| Business to business e-commerce is on the rise! | | | | boast reverse auction system,where suppliers bid for |
| Worldwide B2Be-commerce revenues are estimated | | | | a deal posted by a buyer. |
| to reach around US$ 2 trillionin 2004. This is a | | | | As a supplier, you can participate in those tenders |
| significant leap from last year's US$ 1.4trillion. | | | | withoutany extra cost involved. |
| However, according to a recent survey, although, | | | | Low customer acquisition cost |
| morethan 70% of companies have already used | | | | Your mere presence in the B2B exchange might bring |
| Internet as a purchasingchannel, a mere ten percent | | | | you newcustomers! Since the buyers come to the |
| of their overall spending is directedvia the Internet! | | | | exchange themselves;your cost of getting customers |
| Contrary to popular believe, this means, | | | | through this channel isrelatively low in comparison to |
| B2Be-commerce has still large potential to grow. | | | | other traditional channels. |
| Internet has the capacity of changing the | | | | You can even increase your visibility by advertising in |
| conventional way ofdoing business. Today, you can | | | | thekey places of the exchange, where your |
| not only buy and sell your productsand services on | | | | prospective buyersfrequently visit. Being highly |
| the Internet, you can, virtually, shift all yourbusiness | | | | targeted, these ads produceincredible results. |
| processes to online solutions as well. If you | | | | Improve customer service |
| takeadvantages of new Internet based technologies, | | | | Ability to have constant interaction through the |
| the outcomewould be tremendously beneficial to | | | | B2Bexchange allows you to serve your customers |
| your business. How to dothis without spending a | | | | better. You cantrack the whole ordering process |
| fortune and not putting a huge pressureon scarce | | | | from payment to deliveryand bring greater efficiency |
| corporate resources? The possible answer could be | | | | in customer service. Theintegrated functions of an |
| B2Bexchanges! | | | | exchange such as sales management,internal |
| A B2B exchange is an online marketplace, where | | | | messaging service, lead management, etc. alsohelp |
| buyers, sellersand intermediaries form communities, | | | | you managing customers service process effectively. |
| exchange views, offerproducts and services, and | | | | Efficient information sharing method |
| conduct business transactions. | | | | When needed, you can instantly update your catalog |
| By becoming a member of a B2B exchange you can | | | | andinform customers about changes. Whether you |
| benefit in bothcost-saving and revenue increase - | | | | are launchinga new product or having a web seminar, |
| two primary requirements ofproductivity increase. | | | | through the B2Bexchange you can share the |
| New sales channel | | | | information more efficiently. |
| By becoming a member of a B2B exchange, you | | | | Some B2B Exchanges use sophisticated knowledge |
| open a low cost,highly functional and easy-to-use | | | | managementsystems to create, capture, reprocess |
| sales channel for your company. | | | | and reutilizeinformation intended for specific group of |
| You expose your company to a new targeted | | | | audience. |
| audience that otherwisewould have been untapped. | | | | These contents or information can be displayed on |
| Prospective customers can buy productsand services | | | | demandor in time to a member - when needed. |
| from you, using various venues and features of the | | | | Business processes management |
| B2B exchange, where you are a member. | | | | One of the primary objectives of using B2B |
| Marketplace: All B2B exchanges include a marketplace, | | | | exchanges foryou should be their ability to handle, |
| wheresuppliers can post sales offer of their products | | | | run and administervarious business processes. These |
| and services. | | | | solutions assist you tostreamline your business, |
| Buyers, looking for specific products, can easily find | | | | reduce overhead costs and reducedocumentary |
| bestsuppliers that suit them from the marketplace. A | | | | errors. |
| populatedmarketplace can easily become a good | | | | Using technologies in a bid to streamline |
| sales channel for asupplier. | | | | businessprocesses like supply chain is nothing new. |
| Electronic catalog: As a member of the B2B | | | | Companieshave been using various solutions to |
| exchange, you areallowed to add all your products or | | | | support productdevelopment, customer service, |
| services to theconsolidated online repository of the | | | | procurement and otherintegral processes for many |
| exchange. Adding yourproducts to the repository | | | | years. Before the Internetera, many companies have |
| helps to create online standardizeelectronic version of | | | | invested enormous amount ofmoney in infrastructure |
| your product specification - if youdon't have that | | | | building to automate supplychain process. Today, |
| before - and use the same catalog with | | | | thanks to the Internet, evensmall companies have |
| otherelectronic sales systems - even with other B2B | | | | opportunity to use highlysophisticated supply chain |
| exchangesusing XML interface. | | | | solutions for a smallcost. Many B2B exchanges, such |
| You can publish sales offer of your entire catalog to | | | | as Rusbiz.com, allow smallcompanies to use supply |
| themarketplace, eliminating a need for other web | | | | chain management solution for asmall fee. The major |
| presence. Youcan add products or services to the | | | | benefits of using supply chainsolutions include: |
| repository one by one oryou can use XML interface | | | | 1. Reduced sales time |
| to upload your whole electroniccatalog. | | | | 2. Better inventory control |
| Web Store: Some B2B exchanges allow you to | | | | 3. Lower overhead |
| convert orintegrate your website to their exchange. | | | | 4. Reduced manufacturing cycle time |
| This helps youto handle sales conveniently from your | | | | 5. Reduced cost of goods |
| website and themarketplace of the exchange | | | | Business to business e-commerce is evolving very |
| seamlessly. You can make a webstore from scratch | | | | fast. |
| with the help of integrated websitebuilder of the B2B | | | | The fact is, at one point, most of all |
| exchange as well. | | | | businesstransactions will take place via the Internet. |
| Auctions: One of the great features of many B2B | | | | B2Bexchanges are a way of building cost-effective |
| exchange istheir auction systems. As we all know | | | | e-businessenvironment on the Internet, which is |
| from the immensesuccess of Ebay, auctioning is a | | | | capable of producingconcrete and quantifiable |
| great way of sellingproducts online. Some exchanges | | | | business benefits to theparticipants. |