What should a buyer utilize to help ensure that products meet quality standards?

A buyer should utilize specifications to help ensure that products meet quality standards because specifications provide detailed descriptions and requirements for the product’s characteristics, including materials, dimensions, performance criteria, and quality benchmarks. By having clear specifications, buyers can communicate expectations to suppliers and ensure that the products being sourced align with industry standards or the specific needs of their business.

Specifications serve as a critical reference point throughout the purchasing process, enabling buyers to evaluate and compare products systematically. This also aids in inspections upon receipt of goods to confirm that they adhere to those defined criteria, thus helping to mitigate the risk of receiving subpar products. In contrast, while market research, supplier referrals, and consumer opinions might provide valuable insights into the industry or brand reputation, they do not offer the concrete, measurable criteria that specifications provide for ensuring product quality.