What is an electronic marketplace?

eMarket Services uses the following definition of an e-market:
HSci+R2^ it is open to several buyers and several sellers F&r
EYrZ
it is a trading platform, the e-market itself does not sell nor buy  goods or services traded on the platform
6K;w;jp4F.f/G it has at least one trading function ~k\KQV6O3_
ooIK j)r9mo
Supplier directories support companies in establishing new business relationships but no actual trade takes place at these platforms. 0z5ZW["K$PF!W
a+h$e,_F(SOv
E-markets and supplier directories are also called B2B Internet platforms. Such platforms include all Internet-based technical solutions that aim at facilitating the establishment of new trading relationships between companies or at supporting existing relationships.
}(K*N EU["ri ? T],{"^E2[0Mh9]
It is not a B2B e-market or supplier directory if it: ?'{ V;k"y9sT7\0W8|%c
O
;]"i0QI$@x
JOs
is a website of one company, selling their own products cK
s z-yfZrR*|F
is one seller acting as distributor, selling other companies products
1pYc;gX
v3O mainly focus on trade to or between consumers
&r$\g w
V only is a provider of e-commerce solutions
.\*b%})`+[-c5wJX1N focus on non-trading activities like collaborative design or people collaboration. :SK|nc:C_!F

&V$^8{fKJ x [color=Blue]Why use e-marketplaces?[/color]!Qf#T.dmwf4_$vBrl

+s"]p:f)f:Q P E-markets can be very valuable to some companies. They play an important role and add considerable value in many industries and regions. To other companies, in other industries or geographical areas, e-markets are less useful. D2I1b&h:v.AYx
_I+`:tvB l,hX
In our Cases & Reports section you can learn from companies using e-markets.-aP d2S/I#yi0Jr
s)Un$r@7o
The buyer??s perspective: j8v[Z+N

*?]7lA&Q2eOd? searching for new suppliers
\$n~*d} posting your buying requests  
E\"m[)Nx.n%N searching for new or used investment goods
AvZ(Y'}d1P4\(n The seller??s perspective:  PB t;MW8W*f

-mYx2p3?MC\ finding new leads
~fL_P2hb"c Bq B offering new and used products for sale ;PD0`3Uh6c$dv
searching through tender databases
/L#l$k4su getting market information about the competition
%w]e"r@7f G&BJ /{#C)mK3|(c i `B
[color=Blue]How do eMarkets work?[/color];@)_hYIL r2K
n5`0{;}nk%}}5h
In this section you can read more about the main trading functions and features found on business-to-business internet platforms, such as e-markets. You can see the role of these functions in the figure of the supply management process
U:VtV0T9X(d_
9C)z5k-^&FcE Auctions
D;Pk.Z4Tm In an auction, a specific product or a specific quantity of products is being placed for sale. The auction starts and ends at a pre-set time. Buyers can then submit bids during that period of time. Auctions help sellers get the right price for products ranging from fish and flowers to chemicals and patents. Auctions can also be used to get rid of surplus assets and offer buyers the opportunity to find a bargain. Sometimes they are a combination of online and offline auctions, where traditional auction houses also make their auctions available online, either by themselves or in cooperation with Internet platforms. Most of these services are more than just a B2B Internet platform. They should rather be regarded as auction full service providers./h,[/D*Fb-k5a~z

u&i;X'D,~ Catalogue
*t1TTJ[
y A list of products and services offered by the sellers. Some catalogues list product information on a general level, others are very detailed. Some are quite informative while others are more promotional. Some carry pictures and others do not. Catalogues facilitate the search for products and suppliers in industries with a wide range of products and producers. Prices published in a catalogue are generally fixed and often not disclosed to customers prior to registration since different buyers might have agreed on different prices.
\3SjmsErE
}+Brp0hp;] Classified ads
6PI)TyW R%@n Classified ads display offers of specific products for sale or wanted by a buyer. The ads are sorted by the type of product, brand or company. They very much resemble the ???for sale??? sections in newspapers or trade magazines and are often focused on an industry or a certain range of products. This function can also be called a bulletin board, where buyers and sellers post things they would like to buy or sell..M&cJ,Fjd"X

:h8u^G!aN Online order
rk|tm{ When an order can be placed online for the articles listed for sale in a catalogue or classified ad. Orders to various sellers can in this way be placed directly on an e-marketplace. y4^2b^(o.\ U"P%m

