|
The Global Marketplace for Electronic Components | |
| Welcome Guest |
| Home | Log In | Buyer Area |
|
| About USBid | | | Solutions | | | Support | | | Site Map | | | Links | | | Contact Us |
| Confidence
Key to Web Purchasing By Gary Heyes |
| Leading technological development has turned many of us in the electronics industry into "early adopters" of leveraging the benefits of the Internet. So why does survey after survey show that we use the net to keep up to date on technology, search for components and search for suppliers, but when it comes down to purchasing online, Europartners estimates that less that three per cent of UK distribution sales are currently online. Company purchasing policies aside, this trend is actually fuelled by the fact that a buyer's job security is dependent on consistently getting accurate and timely deliveries. Purchasing professionals must be able to trust quoted stock levels, immediately buy the components they see listed, and know that they're getting quality components backed by a warranty. It's simple to set up a website, list some stock, and wait for the orders to roll in. The real challenge is to ensure that buyers can find what they need, buy what they find, and have it delivered to them on time and in working condition. Only by viewing each stage of the "Search, Find, Buy" cycle from the professional buyer's point of view, by making the technology fit, and by minimising the number of steps required to complete the buying process, will online services achieve their potential to provide faster, more cost-effective procurement. In spite of the availability of global access 24 hours a day, at mayny sites users must still contact the company during its local office hours to confirm stock levels, product specifications, and complete purchases. In many cases, this is simply because the buyer cannot be completely confident that the stock listed is actually available. Whether the site is the online presence of a manufacturer, a distributor, or a trading site, it will only gain the confidence of the buying community when it can guarantee the availability, quality, and timely delivery of its listed inventory. Once a website accomplishes these objectives, its online procurement success will be realised. Gary Heyes is president and CEO of USBid. |
| USBid, Inc. | Copyright © 1999–2009 USBid, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide. p1 | p2 | p3 | p4 | p5 | p6 | p7 | p8 | p9 | p10 | p11 | p12 | p13 | p14 | p15 | p16 | p17 | p18 | p19 | p20 | p21 | p22 | p23 | p24 | p25 | p26 | p27 | p28 | p29 d7 | d8 | d9 | d10 | d11 | d12 | d13 | d14 | d15 | d16 | d17 | d18 | d19 |