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Capturing supply and demand

Markets are more than just places where buyers and sellers meet. Markets are places where perceptions of value are matched to create trade. It is crucial to recognise that a market operates as an information system, evolving and innovating to meet user preferences about value. Competition between vendors and changing preferences of buyers make trading patterns change through time.

Seen in this light, electronic markets built on information technology offer huge advantages. They are intrinsically flexible information systems built for changes in patterns of perceived value. Configured correctly, they allow vendors to adjust their offers, and buyers to express their preferences. At MAINHighway we see this open configuration as our goal when we create market hubs.

What's at the hub?

The hub is the place where multiple buyers and multiple sellers meet. On each side of any transaction there is a need for an array of preferences and permissions to be configured. Using two key tools, PurchasePoint and SupplyPoint, backed by our TollWay transactions system we can provide an integrated market hub implementation for closed corporate user groups or open community use.

Using PurchasePoint and SupplyPoint we can integrate the activity of multiple buyers and multiple sellers making plural purchases with the vertical supply chains of vendors supplying buyers within a competitive environment where prices, supply and products change.

The hub's role is to disseminate information to users. PurchasePoint and SupplyPoint both provide this information flow through browser viewers configured to allow catalogue, transaction and tracking data to be presented to the people who need to see it in the way that they want to see it.

Control of visitor traffic is maintained by the market maker (or community administrator) setting the rules of the market community. Main Highway's server based database solution for visitor management creates the shell of your market. The features of the market hub then include:

• Visitor capture and user authorisations within a permissions hierarchy for buyers.
• Configurable registration with guest log-in and full member user I/D and passwords.
• Full vendor configurability to allow each vendor to choose the way they want to trade with their chosen buyer group.
• Flexible catalogue technology to allow discounts, special pricing schemes and other loyalty based guest/friend/member discounts.
• Viewer based purchasing information through PurchasePoint to allow competitive buying, quotation seeking and/or tendering.
• Viewer based supply offers through SupplyPoint to allow competitive pricing, rich information and specification links, quotation and/or tender responses.
• Linkage to our TollWay transactions system to accept and clear payments and handle treasury and fulfilment.

Creating a market hub

The development of a market hub is a large undertaking. We cannot do the development requirement full justice here as it requires careful specification and design of each element of the market. Catalogue presentations and supplier or buyer interaction with the catalogue must be fully integrated. The underlying transactions technology of the market must be capable of controlling all the possible buy and sell flows within the hub.

MAINHighway has the skill and expertise to create a market hub to a mutually developed specification. Our technology has been evolved through real e-business installations across our communities. Why not contact us and let us combine with your sector commercial expertise to make your market hub happen?

Our Goals

With all its solutions Main Highway works to catalyse electronic working methods to lower overhead costs and increase productivity. Through our development program for all our communities and market makers we promote your presence, your activities, and your interests in operating a profitable networked entity.

Solutions in partnership:

The Main Highway community of communities wants to hear from any organisation seeking to develop a market hub. Our experience with a wide range of vendors and buyers with diverse needs allows us to offer a headstart in the analysis and design of a solution that meets your needs. Contact us.

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Perceptions in markets

Creating a multi-buyer multi-vendor electronic marketplace or "exchange" is no small matter. You must be able to dissect the perceptions and psychology of buyers and sellers in great detail.

Markets need to offer perceived value to both vendors and buyers and build in the capacity to innovate to meet changes in that perception.

Competitive markets need to be easily accessible by both vendors and buyers. Information flows must be transparent and credible.

Main Highway has the core technologies that can be integrated to create your market hub solution.

Your market hub
could be here too!