The Column - October 2008 - (Page 14)

Incognito The Column www.thecolumn.eu.com October 2008 Total Solutions — Really? This month Incognito asks how “total” are the solutions being offered by the “Total Solutions” providers! How many times have you been offered a “Total Solution” to an analytical problem by a sales person or service provider? How often have you truly needed a total solution and perhaps more pertinently — how often has it really been delivered? I was prompted to investigate after a fairly recent, and very unsatisfactory run in with a “Total Solutions” provider! A short search of leading literature sources and industry publications reveals that there are “Total Solutions” providers of mass spectrometry services, supercritical fluid chromatography systems, consulting analytical services, GC–MS systems for hydrocarbon processing, HPLC filters, ion chromatography systems, HILIC “mixed mode” HPLC columns, reversed-phase HPLC columns…and so the list continues. A quick poll of several industry colleagues raised many examples of “over promise and under deliver” from the “Total Solutions” providers. In some ways this can be seen as fairly amusing and one can enjoy swapping these stories — however, there is also a serious side to the phenomenon. Are we being seriously let down by the claims of our suppliers without holding them to account? Why do vendors claiming to offer a “Total Solution” often fall so short of the mark with instruments, column technology or support? I’ve described some specific examples here with a commentary on why I think we should be taking the “Total Solutions” threat more seriously. As always, these are personal interpretations and I would love to hear more examples from readers to confirm or debunk the “Total Solutions” myth… Author: Incognito E-mail: incognito@thecolumn.eu.com Several years ago I had a notebook containing names of folks within supplier organizations whom I knew and trusted to provide absolutely solid advice on packed or capillary column GC stationary phases, fixes to instrument glitches while they remained on the telephone to monitor progress, the supply of small amounts of HPLC packing materials for topping up columns, how to manipulate software to obtain a certain presentation of analytical results and advice on difficult separations etc. Unfortunately, I’m no longer in touch with a great many of these people who came to be a friendly voice in the face of adversity and were able to quickly and efficiently help to solve my problems. At the risk of sounding like a grumpy old man — these people and the service levels described just don’t seem to be available from modern suppliers or are only accessible via a premium priced support plan. Yet it would appear that modern suppliers claim to be so much more to the end user than the latter day companies I described above. Perhaps this is because of the increase in competition within the market place and the pressure upon vendors to provide the highest quality at increasingly lower prices — does the issue then rest with ourselves, the clients, for placing ever higher demands upon our suppliers. I’m minded to think not! I read the other day that a particular GC stationary phase was capable of providing separations for the “vast majority” of low to medium polarity analytes. Apparently there are HPLC columns capable of long-term use within the pH range 1.5 to 12 without any compromise to the analytical performance over 100000 column volumes. Another HPLC column is claimed to be good for “all of my HPLC method development needs”… I could go on. Frankly, I don’t believe that these claims are true, and far worse, how are the less experienced chromatographers within the community supposed to learn how to make informed choices on column selection when this “one column fits all” mentality is so prevalent? 14 Gary S Chapman/Getty Images http://www.thecolumn.eu.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Column - October 2008

The Column - October 2008
Contents
Rapid Fatty Acid Fingerprinting in Microalgae by Gas Chromatography: Analytical Opportunities
News
Incognito: Total Solutions — Really?
Market Trends and Analysis: Market Profile: The Analytical and Life Science Instruments Industry
Tips and Tricks: GPC/SEC: Understanding Positive and Negative Detector Signals
Biodiesel Patterns Reflect Quality: Analysis According to DIN EN 14103
Bringing Together GC and LC on an MS–TOF System
Q&A

The Column - October 2008