At which stage of the organizational buying decision process would purchasing and engineering personnel visit potential suppliers to assess their facilities, production capability, and quality control?

Answer: Purchasing and engineering personnel typically visit potential suppliers to assess their facilities, production capability, and quality control during the supplier search and evaluation stage of the organizational buying decision process. This is often referred to as the "evaluation of proposals" or "supplier evaluation" phase, which comes after the need identification and specification of the product or service.

During this stage, the organization has already defined what they need and have sought potential suppliers who can fulfill their requirements. Before finalizing the supplier, it's crucial for the purchasing and engineering personnel to ensure that the supplier has the capability to deliver the desired quality, quantity, and meet the technical specifications within the required time frame. Site visits are an essential part of this evaluation as they allow for a firsthand look at the supplier's operations.