created supply chain issues that have hurt nearly every industry. From low availability of raw materials to labor shortages in warehouses, there are many reasons for the disruption, but the result is that vendors are running short on lab supplies, causing widespread delays for researchers that rely on them.
Quartzy provides a centralized supply management platform that enables labs to manage inventory, as well as request, purchase, and track products all in one place. Our goal is to empower labs to keep supplies stocked so that scientists can focus on the important tasks at hand—groundbreaking research.
But even Quartzy has felt the supply chain struggle. Scientists have placed orders on our platform, only to find out later that an item they’ve purchased is out of stock and on backorder. The unpredictability and unreliability of the life science supply chain has caused frustration for you, our customers. And we heard you. That’s why Quartzy has made key platform updates to maximize product visibility, providing more accurate information about which items are backordered and a truer timeline for their availability.
Some vendors are simply more consistent about on-time delivery than others—the Quartzy Shop will now prioritize these vendors’ products in search results to ensure the most reliable options rise to the top of the page. We’ve also updated our platform to account for this historical vendor performance data. As users place orders, they'll be notified about shipping delays and related order status more accurately.
Our support and life science specialist teams and our order processing team have streamlined their communication process to alert you sooner about product delays. We’re also working with vendors to ensure they update their backorder statuses proactively and consistently, even if it requires marking items as “indefinitely” backordered especially when the vendors are unsure when the item will be back in stock.
Because of supply chain challenges, vendors are slipping up on delivery estimates, giving users arrival guarantees that are not realistic. Instead of relying on vendor data alone, we’re analyzing a number of data points to provide users with a range of 1-2 business days during which their order may arrive. This increases transparency, and gives users the freedom to make a more informed choice about what they buy.
There’s no clear timeline for when the supply chain will recover. But we’re committed to doing what we can to navigate the obstacles that remain. We’re holding vendors accountable for delivery estimates to prevent unforeseen delays and disappointment. We’re making improvements to our platform. And we’re here to answer your questions — our dedicated support team of life science product experts is available to help you look for equivalent replacements when backorders are inevitable and get you the supplies you need, fast.
Contact a life science support specialist today for all your order needs: support@quartzy.com