Fostering Vendor-Researcher Relationships

I think that their biggest problem and what they're struggling the most with is really connecting with the research user.

Dr. Amy Stone, University of Washington (podcast interview)

Researchers are often wary of industry and whether vendors are prioritizing profit over science. Mere transactions between companies and academic labs are not enough to foster meaningful relationships and build trust.

Peer reviewer speaking to a STEMCELL Technologies employee

Three scientists peer reviewed us and challenged us to break down the barriers between vendors and researchers for the sake of scientific progress. We are stepping up to that challenge and promoting transparency and better communication with the research community. This starts with sharing our corporate priorities and continues by improving our modes of connecting with researchers.

Putting Progress Above Profits

The profits basically get fed back to the company for R&D and product improvements. There aren’t any investors, there aren’t any shareholders. As someone who is funded by charity, that’s something that sits well with me.

Dr. Fiona Frame, University of York (podcast interview)

At STEMCELL, we are not in business to get rich. We are here to help move science forward. We invest our profits back into research and development, or infrastructure. This lets us continue to meet our goal of developing and providing products to support the progress of scientific research. Without having to worry about any shareholder’s needs.

When I met Allen, what really stood out to me was, he cares about putting out products to support scientists. And when I asked him, ‘What drives you to do this?’, the answer really was, ‘I want to make a scientist’s life easier.'

Dr. Amy Stone, University of Washington (documentary)


Integrity at All Cost

They've been open about things that don't work. I think that speaks to their integrity, where you're willing to say, 'This is the best solution that we've got. Maybe it's not the best solution.' That's been up front.

Dr. Craig Ayre, Atlantic Research Institute (podcast interview)

Your research success and our integrity come first. If a product doesn't work, a typical vendor might simply send you a new one. We are taking a different approach to technical support and work to make sure you have the right product for your needs. Even if it costs us time and resources.

Craig Ayre, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow

I bought STEMCELL products, and one of them didn't work at all. I called and got in touch with support. They asked for my data, my numbers, all the files that I generated using this product. They emailed back and said, 'Have you tried this? Have you tried that?' At the end of the day, it still didn't work. So they said, 'You know what, don't use that product.'

Dr. Craig Ayre, Atlantic Research Institute (podcast interview)

We are taking action to be where you need us. We have upgraded our live chat web platform and have increased the number of trained agents available to provide worldwide 24/6 coverage, meaning you can reach support when it is convenient to you, wherever you are. As we continue to grow, we will be increasing the number of representatives and languages available to serve you, while also reducing territory sizes to ensure that we can continue to offer personalized service. Together these measure will improve access to support. We are also increasing our community engagement via various social media accounts to provide further opportunities for connection.

In terms of the support services that are provided by STEMCELL, it really is a case of trying to troubleshoot together, to solve the problem. But it's a two-way street. The scientist does have to give enough information so that the technical specialist is able to help them.

Dr. Fiona Frame, University of York (documentary)

Like research, creating quality products for a wide range of applications is a stepwise process. We take great pains to make sure we present the best solutions we possibly can. But nothing is perfect, especially in science. We need and value your feedback on how you are getting our tools to work (or not), to continue improving our products for everyone. Connect with us—we'd love to hear from you.

Three scientists peer reviewed STEMCELL Technologies

The Peer Review

Find out more about the peer review initiative that prompted us to work on how we can improve our relationships with the scientists who use our products.

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