See you on the Web
A complete list of who to watch when it comes to MRO e-commerce
By Sara Procknow -- Industrial Distribution, 12/1/1999
While composing my final On the Web column for ID, I decided to use this farewell piece to share with you a roster of who's who among the key e-commerce players. So, before I bid my farewells, here's my own compilation of movers and shakers in the industry. These e-commercecompanies are challenging each other and distribution in general in an all out tug-of-war in the MRO industry.
No list is ever complete, and as with the Internet, there are bound to be more additions before you can even log-on to some of these sites. But here's a few (their URL's appear first) to keep your eye on, and most importantly, learn from.
Eventory.com: With the backing of several industry observers and a former MSC executive on board, it is set to launch in the first-quarter of 2000.
Freemarkets.com: An auction site for industrial parts, raw materials and commodities that's been around since 1998.
Marketsite.net: Commerce One's business-to-business site for e-commerce. Its goal is to link buying and supplying organizations into real-time trading communities.
OrderZone.com: Any list would be remiss if it failed to make mention of Grainger's multi-supplier e-commerce site that offers buyers everything from MRO and office supplies to electrical hardware.
Partminer.com: For the electronics industry, a purchasing tool for searching for parts and supplies on the Internet.
ProcureNet.com: If longevity is the rule by which this list is judged, ProcureNet would win. Its focus is on reducing redundancies and purchasing costs.
PurchasingCenter.com: Launched in mid-October, it has a former Grainger exec on its management team and is a front-runner in targeting the MRO and industrial supplies decision maker.
Purchasepro.com: With its August IPO and its launch date in late September, Purchase Pro has had its hands full. Its niche is to be a tool for efficient sourcing and bid management.
SupplierMarket.com: Supply chain management for the mid-to-large-size manufacturer buying a high-volume of low-dollar industrial supplies.
Thebigstore.com: The Big Store.com was at one time considering the MRO industry to add to its repertoire of selling products online.
TradeOut.com: Billed as a surplus inventory site, TradeOut.com is the intermediary that brings together buyers and sellers as a repository for excess inventory.
I have two observations and one prediction to make about this list. First, the list is long, which should convince you of the seriousness of e-commerce and its competitive potential. Furthermore, most of these sites have an identity problem -- they all sound the same and most have to start fresh with customers.
Distributors already have the customers and already have the brand-name recognition. Your job then is to offer e-commerce to your customers before one of these players beats you to the punch. As for my prediction: half of the companies on this list will fold or will be bought (most likely merging with another list member) before the end of 2000.
Now for my goodbyes. I'm off to the world of natural foods distribution. I'm going to use my experience in distribution and publishing to help a distributor market itself and its products online and in print. Thanks for sharing the better part of six years with me.
See you on the Web.
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