Purchasing plans e-biz online supply registry

By Staff -- Purchasing, 7/13/2000 2:00:00 AM

Starting this month, Purchasing Magazine will formalize what has been, up to now, a highly informal way of tracking the rapid proliferation of software companies and Web sites trying to improve the way companies buy and sell goods and services. The registry will reside at www.purchasing.com and will feature more extensive descriptions than are currently available (see below). Updates to the registry will be published in Purchasing's e-procurement news and special supplement sections. Anyone wishing to list and describe an e-business in Purchasing's E-procurement Supply Base Registry can do so by completing a brief questionnaire. A PDF version of the questionnaire can be downloaded at www.purchasing.com.

METALS WEB SITES

TRADE GROUPS

www.aec.org

Aluminum Extruders Council is an international association dedicated to helping manufacturers, buyers, engineers, architects and others learn about aluminum extrusion products.

www.aia.aluminium.qc.ca

Aluminium Association of Canada provides links from its home page to the Web sites of its five aluminum-producer members.

www.asm-intl.org

ASM International has more than 4,000 data sheets with metal alloys' composition, physical and mechanical properties, and processing characteristics available for faxing.

www.aluminum.org

Aluminum Association is the trade association with data about primary and secondary aluminum ingot and semi-fabricated products.

www.galvinfo.com

GalvInfo Center, a web page offering e-mail, fax and phone responses to technical questions about metallic-coated steel sheet products and products coated with zinc-containing coatings has been opened by the International Lead/Zinc Research Organization, Research Triangle Park, N.C., and 14 sponsoring companies and trade groups.

www.steel.org

American Iron & Steel Institute has a searchable database of steel-related resources on the Internet and information on steel products.

www.steelnet.org

Steel Manufacturers Association, representing electric furnace steelmakers, has information on steel applications, manufacturing, advanced technology, and industry links.

www.steelscreen.com

Launched in February, Steelscreen is an Internet-based marketplace for stainless steel products for European buyers primarily. The marketplace shortly will add carbon steel and aluminum products.

www.zincworld.org

International Zinc Association explains zinc and its markets, and has Internet connections to technical experts on the nonferrous metal and its applications.

SUPPLY PORTALS

www.e-steel.com

e-STEEL offers buyers and sellers of steel a global marketplace for prime and non-prime grades, allowing buyers or sellers to initiate steel product transactions via a simplified process. The site's proprietary STEELDIRECT technology allows users to streamline transactions with existing commercial partners or find new potential business opportunities.

www.isteelasia.com

iSteelAsia is designed to provide secure online trading in steel (more metals later) and a communication channel between steel companies, processors and traders with buyers in Asia.

www.materialnet.com

MaterialNet is an e-commerce portal with a reverse auction format. With one request for quotation, a metals buyer is exposed to an exclusive network of 30 suppliers who must bid within a specified timeframe. The site went online in October 1999.

www.metalsales.com

More of an informational site, MetalSales allows users to tell potential suppliers what they want to buy in various grades of prime and secondary metals, and lets the suppliers make the contact. However, the site does give buyers a system for finding and buying overstocked, damaged, or discontinued items.

www.metalshopper.com

MetalShopper features listings of prime and excess metal provided by mill producers, service centers, machine shops, fabricators, and importers. It has listings for aluminum, brass, copper, nickel alloys, steel and steel alloys, stainless steel, and titanium secondary materials.

www.metalsite.net

MetalSite's new "made-to-order" option, making it possible for buyers to purchase product based on longer-term production or inventory needs, is available through the site's Product Guide. The made-to-order option is being introduced in phases. The first phase will allow buyers to become familiar with the option by having sellers accept inquiries on a limited range of product offerings. Buyers using made-to-order will be able to start their inquiry by choosing the Product Guide and then the MTO option in the site's catalog.

www.metalworld.com

MetalWorld is an online information-trading site offering free buy/sell/trade bulletin-board listings in such categories as copper, brass and bronze, aluminum, magnesium, zinc, tin, lead, iron, steel, and exotic metals. If interested, a buyer or seller can use e-mail to receive more information or negotiate a sale.

www.onlinemetals.com

Seattle-based Website sells stainless steel, aluminum, copper, brass, titanium, and tool steel in a wide range of shapes and sizes. In an effort to meet customer demands, the site just installed and automated a UPS pricing system so buyers can predetermine shipping costs at time of order.

www.principalmetals.com

Master distributor Principal Metals Inc., Littleton, Mass., has a database of metals from metals distributors, offers quotes via e-mail, and charges a reseller's markup on sales.

www.spotmetals.com

Spot Metals Online, Bloomfield Hills, Mich., a world metals trading site, has expanded its For Sale and For Bid sections, which posts steel, aluminum, and other metal products for sale or wanted to buy.

www.steelspider.com

Steel Spider helps buyers check the availability of flat-rolled steel from multiple suppliers, compare supplier capabilities and initiate inquiries or transactions. Steel Spider is a search engine for flat-rolled steel that locates prime, excess prime and secondary, coated and uncoated carbon and specialty steel for sale in the U.S. and Canada.

