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We have tried to answer a number of useful and valid questions which might bother our users, so that they can enjoy the most efficient usage of our website. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
A)
What
is asiafurniture.biz? We link buyers and sellers of furniture and related machinery and services to deliver greater choice, easier transactions and better information. We provide integrated procurement solutions that enable buyers and sellers to transact via online catalogues and auctions. Over time we will also provide a comprehensive range of fulfilment services (e.g. quality assurance, finance & insurance, and logistics & supply chain), tools, resources and community services that enable members to more effectively manage their purchasing and sales activities.
B)
What is an online marketplace? C) Why is an online procurement community needed in the furniture and machinery industry? Costs for purchased goods & services represent a significant percentage of total operating expenses for all furniture, machinery and woodworking industries. That percentage is higher when costs related to the process of procurement are considered. These are costs associated with identifying the right supplier and processing paperwork; transporting goods and services: and holding goods in inventory over time. Moving procurement to the Internet can significantly reduce TCO for key inputs by automating manual tasks, enlarging the universe of trading partners (thereby increasing opportunity), and enabling greater opportunity for aggregate purchasing and collaboration. For example, buyers benefit from expanded access to a greater number of suppliers, and from increased speed and effectiveness during the sourcing and purchasing process. Suppliers can reduce printing and distribution cost by publishing their catalogues electronically, in a central repository on the online marketplace. Both buyers and suppliers benefit from reduced administrative costs because online marketplaces automate many of the steps in the procurement process, but more importantly gain a greater amount of time to focus on more value-added activities in their relationship. In addition, there are significant benefits in bringing together distinctive knowledge and skill in a wide range of purchasing areas. D) How is asiafurniture.biz different from other websites that offer an online marketplace? a) Asiafurniture.biz offers a strong business platform b) We are dedicated to the furniture, machinery and woodworking industry c) We are focused on procurement of services for buyers and suppliers d) We deliver a comprehensive suite of services e) We offer a network of global buyers and suppliers f) We offer a market-leading, open technology platform
Asiafurniture.biz believes that buyers and suppliers in the furniture, machinery and woodworking industry benefit most when their trading relationships are collaborative and dynamic. To that end, asiafurniture.biz enables members to do much more than conduct catalogue based transaction. Members can participate in auctions and aggregate buying, share ideas and exchange best practices, and access relevant tools and information. b) We are dedicated to the furniture, machinery and woodworking industry Asiafurniture.biz was founded with the single purpose of eliminating inefficiency across the entire purchasing chain of the furniture, machinery and woodworking industry. We are here to assemble world class manufacturers and suppliers and accumulate the vast Asian industry-specific knowledge to achieve this purpose. c) We are focused on procurement of services for buyers and suppliers Asiafurniture.biz understands that there are many pressure points in managing procurement in the furniture, machinery and woodworking industry, an incredibly complex and price-squeezed industry, and one in which procurement is a major proportion of revenues (approximately 65%). We believe that there are many more commercial opportunities to take unnecessary costs out of the equation, particularly through leveraging customers on the internet, and aim to equip our members with a powerful set of transaction, fulfilment and knowledge services and tools that enable them to do so. d) We deliver a comprehensive suite of services No other procurement solution matches asiafurniture.biz 's current offer, or presents a vision that is quite as compelling.
Members are
able to use asiafurniture.biz
to publish and search online product catalogues, compare supplier prices,
issue purchase orders online and conduct forward and reverse actions.
Members who integrate our solution with their ERP systems can also use
asiafurniture.biz to manage
purchase orders, tract status of orders, and manage invoicing. This is,
however, only a base offering. We are building a comprehensive suite of
fulfilment services and knowledge applications relevant to your business
to help you manage operating capital expenditures. We also offer industry
news and market insight to keep you updated on the furniture, machinery
and woodworking industry with our News and Events section. The asiafurniture.biz community will include the Asia's largest furniture, machinery and woodworking industries and their suppliers. These organizations represent diverse geographical regions and sectors of the furniture, machinery and woodworking industry. The website provides an ideal environment for suppliers to market their products and services, and for buyers to obtain the best prices from qualified suppliers. In addition to the network of members in the asiafurniture.biz community, we are also leading the way to ensure inter-operability across all other market sites. The result is a winning solution for all trading partners: the widest selection of buyers and the largest market for goods and services. f) We offer a market-leading, open technology platform We know that a solid platform for technology is the key to completing transactions successfully. Our technology platform also delivers unparalleled flexibility. Not only is it possible to access and trade across the timberhunt.com community with a standard browser, but it is also simple to create a deeper integration into your ERP systems. The open standards of the platform mean that asiafurniture.biz can talk to any enterprise-wide buying system. This enables companies of all sizes to participate, no matter what their level of e-commerce readiness may be. 5. Will asiafurniture.biz recognize my company's negotiated contracts with suppliers? Yes. In fact, contract driven purchases are facilitated by asiafurniture.biz. Since factors such as price and payment terms have already been determined, the entire process is automated, and this can support your contracts already negotiated. 6. What types of organizations are asiafurniture.biz members? Asiafurniture.biz members range in size from small companies to large multi-national conglomerates. The asiafurniture.biz community includes primary and secondary furniture and machinery producers and their suppliers, including direct materials, logistics services, MRO services, utilities, and capital equipment.
7. Who in my
organization should use asiafurniture.biz? 8. What types of products can I buy or sell on asiafurniture.biz? Asiafurniture.biz aims to meet all the procurement needs of furniture and machinery manufacturers. Suppliers can offer raw materials, capital equipment, MRO services, insurance and financial products and logistic services. 9. What type of services can I avail in asiafurniture.biz? Our services include helping in finance & banking by providing built-in online payment function ability for buyers using purchasing cards to deal with and buy products from suppliers. We provide inspection agencies to our registered members. 10. What types of transactions does asiafurniture.biz support? a) Direct buy from online catalogues. b) Forward and Reverse Auction services. c) Aggregate Buying Services a) Direct buy from online catalogues. Suppliers increase their exposure to buyers by publishing their catalogues electronically with asiafurniture.biz. It's easy to upload your catalogue initially, as well as update the content over time. b) Forward and Reverse Auction services Sellers often use forward auctions to sell slow-moving, excess or obsolete inventory items or distressed/returned merchandise. In this model, there is a single seller and many potential buyers. Buyers use the reverse auction model when products/services are not available in a catalogue or covered in a contract, or when contracts need to be negotiated. Here, there is a single buyer and many potential suppliers. c) Aggregate Buying Services
Asiafurniture.biz
offers a demand aggregation service to buyers interested in specific
product categories. We use the combined purchasing power of our customers
to negotiate volume discounts with key vendors in broad product markets.
In our model, timberhunt.com will either negotiate a 'sliding' scale
volume discount structure with several vendors; or, we will use a reverse
auction format and ask vendors to bid on the combined volume purchase.
To complete
transactions or take advantage of the services offered by
asiafurniture.biz, you need to
join the asiafurniture.biz
network of buyers and sellers. This involves a quick registration process
and close support from the
asiafurniture.biz Customer Service team to learn more about
how it works & the benefits of buyers & suppliers see the "Listings"
options.
Asiafurniture.biz
solutions leverage the internet's ability to eliminate traditional
barriers to global trade. In fact,
asiafurniture.biz solutions provide enough flexibility so
members may conduct transactions with companies half-way around Asia, or
just a few miles away from them. Currently,
asiafurniture.biz relies on its
staff of service specialists to support issues such, as currency exchange
and customs. If you would like to find out more, please e-mail us at
info@asiafurniture.biz.
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