| B2B portal: A Business Platform to Ultimate | | | | disseminating important information to members |
| Productivity Improvement | | | | easily. |
| If somebody tells you that your present corporate | | | | Real time access to current product information |
| website can be converted to a B2B portal which will | | | | Current information of a product is vital for an |
| help you significantly improve your company's | | | | accurate buying decision. Updating product content |
| productivity in both of the two primary factors: | | | | and other information using customized forms as it is |
| Revenue Growth and Cost Saving, and that the | | | | necessary, the company can help buyers and other |
| portal can be launched in a matter of months with a | | | | associates to take critical decision promptly. |
| very reasonable investment, what will be your | | | | Control rogue spending Consolidated and automated |
| reaction? Read on to learn how corporations all over | | | | procurement and approval method stops maverick |
| the world are missing an opportunity, which can | | | | buying in a company. |
| revolutionize the way they manage their businesses. | | | | Main components of a B2B portal |
| What is a B2B portal? | | | | Supply Chain Management Supply chain management |
| A portal is defined as an access point to World Wide | | | | solutions can deliver great values to company's |
| Web. A portal is a combination of web pages, | | | | existing systems. Implementation of these solutions |
| features and services which become a primary | | | | will help achieving incredibly high return on investment |
| destination for users. The word was first used to | | | | and will have tremendous impact on company's |
| describe the sites of popular Internet access | | | | business, which include: better productivity, faster |
| providers or search engines such as AOL, MSN and | | | | order processing, greater visibility, the elimination of |
| Yahoo! At a later stage, the word "portal" evolved | | | | maverick or unplanned purchasing, etc. |
| into something bigger covering business websites, | | | | Marketplace This is the venue where the enterprises |
| where a corporate portal or enterprise information | | | | can post their products for sale. A sophisticated |
| portal acts as a base for employees, customers, | | | | shopping cart will be integrated into the electronic |
| suppliers and other associates of a company to | | | | marketplace in order to automate the buying process. |
| access corporate information and web services. A | | | | Auction Electronic auction system can use both |
| B2B portal is a distinct kind of website with features | | | | English and Dutch auction methods. For convenience |
| to conduct electronic business and manage significant | | | | the auction component can be integrated into the |
| parts of corporate business processes. | | | | electronic marketplace. Online auction helps liquidate |
| Benefits of having a B2B portal | | | | surplus goods easily. |
| Today, B2B portals are not just a fancy idea! They | | | | Reverse Auction This solution allows the company to |
| are an absolute necessity for all enterprises of any | | | | automate electronic procurement, where suppliers |
| type and size. The advantages of having a quality | | | | compete for business real time online. |
| B2B portal are massive. Implementation of a true high | | | | Storefront for Participants Each associate of the B2B |
| quality B2B portal could have immediate impact on | | | | portal will get a Storefront that may reflect profile of |
| company productivity. | | | | the company, its products, services or other |
| Revenue Growth | | | | information. |
| Revenue Increase from Existing Clients Existing | | | | Forum A Forum or a Discussion Board is an organized, |
| clients get faster and easier access to product | | | | on-line interactive message board where participants |
| information, quicker response to their requests, get | | | | conduct discussion on a set of topics by posting |
| better customer support and are able to buy | | | | questions, comments and responses. |
| products online. Revenue Increase from Value Added | | | | Internal Messaging System Elaborate Messaging |
| Services Once a B2B portal is set as the primary | | | | System allows a participant of the B2B portal send |
| sales channel, spared resources can be used to | | | | and receive messages from other participants and |
| create more value added services for clients. Some | | | | the company. Since the messages do not leave a |
| of the services that the portal may offer also could | | | | secured server, participants would not be worried |
| be utilized to generate more value. | | | | about sending sensitive information over the Internet. |
| Cost Savings | | | | Classified Catalog based bulletin board allows |
| Order Processing Cost If the B2B portal integrates | | | | company associates to post important notices in |
| supply chain management solution, it will reduce the | | | | various predefined formats. |
| cost of processing orders drastically. Studies show | | | | Directory of Companies This is a listing of all |
| that similar solution can reduce cost of processing a | | | | registered associates of the B2B portal either by |
| purchase order from US$ 70 down in average to US$ | | | | business category or by alphabetical order. An |
| 6 only. Sales and support costs Automated sales and | | | | advanced search engine tool is incorporated in order |
| customer support features integrated in the solution | | | | to find a company based on data provided. |
| is capable of reducing overhead costs up to 30 | | | | E-catalog E-catalog — a hierarchy of product and |
| percent. | | | | service categories based on UNSPCS, a global |
| Inventory keeping costs Clearer visibility and | | | | products and services classification method that |
| forecasting ability thanks to various features of the | | | | covers the broadest collection of industries and |
| B2B portal may help companies considerably reduce | | | | commodities available today, and designed to |
| inventory keeping costs. | | | | facilitate e-commerce transactions by providing |
| Other key benefits include: Low customer acquisition | | | | geography-independent common nomenclature |
| cost Effective portal branding on the Internet will help | | | | system. |
| to attract customers from new sources. The cost of | | | | Product Content Adding System Product adding |
| acquiring customers through online channels is always | | | | mechanism based on either easy-to-use wizard or |
| cheaper than other traditional methods. | | | | simple but detail forms allows users to integrate |
| Improve customer service Ability to have constant | | | | products or services with accurate and up-to-date |
| interaction with customers through the B2B portal | | | | information. |
| helps companies serve customers better. The B2B | | | | Product Notification The system can generate an |
| portal solution allows tracking the whole ordering | | | | alert and send by email to a user, who requested to |
| process from payment to delivery and brings greater | | | | inform once a particular product or service gets |
| efficiency in customer service. or directly buy | | | | added to the E-catalog. |
| products using the shopping cart Reduce sourcing | | | | Numerous other features could be incorporated to an |
| time cycle The customers can select products from | | | | existing B2B portal depending on requirement, such |
| the integrated marketplace of the B2B portal and | | | | as: News Aggregation using RSS feed, Contact |
| either sends purchase orders or directly buy products | | | | Management, Electronic Journal, Press Room, |
| using the shopping cart. Buyers handle all their | | | | Document Repository, etc. |
| procurement related correspondence from a | | | | Time needed to set up |
| consolidated working page, which helps them react | | | | Using ready made B2B Portal components from a |
| instantly and reduce time in document processing. | | | | provider like a medium size portal can be built or |
| Community participation Company buyers and sellers | | | | integrated to existing website within three to four |
| can create communities surrounding the B2B portal's | | | | months. By developing a B2B portal ahead of your |
| discussion board. This helps getting valuable | | | | major competitors you can give your business a |
| feedbacks on time, building new partnerships using | | | | significant boost and make your company stand out |
| the networking ability of a community, and | | | | from the crowd. |