www.suppliersonline.com

Metal Suppliers Online, has a database of chemistry, mechanical, and physical properties from more than 2,500 producers and service centers covering more than 17,000 ferrous and nonferrous metals. Buyers can search suppliers' catalogs and conduct business-to-business commerce, or participate in a new MSO Auction. Additionally, the site offers a wide variety of metals industry utilities.

www.metalspectrum.com

Metalspectrum has been created to provide an online "neutral specialty metals marketplace" for every aspect of the supply chain. The site aims to reach across multiple metals and geographies to provide the optimum on-line relationship between producers, distributors and end users.

www.steelsales.com

Steelsales provides a way to procure a such steel products as square tube, pipe, plate, pulins, plate, shapes, expanded, roof/siding, bar grating, coil, round table, closeouts and certain hard-to-find items. The site also allows buyers to post certain items they are looking for. Additionally, there is a listing of important industry information.

www.aluminium.com

Aluminium.com is a B2B marketplace devoted to the aluminum trading industry. Buyers can post purchase requirements, negotiate prices and delivery terms, and select trading partners. The site promises buyers increased control over order execution.

www.steelscreen.com

Steelscreen's goal is to become a leader in the e-marketplace for metal products in Europe. Buyers can request certain products and the site will locate the business partner that best matches their needs. Additionally, Steelscreen has information pertaining to prices, trends and other industry information.

www.europe-steel.com

Through a trading platform this site provides news and information services to steel buyers transacting with Russian mills. Various support services are also provided to users, such as contract negotiation, financing, shipping and insurance.

www.metalmaker.com

MetalMaker provides supply chain management services to foundries and steel mills. The site is a platform for all services and supplies required by a foundry or mill including energy, direct and indirect materials, logistics, MRO, as well as new and used equipment and financial services.

www.ferrousexchange.com

This site is a global marketplace for buyers of iron and steel products. FerrousExchange aims to be a "one-stop" marketplace and also a portal to services and tools often used in the steel industry. Among the products available are pig iron, scrap, billets, slabs, hot rolled products, cold rolled products, coated steel and bars among others.

www.steelbroker.com

Steelbroker allows online steel trading for its members, as well as a link to a large number of steel sites useful to buyers worldwide.

SUPPLIER COMPANIES

(Note: Purchasing has located 375 metals suppliers-mills, processors, distributors, and service centers-with Web sites. This is just a sampling. Web page sites can be obtained by checking the companies listed in Purchasing's Metals Suppliers Online at www.metalsguide.com)

www.alcan.com

Web site of Alcan Aluminum Ltd., Montreal, discusses its pending merger with Pechiney of France and algroup of Switzerland into New York-based A.P.A. Site also details company's aluminum products and includes links to other Alcan Web sites, such as the Alcan Aluminum Corp. subsidiary in suburban Cleveland.

www.alcoa.com

World's largest aluminum producer, based in Pittsburgh, details processes and products from its 215 operating locations in 24 business units worldwide. Also has some information on pending acquisition of Reynolds Metals Co. of Richmond, Va.

www.algoma.com

Algoma Steel Inc., Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., has an extensive range of online documents which can be downloaded with Adobe Acrobat, ranging from the company's annual reports to product brochures.

www.alliancemidwest.com

Alliance Midwest Tubular Products Co., Alliance, Ohio, has information about its welded mechanical, drawn-over-mandrel, impact, mechanical direct weld, hot-stretch reduced, and Supra-weld products.

www.amcastle.com

North America's largest distributor of special-quality grades of carbon, alloy and stainless steels, nickel alloys, aluminum, titanium, and brass and copper, Franklin Park, Ill-based A.M. Castle & Co. (Castle Metals) lists its products, processing capabilities, and inventory management capabilities.

www.ameristeel.com

AmeriSteel site now has data on inventory for sale, mill test certificates, open orders, shipments, and rolling schedules. Customers who want to access open order and shipment information on the E-Z-Link system must be set up and obtain an account number by contacting inside sales.

www.bayousteel.com

Bayou Steel Corp., LaPlace, La., has added a corporate capabilities section to its Web site featuring rolling schedules and a stock list for its line of steel angles, channels, beams, flats, rounds, and squares.

www.brushwellman.com

Cleveland-based beryllium and engineered materials supplier Brush Wellman Inc. has extensive corporate and product information, and e-mail links to units around the world.

www.cartech.com

Carpenter Technology Corp., Reading, Pa., has a large listing of its numerous stainless steel, titanium, specialty metal alloy products, plus buyer information on its various metals subsidiaries (Talley Metals Technology, Amcan Specialty Steels, Green Bay Supply, and Shalmet), and its numerous engineered product subsidiaries.

www.centralsteel.com

Chicago-based metals service center Central Steel & Wire lists available products and services for numerous metals grades, and links to the Web site of its Central Coil Processing subsidiary.

www.cerrocoppertube.com

Cerro Copper Tube Co., Sauget, Ill., includes extensive descriptions of product information.

www.charleroiusa.com

Fabrique de Fer de Charleroi (USA) Inc., Wilton, Conn., lists available carbon, alloy, and stainless steel plate and sheet in coil form made by the parent company in Belgium.

