Seafood

These forms are specifically for seafood; however, below we use other categories to help provide examples.

• Use these forms to set expectations, create a clear understanding of what is being ordered, and add consistency to your offering.
• Here is a simplistic example of why specifications are essential. Although these forms are for seafood only, as an example, imagine you are seeking to purchase coffee mugs. You could send out a request for a quote asking suppliers to provide pricing on a coffee mug or send out a request asking for a red coffee mug, which holds 15 oz of coffee, has a white handle, and must be microwave safe. In the first example, you can imagine the range of quotes and quality you would receive. When the product arrives, and you do not like what the supplier provided, you have no recourse because they delivered what you asked for, a coffee mug.  The second example offers precise details. This not only controls the quality and consistency of what you received but also levels the playing field when comparing pricing quotes. While this seems like a very simplistic example, it happens more than we would like to believe in seafood.  When you order a load of snow crab without a spec, you may get a great price, but you may also get a load of broken pieces. These forms allow for complete information on what you want.

• Use these forms to level set quotations.
• With all suppliers quoting to the exact specification, you can get an accurate gauge of your cost and eliminate the outliers.

• Use these forms to test the product to confirm adherence to the specification.
• The details of the specification documents allow you to confirm whether the product meets your expectations easily. Think of the 2^nd example of the coffee mug (again for illustrative purposes only). It would be very easy to see the color of the mug and handle to determine if it holds 15 oz and can stand up to a microwave.

• Use these forms to hold suppliers accountable.
• You paid for a particular product. If that is not what you received, you need to address that immediately with your supplier.

• Use these forms to elevate supplier performance & vet your suppliers.

• If you share a specification with a supplier and they know you are checking that specification and will hold them accountable to meet that specification, they will perform better.  Any supplier that has an issue with being held to a detailed specification is not a supplier you want to work with. The best suppliers will love that you are doing this because it will level the playing field for them. After all, their product will be getting compared apples to apples, giving them a better chance to earn your business.

• We believe that the retailer should complete the document and send it to the supplier.
• Completing these forms is a great learning opportunity for all associates on your seafood procurement team to learn about the industry. While you are completing it, as you come across questions, you can talk with your suppliers and learn about some of the intricacies they deal with and how slight changes in the spec may impact cost, quality, etc. The dialogue across all these species will be invaluable for your team.
• That said, there may be times that you need your supplier to complete the template for you.