Link quality assurance specialists have set out to determine a more precise definition of "best commercial practices" than is currently applied in procurement policies, which call for criteria less rigorous than those imposed under MIL-Q-9858 and MIL-I-45208. The term "best commercial practices" is understood to apply to those items which are neither complex nor critical, and such items represent the large majority of procurements made under military and commercial contracts. It has been Link's experience that quality obtained under "best commercial practices" ranges widely, from full compliance with MIL-Q-9858 to virtually no compliance whatever. Establishment of precise standards for "best commercial practice" leads to three desirable results: quality inspection costs are reduced, suppliers know precisely what is expected, and minimum standards are defined for training systems in general. Accordingly, we have developed four specifications that define "best commercial practices" to our suppliers as part of a comprehensive procurement quality assurance program.