www.chasebrass.com and www. leavitt-tube.com

Chase Industries Inc., Montpelier, Ohio, covers a broad range of information for investors and customers through separate sites for its two subsidiaries, brass rod maker Chase Brass & Copper Co. and steel tubing manufacturer Leavitt Tube Co.

www.coldmetal.com

Cold Metal Products Inc., Youngstown, Ohio, features customer and investor information.

www.copperalloys.com

Specialloy Inc., Chicago, and affiliate Alloy Research Inc. include data specification sheets for 32 master alloys.

www.copperweld.com

Lists products available from the new LTV Copperweld, now the leading North American manufacturer of mechanical and structural steel tubing and the world's largest producer of bimetallic wire products. (Includes metals from plants formerly operated as Welded Tube Co. of America, LTV Tubular Products Co. and Copperweld Corp.)

www.crucibleservice.com

Crucible Materials Corp., Syracuse, N.Y., and the Crucible Service Centers Division call their Web site the Crucible Virtual Service Center, providing information on the products from the steelmaking firm and its 26 district service-center facilities.

www.deeco.net

Hillside, N.J., supplier of bronze, brass, copper, aluminum, stainless steel, nickel alloys, and gray and ductile iron products now has a Global Metals Stock Program on its Web site and offers free downloadable copies of new Metals Interactive Catalog and standard product catalog both in Windows format.

www.dofasco.ca

Web page of Hamilton, Ont., steelmaker Dofasco Inc. details key markets and products, and features a password-protected area for customers.

www.emjmetals.com

Web site of Earle M. Jorgensen service center company based in Brea, Calif., provides standard stock listings and sales support contacts for buyers. Registered buyers can source, quote, order, and track steel products supply online through EMJ's new e-metals gateway.

www.gocarlson.com

Specialty plate producer G.O. Carlson Inc., Thorndale, Pa., in October launched its Website with information about its services and products, including stainless steel, nickel alloys, titanium, copper-nickel alloys and specialty metals.

www.hannasteel.com

Hanna Steel Corp., Fairfield, Ala., includes information about its processing services for flat-rolled steel, hot-rolled strip, coated sheet, and steel tubing.

www.haynesintl.com

Haynes International Inc., Kokomo, Ind., lists its catalog of high-performance metal alloys.

www.gknplc.com

For product data from Hoeganaes Corp. of Cinnaminson, N.J., North America's biggest supplier of iron-based metal powders, users must scroll through Web site of new parent, GKN of London (www.gknplc.com).

www.inland.com

For information on Ispat Inland of Chicago, and Ispat Inland Bar of East Chicago, Ind., buyers must scroll through the Web site of parent Ispat International of London, which describes steelmaking subsidiaries in the U.S., Canada, Germany, Ireland, Trinidad, and Mexico.

www.kaiseral.com

Kaiser Aluminum Corp., Houston, includes an overview of its operations and alumina, primary aluminum, and fabricated aluminum products, plus links to financial information and company news.

www.macsteel.com

The Jackson, Mich.-based Macsteel unit of Quanex Corp. provides extensive information on its facilities and applications of its steel bar products.

www.mervissteel.com

Mervis Steel Co., Cleveland, has information on its service-center supply and processing capabilities of high-strength, low-alloy steel.

www.nationalstainless.com

National Stainless & Alloy Co., King of Prussia, Pa., offers a series of special sale items along with information on its processing capabilities for various stainless steel and aluminum products.

www.nationalstandard.com

Wire and wire-related products maker National-Standard Co., Niles, Mich., has Web site offering information on the company's welding products, bead wire, specialty wire, engineered products and GridShield process for manufacture of composite metal.

www.novamerican.com

Novamerican Steel Inc., Montreal, offers through its Web site a variety of information on its metal processing and distribution services at 21 operating units in Canada and the northeastern U.S.

www.nwsw.com

Northwestern Steel & Wire Co., Sterling, Ill., has an assortment of information including production and pricing schedules and contact names and phone numbers.

www.nucor.com

Nucor Corp., Charlotte, N.C., lists products, buyer contacts, and Web sites at its various steelmaking, steel products units and metal fabricating operations in eight states.

www.olysteel.com

Olympic Steel Inc., Bedford Heights, Ohio, lists corporate, product, and financial reports.

www.phelpsdodge.com

World's second-largest copper producer, Phelps Dodge Corp. of Phoenix, details its basic metal and fabricated mill products capabilities through links to operating subsidiaries. Also has information of its recent purchase of Cyprus Amax Minerals Co. of Colorado.

www.plymouth.com

Plymouth Tube Co., a Warrenville, Ill.-based manufacturer with mills in the U.S., the U.K., and Mexico, offers information on product capabilities.

www.rangersteel.com

Ranger Steel Supply Corp., Houston, has history of the company, locations, staff names, and inventory data.

www.redbrand.com

Keystone Steel & Wire Co., Peoria, Ill., features product information on rod, industrial wire, construction products, and Red Brand nails and fencing.

www.republictech.com

Republic Technologies International of Fairlawn, Ohio, has begun selling surplus bar rolling and processing equipment through the company Web site.

