Why B2B Buyers Need PunchOut Catalog
PunchOut is a mechanism that allows B2B buyers to navigate to their supplier site from their procurement application. Today, medium to large buying organizations and even government agencies now want their suppliers to provide PunchOut functionality. The mechanism allows suppliers to integrate seamlessly with the buying organization’s procurement software. In PunchOut, data exchange between applications takes place commonly in cXML format.
With PunchOut catalog, you eliminate all the drawbacks associated with CIF catalog. With this functionality, individual B2B buyers get direct access to their custom catalog. The mechanism allows large customers to directly reach their Contract catalog that will display only the products and pricing that is part of agreement. It eliminates the need to calculate pricing manually that is part of contract. This makes it easier for B2B buyers to manage and control their purchasing process.
Also, buyers don’t have to browse endlessly through non-contract products to search their pre-approved product. B2B buyers are no longer needed to maintain catalog; it is managed completely by the supplier. As a supplier, PunchOut allows you to have complete control over what you can display to your customers. You can even do promotional activity such as product advertising through PunchOut and increase sale.
Moreover, you can provide product information in real time. This means any changes in product pricing and availability are immediately visible to the B2B customer. Unlike CIF catalog, making changes in PunchOut catalog is not at all a difficult job. It can be done effortlessly in minimum amount of time.
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