IBM SG24-6320-00 manual Hosting Ex-Sites, Supply chain

Draft Document for Review July 28, 2004 7:33 pm 6320ch_sum_of_changes.fm

The following are some examples of some of the demand chains supported by WebSphere Commerce.

Buyers, resellers, and manufacturers

Buyers purchase goods from a manufacturer’s resellers. Resellers, in turn, obtain the goods from the manufacturer, via the manufacturer’s hub. The resellers may be hosted by the manufacturer, or the resellers may be remote.

Resellers, manufacturers, and distributors

The manufacturer provides a hub for their resellers. Resellers and other channel partners may be able to do several functions in this hub, including locating distributors of the manufacturer’s goods. In order to locate suppliers, the reseller may browse a product catalog in the private hub. If the desired products are available from more than one distributor, the reseller can check product availability, distributors’ location, and prices for various distributors. Then, if the reseller chooses, they can split their order between several distributors. The order is then sent to the distributors, who completes the transaction and delivers the goods or services to the reseller. The reseller then sells the goods or services directly to the consumer.

Supply chain

A supply chain is composed of the organizations that provide services to a business. WebSphere Commerce allows buyers and suppliers to interact directly through a private marketplace. In this private marketplace, a forum is provided for suppliers to offer goods or services for sale. Buyers are then able to enter the forum and browse and select the goods or services that is needed. Buyers can establish contractual relationships directly with individual suppliers, and they can issue RFQs or RFPs to selected suppliers.

The private marketplace does not support competitive bidding and counter-bidding or other methods of competition.

2.5.3 Hosting Ex-Sites

This business model provides an easy mechanism to manage a number of stores using one set of tools and processes.

Hosting

The hosting model supports hosting of merchants or other businesses by an Internet Service Provider (ISP) or other hosting provider. Each hosted store can have its individual catalog and various other requirements and thus could operate independent of other stores. Both B2C and B2B stores can be hosted.

Chapter 2. WebSphere Commerce V5.6 Overview 25