Sydney – 31st July, 2006 – ManufactureLink, Australia’s premier online sourcing network for custom manufacturing, today announced the introduction of powerful new online capabilities, which deliver significant benefits to both buyers and suppliers of custom manufacturing services.
The system, which facilitates the sourcing process by linking buyers of custom manufacturing services with hundreds of Australian manufacturers, now enables buyers to lodge requests for quote (RFQs) by special invite. Buyers may submit their RFQs to specific registered suppliers they know and trust, or use categories to locate a range of suppliers having the exact expertise they need. This gives the buyer the tools to maintain supplier relationships, and the ability to exercise complete control over which suppliers can view their valuable engineering data. In addition, buyers can now create and save standard part RFQs for quick, easy submission for manufacture of parts they source regularly, as well as specify accreditations required, when submitting RFQs.
“These exciting new functions enhance what is already a powerful sourcing tool for custom manufacturing services, and they have been eagerly anticipated by our registered users,” said George Pofandt, Managing Director of ManufactureLink. “Buyers now have more tools to help them locate the right Australian manufacturer and they have complete control over their data. They can save time and money when submitting jobs they source regularly using the new standard parts tool. For suppliers, the time and effort put into creating a good relationship with customers is maintained by the RFQ by special invite function.” Additional functionality on the site enables buyers to quickly and easily withdraw live or closed RFQs from the system, and to provide feedback to suppliers who made submissions.
ManufactureLink has also added two important new tools to streamline job and project management for both buyers and suppliers. Job Trakka allows a supplier to create a task list for an awarded job and keep their customers informed of the progress of their job, while Project Trakka enables buyers to group RFQs under project headings. “These are invaluable tools for both buyers and suppliers,” said Mr Pofandt. “With Job Trakka and Project Trakka, buyers are able to easily keep track of the overall progress of their sourcing projects and individual jobs, whilst suppliers benefit from having the tools to keep customers informed on the progress of their job, no matter where in the world the customer is located.” When a job is complete, ManufactureLink’s new ratings system allows buyers and suppliers to rate each other’s performance.
ManufactureLink has hundreds of registered manufacturers covering almost any manufacturing process imaginable, and is free to use. The addition of these new functions and tools ensures that by connecting buyers with suppliers of custom manufacturing, and facilitating the sourcing process, ManufactureLink remains Australia’s most powerful tool for sourcing custom manufacturing services.
About ManufactureLink
Launched in May, 2006, ManufactureLink provides the technology to connect buyers with suppliers of custom manufacturing services. Our fully automated technology facilitates the complete Request For Quote (RFQ) process while requiring no special software or training. Our buyers are engineers, purchasing officers and managers who need to source custom manufacturing services. Our suppliers are machine shops, jobbing shops, casting foundries, fabricators, toolmakers, moulders and any manufacturer who provides manufacturing services on a job-by-job basis. Buyers can quickly submit RFQs by completing an online quote submission form, uploading drawings and specifications, selecting the required manufacturing processes and submitting the RFQ to the system. Suppliers having the required manufacturing services are notified by email of an opportunity to quote. Buyers receive competitive quotes from multiple manufacturers and are provided with tools to make informed decisions in choosing a supplier with the right experience, capabilities, accreditations and reputation. By compressing the entire RFQ process from weeks to just days, ManufactureLink.com.au provides a ‘win-win’ solution for both buyers and suppliers, and improves their bottom line. ManufactureLink’s mission is to provide world-class online services to fill real needs of the Australian manufacturing industry.