www.russelmetals.com

Steel distribution conglomerate Russel Metals Inc., Toronto, provides investors, customers, and other interested Web users information on the company's corporate and financial status.

www.scottstainless.com

Scott Stainless Steel Inc., Niles, Ill., is attempting to draw customers for repeat visits by offering weekly specials as well as current inventories of its 300 Series and 400 Series stainless steels.

www.sheffieldsteel.com

Product information is available from Oklahoma mini-mill's line of hot-rolled bar, rebar, fabricated rebar, fence posts, rail spikes and billets.

www.slater.com

Product data on specialty steel bar products and stainless, carbon and low alloy steels, as well as valve, mold, tool and die steels available from the firm's three mini-mills located in Fort Wayne, Ind.; Hamilton, Ont., and Sorel, Que.

www.steelbars.com

Cold-finished steel bar maker Northern Cross Steel Co., Strongsville, Ohio, offers company product information.

www.steelforge.com

One of the pioneers of Web sites, Specialty Steel & Forge in Fairfield, N.J., lists its entire warehouse of steel, nonferrous, specialty alloys, and specialty metals, plus its forging products, and such customer-oriented data as how to calculate steel weights, metric conversions, and a glossary of 1,500 metals terms.

www.superiortube.com

Superior Tube Co., Collegeville, Pa., has added an interactive database allowing site visitors to select from a list of metals and alloys as well as properties to create a printable chart.

www.timken.com

Timken Co., Canton, Ohio, features investor information, corporate overview, product information, and news releases for the parent firm's Steel Division and such subsidiaries as Timken Latrobe Steel Co.

www.tincna.com

Thyssen Inc. (North America), Detroit, offers prime and secondary carbon steel products for sale by subsidiary Thyssen Steel Group. Also in the Web site are links to such other subsidiaries as Copper and Brass Sales, Clark Metals, and Thyssen Specialty Metals.

www.uss-posco.com

USS-Posco Industries, Pittsburg, Calif., has information about products, pricing extras, technology, and quality programs.

www.usstubular.com

U.S. Steel Tubular Products, Pittsburgh, has been upgrading its Web site with a number of new and useful features for the customers in the oil field tubular products and construction industries. Included in the site is an online pipe string design program allowing entry of well parameters and model designs for oil and gas wells, dynamic performance property calculations for non-standard products, online catalogs with standard pipe product performance information and market graphics showing statistical trends.

www.weirton.com

In an ongoing effort to become more responsive to its customers, Weirton Steel Corp. has expanded its system of online confidential customer services. The Weirton, W.Va., firm's Order Status Service is accessible only to registered users. For non-prime sales, the site has a direct link to MetalSite, which it helped create.

www.wlv.com

Wolverine Tube Inc., Decatur, Ala., features information on industrial tube, enhanced surface tube, copper and alloy heat exchanger tube, bar, rod, sheet, strip and other products.

CHEMICALS WEB SITES

www.chemconnect.com

One of the largest of the chemical product exchanges, offering real-time anonymous bidding on a variety of products, the site also offers a daily industry news section and classified ads. Membership and customer registration is not required to view product transactions. The site allows buyers to personalize their own Web page with preferred suppliers and features chemical industry breaking news and financial information.

www.chemicalbid.com

A smaller, online chemical products auction that has offered product posting since 1995. Created and developed by a Midwest chemical distribution company, the site offers a "chemical industry insider's" perspective to third-party online transactions. The site features "future watch," which automatically notifies buyers when the chemicals they purchase on a regular basis are available.

www.e-chemicals.com

Established in 1998, e-Chemicals combines Internet e-commerce with logistics services. Customer registration is required for product ordering and MSDS and other product data sheets are available. The site features daily industry news and information.

www.chemsource.com

This new company provides business-to-business e-commerce solutions to the custom chemical synthesis and fine chemicals industries. It offers an extensive online exchange for custom fine chemicals, biochemicals and radiolabeled chemicals.

www.fobchemicals.com

This site offers a comprehensive database of 330,000 chemical products from more than 8,000 suppliers worldwide. Purchase orders are aggregated in order to provide lower prices.

www.chemdex.com

Offering a large products database in addition to e-commerce capability, the site bills itself as the business-to-business e-commerce solution for the life sciences industry. The site features breaking industry news and industry tradeshow and seminar listings.

www.chematch.com

A large online products exchange, CheMatch offers its own, anonymous real-time product selection and negotiation interface catered to buyers of high-volume, bulk commodity petrochemicals.

www.worldwidetesting.com

The site is a liaison to independent product testing services. With a network of certified laboratories in 180 countries, it offers product sample generation services, custom testing criteria and emphasizes rapid test results turnaround.

www.sciquest.com

Offering more than 250,000 products from more than 200 suppliers, the site bills itself as the Internet source for scientific products. Features include order tracking, purchase order or credit card payment options and free shipping. Other features include auctions for used or refurbished equipment and the site has a section for special deals and promotions.

