The Centralised data repository provides for catalogue data in a shared environment between suppliers and their customers.
All access is controlled by Login, and customers see only information relevant to them. It allows human buyers to view and source product data (new products, product images, specifications, safety sheets, data sheets and prices.
Once the data is in the central repository it can easily be used to provide a dynamic on-line catalogue in your own web site. This has been done by a number of suppliers already.
And once the repository is up to date it provided for accurate up-to-date data that buyers can use to populate their procurement systems and so set the platform for accurate electronic orders
Suppliers can either use easy online tools to manage data, or they can send the product information in excel spreadsheet or other forms to the T&HE and we will standardise and upload the data for them.
Also, the Timber & Hardware Exchange automates the process of sending updated product data to industry buyers. When a supplier updates their product data, we can send a Pricat (price catalogue) file to a buying group, e.g. mitre 10, for them to automatically update their systems. Thus enabling you to provide buyers with accurate information.
You can perform searches for products in number of different ways.
Once you select a Supplier then all of their available product will bee displayed.
By selecting one of the products from previous screen a full web page describing the product with the product image will be displayed.
Another way to search is by drilldown.
You can start with a category.
From a category you can select a sub category.
And then all products within that sub category will be displayed.
The T&HE can also produce a PDF of a product on the fly so that it can be emailed to a buyer or interested person.
Updating prices can be made with relative ease, as data can be exported to Excel. Prices and other descriptive information can be updated on your desktop before transferring it back to the centralised repository.
This is just en example of a report that you can create from product catalogue repository.
In this example Iplex produce a pipe Dimension report, which they can convert to PDF on the fly and email it to the buyers.