Last week, Ketera announced a new free eRFX offering designed around connecting buyers to suppliers. There’s nothing overly novel in the approach of providing a free forum to connect buyers and suppliers — MFG.com, Ariba’s network, and others already offer similar free capabilities — but it’s quite interesting that Ketera is tying this to its nearly free sourcing tool, which provides expanded e-sourcing capabilities. Moreover, this public-marketplace notion builds on an already accepted supplier-identification and research model that’s been around for quite some time (which suppliers usually end up paying for in some form of advertising).
What’s specifically included in this new service? According to Ketera, the free eRFX tool includes “Requests for Information (RFI), Requests for Quote (RFQ), and Requests for Proposal (RFP)” as well as a direct connection “to the Ketera Network online business community at no charge” to help companies identify suppliers in particular categories. The business model here is clearly based on providing opportunity to suppliers on the Ketera Network. This approach presents a potential win/win for companies looking for a quick and inexpensive way to find suppliers and engage them in first-round negotiations, and for suppliers looking for an online channel to new business…
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