Product category:
Services for the Subcontracting Industry
News Release from: CapacityTrader | Subject: Subcontracting
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 09 May 2007
Website for subcontracting buyers and
sellers
CapacityTrader has developed a website which allows buyers and suppliers to go from enquiry to delivery in an easy-to-use, expandable on-line process.
Years of experience in the subcontracting market as both buyer and supplier have come together to build one platform that allows both parties to go from enquiry to delivery in a single, easy-to-use, expandable on-line tool Being able to see the buying process from both sides has enabled CapacityTrader to put together a suite of tools that relate to both the buyer and supplier, making their professional lives simpler
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 30 Jun 2006 at 8.00am (UK)
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Buying and selling are two sides of the same coin and rely on a detailed description of what is required from the buyers' perspective, together with a full capability profile of the perspective suppliers.
The CapacityTrader website guides the whole process from the up-loading of a detailed request for quotation to notification of dispatch.
Suppliers are given a wide ranging number of options in which they can classify their company such as certifications held, industry sectors already operating in and type of production volumes they are interested in.
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This is further complimented with the ability to up-load pictures of their facilities and type of work produced along side a detailed plant list.
Descriptions of how the company goes about its business and what services it offers are also added, giving a well rounded view for the buyers.
Suppliers usually pay a subscription fee but to celebrate the re-launch of the CapacityTrader website and all its new features, suppliers can get a free trial membership simply but logging on to the site and following the instructions.
The ability for suppliers to advertise spare capacity not only helps the supplier to smooth production levels but makes it easy for buyers to hunt for much needed capacity.
Buyers build a full request for quotation that includes drawings and detailed specification covering materials used and frequency of order including volumes.
The buyer can chose to remain anonymous to the suppliers at this stage if he so wishes and so reduces the number of unwanted calls and emails, declaring himself at the short list stage.
As with a lot of the features in Capacitytrader website you have the option to use as little or as much as you wish.
Buyers enjoy the use CapacityTrader website free of charge.
Notification of a project available for tender is sent directly to qualifying suppliers who can then access the details on the site along with a profile of the buyer and his past buying history through the site.
The heart of CapacityTrader is a communications system that allows open contact between both sides via the site, can link to your desk top email system, links all your activities and documents together as well as keeps an audit trail for all to see.
As communication is such a vital ingredient in the success of the sales process, CapacityTrader has its own project management system available to use free of charge.
Here a buyer can create 'Master Projects' that can contain various sub projects and each of the sub projects can be from a different supplier.
Each of the sub projects can have several milestones, and those milestones can be added by either buyer or supplier.
Descriptive text can be added at every stage and the information 'loop' is completed by the supplier closing off each milestone on completion.
To further enhance this tool, the buyer can elect to allow some or all of the suppliers to see either only their part of the master project or all of it.
As you would expect, the project management tool links through the communications system and so directly to your email in box.
The whole process is rounded of by a 360 review of the project by both buyer and supplier giving each other a rating out of five on five different elements of the project along with a short text comment.
This review and rating then attach to the supplier and buyer so building a peer rated side to their individual profile.
To post a project free of charge as a buyer or to take advantage of the free trial membership for suppliers log on the CapacityTrader website now and follow the links on the home page.
• CapacityTrader: contact details and other news
• Email this article to a colleague
• Register for the free Manufacturingtalk email newsletter
• Manufacturingtalk Home Page

