Custom chemical manufacturers can expect their customers to turn up the heat on quality in the coming two years.

Nearly 60% of CPI buyers surveyed recently by PURCHASING say they will tighten their quality specifications between now and 2003. Biggest tightening will come from buyers serving the pulp and paper, food and beverage, and soaps and detergent industries. Less concerned with quality are buyers serving agriculture and mining and industrial gas industries.

Government regulations are one driver behind the push for better quality. ISO registration is another in so far as achieving certification requires that companies pay greater attention to the quality performance of their suppliers.

Some CPI buyers say their standards are rising simply because the tools and methods for tracking and measuring supplier quality performance are becoming increasingly sophisticated and refined. Moves to longer-term contracts and more cooperative relationships with suppliers are also improving the flow of information, making supplier quality tracking more effective. In situations where quality specifications are not expected to rise substantially, buyers say it's typically because the their products and the regulations surrounding them have long mandated exceptionally high quality standards (pharmaceuticals are a good example).