The first step in a market search is identifying what criteria are you looking for in a new instrument. This information will be available if you did a thorough study of the essential system and instrument criteria you want for a new instrument. You can do an online search, use feedback from colleagues, and contact vendors to identify potential instruments. Once you have a list of potential instruments, it is best to compare the equipment features to your essential system and instrument criteria and pick the top two or three for further study. The next step is to develop a comprehensive request for proposal (RFP).
