Beyond safety and compliance, the first priority of any supply chain activity is assurance of supply. Failure or disruption in the availability or delivery of materials not only affects how we can serve our customers, but also consumes significant time and effort in its recovery. We ask all of our suppliers to put meeting our schedules as their first priority too. We carry out a number of activities to help in providing well-constructed contractual agreements, forecasts of materials requirements, and we scan our supply base for possible hazards that could lead to disruption. However, no matter how thorough we are in this work, unforeseen events can and do arise, sometimes resulting in disappointment to our customers. When this arises, we ask for early notification of impending supply constraints, allowing us to work with you in resolving problems before they have any adverse effect. Thank you for all you do for Thermo Fisher Scientific, your service performance is something we value highly.”