(verb) belabor, belabour
to work at or to absurd length
"belabor the obvious"
source: http://www.definitions.net
A previous post highlighted points to consider when negotiating with online database vendors. This may seem to be a trivial point to some … negotiation is negotiation. As librarian for Aramco Services, a Saudi Aramco subsidiary, I spent a lot of time working with our contract specialists. They understood contracts and negotiation. But they were not clear on exactly what was to be negotiated. My experience with a range of online resources helped us, as a team, deliver the best value for the Saud Aramco enterprise.
So, if you want to be able to find, at a reasonable price, the full text of articles like the following …
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Structural Studies of Vacuum Gas Oil Distillate Fractions of Kuwaiti Crude Oil by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance
Fatima Ali,† Zahida Hameed Khan,*‡ and Nargis Ghaloum‡
Central Analytical Labrotories and Petroleum Refining Department, Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research, PO Box 24885, Safat 13109, Kuwait
Energy Fuels, 2004, 18 (6), pp 1798–1805
DOI: 10.1021/ef040004f
Publication Date (Web): October 15, 2004
Copyright © 2004 American Chemical Society
Abstract
Nitrogen-free vacuum gas oil (VGO) distillate was separated, using preparative column chromatography, into five hydrocarbon groups: saturates (SAs), monoaromatics (MAs), diaromatics (DAs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PCAHs), and polar hydrocarbons (POLHs). The hydrocarbon groups MA, DA, PCAH, and POLH were separated into low- and high-sulfur compounds (LSCs and HSCs, respectively) on silica gel impregnated with PdCl2 (aqueous). SAs and LSCs obtained from MAs, DAs, PACHs, and POLHs were further fractionated into subfractions using gel permeation chromatography (GPC), based on their molecular size in solution. All the GPC subfractions were analyzed for elemental carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and sulfur, and for molecular weight. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopic techniques also were applied to elucidate the average molecular structure of selected GPC subfractions, POLHs, and HSCs. The SAs had average alkyl chain lengths of n = 13−15 and two naphthenic rings, and they were free of aromatics. The average molecule in the three groups (MAs, DAs, and PCAHs) contained (i) one aromatic ring, two cyclo-paraffinic rings, two alkyl groups on aromatic rings, and no bridged aromatic carbon; (ii) two aromatic rings, two naphthenic rings, five alkyl-substituted groups, and two bridged aromatic C atoms; or (iii) three aromatic rings, one naphthenic ring, four bridged aromatic C atoms, and four alkyl-substituents attached to the aromatic or naphthenic ring(s), with an average chain length of seven C atoms. The average molecule of the POLH group contained one S atom, four aromatic rings, four naphthenic rings, five bridged aromatic C atoms and four alkyl substituents attached to the aromatic or naphthenic ring with an average chain length of seven C atoms.
source: http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/ef040004f
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… if, as I say, that’s what you want, you have two choices …
1) Hire a librarian or other information professional to identify resources and negotiate terms, or …
2) Do it yourself
If you choose to do it yourself, you might want to read the article below (to read the full text, follow the link at the end of the excerpt).
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Vendor Pitfalls in Negotiating Large Multi-Year Contracts - or How to Lose a Million Dollar Contract
By Elaine Billingslea Dockens, Published on June 21, 2009
[Excerpt]
Introduction
This article is dedicated to the many professional vendor representatives (VRs) that I've worked with over the years. These are the reps who showed up prepared to do business each time they visited. During contract negotiations they honored themselves, the companies they represented and me by "bringing their A game" and being totally prepared to fully negotiate.
Many of the products they represent are sold by multi-year contracts and are negotiated at annual intervals. During negotiations my goal is to control expenses and look for discounts (and still keep a quality product). The goal of the VRs include obtaining or retaining our business and making a reasonable profit. When we both - firm and vendor - come to the table prepared to get the very best deal for our side, then everybody wins. However, if one of the parties arrives at the table ill prepared - we both lose. The vendor will probably lose the business they could have obtained or retained and the firm loses the chance to seriously consider the vendor in comparison to other vendors.
Below are comments on selected VR behaviors that I've witnessed over the years that substantially decreased the success of the VRs to obtain or retain our business. Hopefully these comments will serve as a guide to reaching a satisfactory conclusion to multi-year contract negotiations.
Ideas to Improve Contract Negotiations
1. Come Prepared: Know your product
2. Get to know your contact at the firm
3. Know exactly what is being negotiated
4. Avoid Customer Politics
5. Playing hardball. Statements like "we will not do X" accompanied by a non-blinking demeanor and the refusal to consider new ideas can quickly sour negotiations
6. Wasting valuable time
7. Mesmerized by their own product
8. VR Misstatements - Protect your credibility
Source: http://www.llrx.com/features/vendornegotiating.htm
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