0Y:|Yuo @ Reverse auctions
8n#H-F(s/PuX9w EVl Also called sourcing auctions or buyers?? auctions, help uyers to find the cheapest supplier for a contract. Within the auction the potential suppliers submit offers, lowering the selling price for each submitted bid. They underbid each other until the supplier with the lowest bid wins the contract. Reverse auctions often take place on dedicated Internet platforms, but they can also be found as part of larger B2B Internet platforms or as an element within enterprise software for supply management.
i{V+p9o/ozO
*iL4BJau
Request for Quotation/Proposal/Bid (RFQ, RFP, RFB)&BD qH(r1r4XR2JV
Usually an on-line form where the seller or buyer sends a request to sell or buy a product. The RFQ/RFP/RFB function can be used to request a price or proposal on a product in a classified ad, a product listed in a catalogue or products expected to be supplied by a company in a supplier directory. The request is then typically sent to the trading partners by email to be answered.
Lk"e| To4SJA,@ JT
9A
T:Au h|#m#@ Supplier directories
,D?n1g3l#Jq Supplier directories are databases of companies. Buyers can find new suppliers and suppliers can get leads. You can search by products or services, by region or by company. The benefit for buyers is a clearer view of potential suppliers for industries and regions they are not familiar with. Directories typically include a brief description of the product area of the company and contact details.  ;~(ZGfU1S"j4K
A1dFg6i c)O
System integration op+vj8asx|0Zm
A further step is if the e-marketplace offers companies (buyers and / or sellers) the ability to integrate the order process with their Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems (from companies like IFS, SAP, Intentia, Baan, and IBS). Internet platforms with such system integration are sometimes called trading networks. +`4K%{1a/v@Nu
d}9N9zyP
They are part of the e-business infrastructure of companies with the main purpose of enabling an electronic information flow without interruptions. They are not for finding new suppliers or customers but rather for making transactions and the flow of information efficient within existing trade relationships.
%s`P3cR8| ^2L
c6W*Q.N"o2nI)mr0[ [color=Blue]What does it cost?[/color]m-f;R4F8n*[0P

5]S1jM7UJ Different electronic marketplaces, or e-markets, have different fees. It is free to register and participate on a basic level on many e-markets. You can then pay to get a better exposure. On other e-markets all members pay a yearly fee. Some e-markets charge an annual fee, which can be as low as a few hundred Euros, and some charge a percentage of the transaction value. Some e-markets charge the buyers, and others charge the sellers. Trading networks with advanced system integration charge high fees for large companies.
JGD#M)r 5[p-yw?n
The main revenue sources for e-markets:
'l9rf)e$z2GD x{*ZYIX
Membership fee S
z
w7^-rC`(C2D s
Fees for further exposure over and above basic product information "g&U"@5g^~S _
Advertisement (banners and links) :Cz!w2_9RQ
Percentage of the value of the transaction
P)B-Up6\+rZZ Flat fee per completed transaction },}%F*gY|T_n
Fee for hosting a company's product catalogue s Z!Xlg(@
Leasing or sale of software for e-commerce
s%R'Yw$f4D#u-sK,G Sale of industry information compiled
0p]*Ps-i Additional services like logistics and financial services 5d.T D E#F6pX
Consulting fees$e?Q&FEKR
In the early days of e-markets transaction fee was the main revenue model. Now a membership fee appears to be most commonly used. Some e-markets are not run as profit-making companies, but rather as co-operative solutions for efficient processing of transactions. The owners trade on the platform and want to keep the cost as low as possible.
e_
~,KI+X ;xs#o~4F~]7j
Many electronic marketplaces have become solution vendors of specific e-commerce applications. Target clients are large companies that want their own private e-market.\mq$mEf{!F
-W#wGs9n8sZs7Q
[color=Blue]How to select an eMarket[/color]
G'Q*Bz!t
%B(?8gR~~*s
P*c a Having decided that an e-marketplace may be of interest to your company, we recommend the following steps to find and select the right one: ;eG(TW.N;_-xd

*iR%F2^9S*t5qh Use the checklist{H3y+`#^bv
To help you select the right e-marketplace, we have developed a checklist to find an e-marketplace that is most suitable for your company. This checklist will lead you through different issues, which will help you make the right decision.
&Q
r!z/p4p
\8Dk i3b5o
b^1~:CAz6['X Selecting an eMarket
r w4t&tl3b/ln
sqBZYRr Search the Directory(_@@wY(u$D-L
What e-marketplaces exist out there? eMarket Services is constantly evaluating existing e-marketplaces and you will find them in our directory. Search the directory for e-marketplaces within your industry and/or region. | W@O}6O!R

n7^!F?.\!a'JRm Consider the most significant e-marketplaces
A(xQd+O2S}8S There are over hundreds of e-marketplaces in the world today, but only a handful has the investment backing of the world's biggest companies. Suppliers interested in exporting should be aware of these e-marketplaces as potential sources of new customers and as access routes to global supply chains.
)l!FGN\1k$t
7X
RdJ.kGn We have compiled a list of e-marketplaces (PDF) that are well known globally in their industries or have significant global traffic. Suppliers should know about these sites but not rule out others. Small niche e-marketplaces and general opportunity sites also play an important role in helping companies enter markets and win business with new customers./iPg1OC.g T&\
9s^AVM(huguF
Find one that you can trust
n&bHF^j_+` To help you find quality e-marketplaces that you can trust, eMarket Services and Det Norske Veritas (DNV) have developed a freeSelf-Assessment Checklist. It is intended to help e-marketplacess grow trust, improve their business longevity, grow the confidence of e-marketplace users, and promote a healthy e-business environment.
_3?(MG^|1G&pY
v(c%G
xT;K5Abp Besides, eMarket Services has developed a list with a number of certification programs, codes of conduct, standards, guidelines and useful information about building trust and improving practice in electronic business-to-business communications and transactions.;n%j)eWJ'In
L&RW:?-lU u!K)Y

)vtnm4FG-_:| From:
ms j9rOL ]rt |V [url]http://www.emarketservices.com/start/Knowledge/index.html?cl=ems[/url]