www.plasticsnet.com

An online marketplace for the plastics and resins industry, The site offers customizable product catalogs and services to buyers who register for a free membership. An online auction system is available for resin and plastics equipment purchasing. At the site's Commerx Transportation Center shippers can have access to an application that delivers rate quotes, online order management and real-time track and trace visibility for truckload and less-than- truckload shipment needs.

www.agchemical.com

An online auction and product database (linked via Farms.com) focusing on chemicals and products used in the agrochemical and related industries. Buyers on the site can read latest industry reports about cattle and genetics, feed commodities, cash grain, alfalfa hay and more.

www.paperexchange.com

An online products exchange that calls itself the e-commerce solution for buying and selling paper and packaging products. The site features late breaking industry news and schedules of upcoming industry events.

www.petrochem.net

Affiliated with CheMatch, this site offers subscription-based access to more than 150 informational products for the petrochemicals industry. Consulting services and online discussion forums are also offered. On the site buyers can gain access to Platt's Petrochemical Alert Desktop, which offers worldwide real-time market news, prices and statistics on all key petrochemicals and also news from Oil Price Information Services, the leading source of wholesale petroleum product prices in the world.

www.allchem-inc.com

An online chemical surplus marketplace, this site uses an e-mail product request format for buyers. When a reasonable price is identified for the requested product, the site automatically sends an e-mail to the buyer. Also, buyers can peruse classified advertisements from chemicals suppliers.

www.buyused.com

This Used Equipment Network site lists more than 65,000 items that are currently for sale from used equipment and machinery dealers that service the chemical/ process and materials handling industries. UEN's services are available at no cost to all end users of equipment. User login is required.

www.chem.com

A product cataloger, the site also provides access to information from the U.S. International Trade Commission. Search tools are available for product location. A listing of bulk chemicals on sale and a directory of product suppliers are also provided. Site users can download from a database of more than 127,000 3D molecular structures.

www.eastman.com

A pioneer in e-commerce among chemical suppliers, the site offers 98% of its products for online purchase by registered customers. Account and order tracking information is available, as well as an online demonstration of how the ordering system works. The site also has a section for industry news.

www.airproducts.com

A supplier of industrial gases and chemicals, which offers online product information and product request capabilities for registered customers. Currently the site is featuring the 1999 Annual report.

www.vwr-inc.com

A large chemical distribution site, which offers a wide variety of products for sale online to registered eBusiness customers. Product information and MSDS are available, along with a demonstration of the site's e-commerce capabilities. The site features a section called "products priced to move" which includes hundreds of chemicals listed at discounted prices.

www.i2i.com

An upscale business-to-business materials exchange with chemicals and plastics sections. The site requires registration to view product offerings.

www.chinavista.com

Billed as China's premier e-commerce Website. A section is provided for chemicals and raw materials sourcing. The section features a classified ad format.

www.sourcerer.co.uk

The site calls itself the gateway to the chemical industry of the U.K. It offers an online chemical products and suppliers directory and a link to its TradeLink bulletin board, featuring "products wanted" and "products-for-sale" postings in a classified ad format.

www.bulkdrugs.com

This site promises to address and help resolve the challenges currently confronting the pharmaceutical industry, combining a smart approach and top-of-the-line e-commerce technology. It has an online market as well as information about raw materials, equipment, services, new companies, new products, product reviews, industry news and outsourcing.

www.chemcross.com

Chemcross is a global trading platform for chemicals, plastics and fuel products that provides real-time transactions for all varieties of chemical and plastics products.

www.chemdeals.com

A site for trading industrial chemicals for manufacturers, distributors, processors, buyers and sellers. It is designed to be anonymous and hassle-free.

www.chem-etrade.com

The site provides market information for buyers and sellers and the ability to buy or sell chemicals via forward auctions, reverse auctions and fixed pricing. Chem-etrade also has straightforward postings for both buyers and sellers and aims to improve company matching through the site.

www.chemfinet.com

Through a B2B e-commerce exchange called ChemSource, this site is a resource for the custom fine chemical market. Buyers can submit requests for quotation and the site provides leads and price comparisons for any specific chemical formula.

www.chemnavigator.com

This service is primarily suited as a discover phase resource for companies interested in drug-like compounds. Chemnavigator.com uses technology called iResearch to drive searches. Buyers can locate and procure compounds essential to their research requirements.

www.chemunity.com

An online European neutral exchange for commodity chemicals, Chemunity is designed to help resolve buyer issues for the middle segment of the market (defined on the site as "using between 60 and 2,000 MT/year of a given commodity").

www.chemidex.com

This site contains online product databases with a wealth of information on products used in the paints and coatings markets. Registration is required to access information. The site allows users to search a database for thousands of raw materials and has a page where buyers can order free samples.

www.envera.com

This site gives members access to the Envera clearinghouse which is built to provide low-cost transactions to petroleum and chemical companies interested in B2B e-commerce. The site is especially useful for off-line business partnerships desiring to convert to online business transactions.

www.covalex.com

This site bills itself as the first independent, neutral third-party Internet marketplace bringing together chemical and raw material buyers and sellers. The site also offers three software modules for customers: supply chain management, for purchase tracking and better shipment and inventory management; global market-maker, an exchange platform enabling online transactions; and information bureau, providing real-time strategic market information.

