Buyclass Framework

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The Buyclass Framework typifies different procurement situations in a company . It was developed in 1967 by Robinson , Faris and Wind , which is why this concept is also known as the RFW framework. In 1987 it was empirically tested by Anderson, Chu and Weitz on two large companies. In organizational buying behavior (English organizational buying behavior ) plays an important role the Buyclass Framework. Because of its general validity and simplicity, the model is used for purchasing processes in industrial companies.

Procurement situation Novelty of the problem Information needs Search for alternatives
new task high very high significant
Modified repurchase medium medium to a limited extent
Routine shopping low very low is omitted

The Buyclass Framework allows 27 possible constellations (3 × 3 × 3), but only three procurement situations actually occur, which are described with three variables:

  • Novelty of the problem : How new is the buying situation for the buyer?
  • Information requirement : What amount of information does the buyer need to make a good decision ?
  • Search for alternatives : What is the significance of all other alternatives?

This results in three procurement situations :

  • New task : A new product or service is requested for the first time. These situations are rare, but they are very risky and the decision is considered very important. Therefore, the buyer has a high need for information and can choose from several alternatives. The number of people involved in the decision-making process (the buying center ) is very high. One hopes for new solutions from the seller rather than economically advantageous offers.
  • Modified Repeat Buying : Either this is a new task that has become routine or a more highly rated routine purchase. Examples are delivery problems, new products, possible cost savings or quality improvements. The buyer needs to change product specifications, prices or contract terms or find new suppliers. Think of a machine manufacturer who has to procure an electric motor that deviates from its own factory standard for a specific order.
  • Routine shopping: This purchase is the most common case and is usually carried out in a company by its own purchasing department. Appropriate performance and delivery are important. The buyer orders from the same supplier or selects another supplier from an existing supplier list. This purchase class can be automated to a high degree, for example by automatically scheduling inventory-controlled items in a warehouse in the ERP system and proposing them for replacement. The seller is expected to avoid errors rather than new solutions.

Some criticisms

  • The division into product classes is disregarded, indifference is assumed.
  • Quality and price are also not taken into account.
  • The search for alternatives is often determined by personal and organizational factors. Buyers who want to avoid complex decision-making processes when making their first purchases will consider few alternatives.
  • The importance of buying and the complexity of the procurement process are ignored. Buying lightbulbs for the first time requires more effort and care than replacing the entire vehicle fleet in a company.
  • The role of novelty is overrated in the process.
  • There is only a small number of empirical tests.

Improvements to the model

  • Anderson, Chu and Weitz (1987) recommend changing the previous model. Your version consists only of the novelty of the problem and the need for information. The search for alternatives is no longer necessary, as it behaves differently in reality than in theory. They cite supplier loyalty as a possible explanation for this - the search for alternatives is also omitted in the situation of the new task - and the importance of the procurement process neglected in the Buyclass Framework.
Procurement situation Novelty of the problem Information needs
new task high very high
Modified repurchase medium medium
Routine shopping low very low
  • Lehmann & O'Shaughnessy (1974) expanded the model to include the following four categories: routine, process, solution and political problems.

Practical use

In the context of capital goods marketing, the Buyclass Framework can be used to specifically satisfy the specific information needs of the individual interested parties. While customers need a lot of information in a "new buy" situation, customers need less information in the other situations and also different information and the purchase criteria are different. In a routine purchase situation, for example, it can be a matter of making repurchases as convenient as possible, for example through the largely automated exchange of information between buyer and seller.

literature

  • PJ Robinson, CW Faris & Y Wind: Industrial Buying and Creative Marketing , Allyn & Bacon Boston 1967.
  • Erin Anderson, Wujin Chu & Barton Weitz: Industrial Purchasing: An Empirical Evaluation of the Buyclass Framework , Journal of Marketing, Vol. 51 (July 1987), 71-86 PDF
  • Oskar Grün: Industrielle Materialwirtschaft , in: Schweitzer, Marcel (Ed.): Industriebetriebslehre, 2nd edition, Munich 1994, pp. 561-562. ISBN 3-8006-1755-2
  • Jagdish N. Sheth, Banwari Mittal: Customer Behavior - A Managerial Perspective , Forth Worth, TX 2003, ISBN 0-03-034336-4 : Institution Customer Decision Making: Household, Business, and Government : Buying Behavior associated with buyclasses Slide 26 ( MS PowerPoint ; 313 kB)