www.freemarkets.com

This site runs real time online auctions for industrial parts, raw materials, commodities and services. In these auctions, suppliers provide quotes and compete for the purchase orders of large buyers by adjusting and lowering their prices until the auction is finalized.

www.materialnet.com

MaterialNet.com is designed for purchasers of raw materials in various industries through a reverse auction bidding process and aims to help suppliers equally in finding buyers.

www.getplastic.com

This business-to-business online marketplace offers standard plastic resins and custom compounds for sale and is geared toward the plastics resins buyer. The site offers buyers one-stop plastics resins shopping, a library of white papers, spec sheets and other information on plastics products, and may be customized to suit individual preferences.

www.rfpmarket.com

Rfpmarket.com acts as a meeting place for companies with particular business needs. Through the site, buyers can generate requests and suppliers submit quotes or bids based upon them. The quotes are then collected and reviewed by buyers.

www.suppliermarket.com

Suppliermarket.com is an online marketplace designed for the built-to-order marketplace through a variety of e-commerce solutions for several different industries.

www.chemicalonline.com

A well-rounded resource for e-procurement within the chemical industry, this site offers product data, event information, discussion forums and other services for professionals within the industry. The site is linked through www.verticalnet.com.

ELECTRONICS WEB SITES

www.need2buy.com

Need2Buy.com can locate distributors of electric components and help buyers determine what the market price is for a given component. Buyers who log into the Need2Buy Web site can post a request for quotation for either a bill of materials or for one or several parts. The system will then show the buyer distributors that carry the listed parts. The buyer selects the distributors to whom he or she wants the RFQ sent. The RFQ is then e-mailed to the distributors, inviting them to bid electronically.

www.supplyview.com

Supply View is an electronic component information resource center that brings buyers and sellers together. Registered buyers can do a part search on the site by punching in a part number. Supply View then lists all the franchised and non-franchised distributors and OEMs who have the product to sell, how many pieces are available, and the date when the inventory was posted. The buyer can then e-mail or call the company for a quote.

www.ecnet.com

ECNet is an e-procurement tool for the high tech manufacturing industry that is designed to handle production volumes. It's for companies who have contract price agreements and use blanket POs with suppliers. The site supports purchase orders, delivery forecasts advance ship notices and inventory reports, and responses can be updated directly into the OEM's production planning module of its ERP.

www.partminer.com

In the second half of 2000, PartMiner plans to launch its Free Trade Zone, where buyers can purchase parts online from preferred suppliers without any transaction fee. Purchasers in the Free Trade Zone will be able to research, locate and purchase components from suppliers of their choice. Users will also be able to access inventories and datasheets, manage bills of materials, and process RFQs through the site. Currently, buyers can go to Partminer.com and download PartMiner 3.0, which can be used for sourcing electronic components from preferred suppliers.

www.fastparts.com

FastParts.com is a business-to-business Internet-based trading exchange and marketplace for the electronic parts industry. The company's members include OEM's, contract manufacturers, part makers, and distributors. To sell on FastParts, sellers must be component manufacturers, OEMs, franchised distributors, contract manufacturers, or members in good standing of the Semiconductor Industry Association, the National Electronics Distributors Association or the Institute for Interconnecting and Packaging Electronic Circuits. The site features online auctions of used or surplus parts, and an Intranet Service to OEMs where it will establish a domain and trading exchange home page on one of FastPart.com's servers.

www.ikn.com

At the Web site of Insight Electronics you can order from any of the company's product lines or just get price quotes. The site also features FedEx and UPS order tracking.

www.digikey.com

At Digi-Key's Web site buyers can order from the company catalog, which contains over 90,000 products from more than 200 manufacturers. The company updates and expands the catalog every 90 days. A buyer on the site is provided with real-time stock status and order entry, and instant access to hundreds-of-thousands of transactions. Digi-key says its highly automated shipping and packaging system allows orders to be processed from order entry to shipping in as little as 30 minutes.

www.bellmicro.com

The Web site of Bell Microproducts offers PartnerNet. Through PartnerNet, buyers can view a comprehensive catalog, complete with pricing and product availability. Users can browse by manufacturer, part number or product description. They can view complete product specs and place orders online for commodities. Buyers can configure custom parts online as well. PartnerNet also offers order tracking.

www.arrow.com

The Web site of Arrow Electronics features full catalog searches by part number, partial part number or part description. Buyers can also specify suppliers from a pull down list to narrow their search.

www.avnet.com

Avnet Incorporated is one of the world's largest industrial distributors of electronic components and computer products. Buyers using the site can post an RFQ and an Avnet Sales representative will get back to them within 48 hours.

www.pioneerstandard.com

Pioneer-Standard Electronics, Inc. is a large international distributor of industrial electronic components and computer systems. Pioneer-Standard offers a full complement of services, including systems integration, e-business development, software solutions and enterprise resource consulting. Buyers can order electronic components online via part number or manufacturer.

www.cnet.com

CNET.com offers buyers information about the electronics industry. Buyers can read hardware reviews, seek suppliers, get price quotes, read the latest tech news and the list goes on. Buyers can also purchase from one of several ongoing auctions.

www.kentelec.com

Kent Electronics is a national specialty distributor of electronic and wire and cable products, a network integrator and a vertically integrated contract manufacturer of electronic products. The Web site features links to all Kent Companies, including, Kent Components, Kent Datacomm, K-Tec electronics and Futronix.

www.usbid.com

USBid.com is an electronic marketplace for buyers and sellers in the electronics industry. The site features an online auction format where buyers can put contracts out for bid or bid themselves on excess or surplus parts or products.

www.tradec.com

TRADEC.com provides a system of subscription-based Web applications that are meant to improve the electronic component procurement processes by accelerating workflow, reducing costs and providing strategic decision tools. The company says its TRADEC System enables companies to automate, accelerate and optimize the procurement process. The TRADEC System is delivered as a no-risk monthly subscription service, and the company says current products address the exchange of RFQs and quotes between component purchasing organizations and component distributors and selling organizations.

www.isuppli.com

iSuppli is a supply network that provides a link between users and suppliers of electronic components in order to reduce costs. In an effort to reduce costs, iSuppli accumulates the purchases of multiple customers and coordinates large aggregated orders with suppliers.

TRANSPORTATION/LOGISTICS WEB SITES

www.truckline.com

The American Trucking Association's web site is packed with information affecting truckers and the transportation industry. The site features legislative and pricing news as well as information about coming industry conferences. In the site's classified section buyers can buy or sell freight and other equipment, find freight carriers, or answer want ads for surplus or used equipment.

www.tie-services.com

The Trucking Information Exchange (TIE Services) provides trucking companies, brokers, and shippers, with information on available trucks and loads. TIE Services compiles lists of available loads and equipment and transmits that data via fax or modem nightly. The cost of the Internet service is $50 a month.

www.nte.net

The National Transportation Exchange is a business to business, e-commerce member-based trading exchange for shippers and carriers. NTE operates a rules-based online exchange used by shippers, third party logistics intermediaries and freight carriers. Using the Internet and customized integration, NTE's Exchange is designed to link all trading partners in a supply chain to automate the execution of trades between shippers and carriers. The Exchange features a set of processes, technology interfaces, and membership requirements that NTE says will permit complete execution processing. This includes shipment tracking, guaranteed payment and quality of transportation service.

www.b2boxes.com

This new online business serves the needs of buyers and sellers of corrugated packaging. The Web site allows buyers to locate suppliers through extensive databases and search engines. Using digital mapping technology along with search engines B2Boxes can locate and map any corrugated supplier. To make the search more exact, buyers can specify certain attributes they're looking for in a supplier, such as suppliers who make displays or offer auto lock-bottoms.

www.ups.com

The Web site of the United Parcel Service includes rate and ordering information, and order-tracking capability

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www.fedex.com

The site enables shippers to track shipments and obtain rate information. They also can use www.fedex.com to schedule and order pickups, get information about fuel surcharges, and observe overnight delivery maps.

www.npassage.com

nPassage provides online services to buyers and sellers of transportation services that require heavy-freight shipment between trading partners in a supply chain.

www.con-way.com

The site for the Michigan-based Con-Way Transportation Services allows customers to receive electronic bills of lading, make pickup orders, track and trace, observe carrier ratings, and calculate transit times. Ned Moritz, vice president of marketing for Con-Way, says the company now only gets about 5% of its transportation orders over the site. But company officials are optimistic that it will increase. "It's a nice growth pattern," Moritz says.

www.cf.com

The site for the California-based Consolidated Freightways acts as a self-service tool for customers. They can use it to order transportation, track and trace, schedule pickups, and access service information about the company. Customers can pull document images through the Web site. "This is for the customer who would rather not deal one to one or in a person-to-person environment, but rather a self-service environment," says Martin Larson, vice president of e-commerce and marketing technology for Consolidated Freightways.

www.yellowfreight.com

Customers can use the site for the Kansas-based Yellow Freight System Inc. to track and trace, order shipments, check invoices, and get bills of lading and historical information about the company. Dan Commiato, senior director of e-commerce for Yellow Freight System, says the company is receiving 10% to 20% of its orders over the Internet right now.

www.roadway.com

Customers for Roadway Express can use the site to order shipments, request carriers, get billing statements and get proof of delivery. Customers can also use their passwords to check their own account information. "They can inquire about any kind of payment problems or discrepancies," says Robert Obee, vice president and chief information officer for the Ohio-based Roadway Express. "They can track the progress of any freight claims."

www.fedexcustomcritical.com

Customers can do live tracking and tracing, order shipments and map out their course. "It's another distribution channel for us," says Joel Childs, VP of marketing for the Ohio-based FedEx Custom Critical. "What the customer wants and needs, we give them."

ENERGY WEB SITES

Confused about what's going on in the deregulated energy industry? Check out these Web sites for more information.

News and data

www.energycentral.com

This subscription site features news, reports, and other information about what's happening in the electric power industry. The company says that Energy Central is a hub on the Internet for electric power professionals searching for information, products and services related to the energy industry. By teaming with companies that service the energy industry, Energy Central provides a broad base of information products-news, directories, events, databases, books, periodicals and reports.

www.energy.com

This Energy.com site offers news and information about deregulation. It also offers advice on how to save energy and features an energy discussion room. Also included at the site is an online bidding system for buyers'energy needs.

www.powermarketers.com

At The Power Marketers Association Online, buyers can sign up to receive daily power market news feeds (via e-mail). The site also features a wealth of news, information and features about the deregulating, competitive electric power industry. Online services are provided free-of-charge.

Government sites

www.doe.gov

The U.S. Department of Energy's web site offers news about the latest technology, environmental and educational resources.

www.ferc.fed.us

Visit the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's (FERC's) site to follow important deregulation rulings. The site features dozens of documents meant to give users a better understanding of the state of the energy industry and its deregulation in this country.

www.naruc.org

The National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners is composed of governmental agencies of the fifty States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands engaged in the regulation of utilities and carriers. The site features links to energy databases and other energy resources.

www.nerc.com

At the Web site of The North American Electric Reliability Council, or NERC, buyers can join an electronic mailing list for all the latest NERC news, or can search the site for dozens of downloadable files relating to the energy industry.

Directories

www.energysearch.com

Energysearch is an Internet search engine for the Energy Industry, providing Internet users with search results on global energy topics. The site is run by the more than 700-member Electric Power Research Institute.

www.utilityconnection.com

The Utility Connection provides links to 3,871 electric, gas, water and wastewater utilities, utility associations, organizations, news, magazines, utility financial resources, and related state & federal regulatory and information sites.

www.gridwatch.com

Gridwatch.com bills itself as the Global Power Directory, and has a search engine that can put buyers in contact with providers of Coal power, Hydroelectric power, fuel cells, gas turbines and the list goes on.

Trade groups

www.elcon.org

ELCON, founded in 1976, is an association of large industrial consumers of electricity. Members of the association have facilities in most of the fifty states and in many foreign countries and these companies come from virtually every manufacturing industry. The site features many energy-related documents, filings and speeches for anyone to reference.

www.eei.org

The Edison Electric Institute is an association of U.S. shareholder-owned electric companies, international affiliates, and industry associates worldwide. The site offers news about deregulation and other energy-related topics. The association says its members serve 90 percent of all customers served by the shareholder-owned segment of the industry.

www.aceee.org

The American Council for Energy-Efficient Economy is a non-profit agency dedicated to advancing energy efficiency. The site offers consumer guides, advice and other information and as a special feature, it is currently offering a report on the energy views of presidential candidates.

www.ase.org

The Alliance to Save Energy is a nonprofit organization of business, government, environmental, and consumer leaders who promote the efficient and clean use of energy. Their site offers news and advice and folks can download energy efficiency plans.

OFFice supplies, PCs , and SOftware WEB SITES

Office supplies

www.bcop.com

Boise Cascade Office Products offers buyers the chance to order through its sales force and online catalog and get delivery next day directly from their distribution centers. Buyers can also click on Boise Office Furniture for a large office furniture catalog.

www.btopi.com

BT Office Products and Corporate Express Inc. have combined to create a large business-to-business office products company. The new Corporate Express offers companies and office supplies, imaging & computer graphics supplies, furniture, promotional products and computer software. The company also offers next-day delivery from distribution centers located around the world.

www.officedepot.com

The Web Site of Office Depot offers the company's complete line of products as well as customized shopping lists and quick order by item number.

www.officemax.com

The Web Site of Office Max offers the company's complete line of products and features order tracking and customer support.

www.onlineofficesupplies.com

This company bills itself as "The Future of Office Supplies." The Web-based business says it provides access to almost 10 times the merchandise of a traditional retail outlet, over 35,000 items. The company prices products on a nationwide basis, rather than pricing according to geography.

www.stapleslink.com

The Web Site of Staples'Contract Division provides immediate access to a catalog of over 30,000 products, with new additions daily. Features of the site include contract pricing and Quick Order, which allows buyers to add items to their order via SKU number. Templates, or custom shopping lists, can also be created, allowing users to place orders by using specific product lists identified by their companies.

www.usop.com

U.S. Office Products offers next-day delivery and the company says it prides itself on competitive prices and customer service. Buyers on the site have access to more than 35,000 products. The company also says it offers more brand-name products than any competitors.

www.dealersource.com

This site offers an e-marketplace for the procurement of off-lease and used office equipment. Equipment can be sold on the site as well. OEM-equivalent supplies are also available at Dealersource.com.

PCs

www.compaq.com

In addition to gaining access to the full-line Compaq Computer products, the company Web Site has a solutions forum, where users can find answers to commonly asked questions.

www.dell.com

The Web site of Dell Computer gives buyers the chance to custom build and order a Dell computer any time of the night or day. The company prides itself on customer service, whether it be online or over the phone.

www.hp.com

The Web Site of Hewlett-Packard offers complete access to the full line of Hewlett-Packard products and services, including but not limited to desktop computers, calculators, printers and servers.

www.ibm.com

In addition to the complete line of IBM computers and other products, the company Web site offers buyers access to tech support and help with systems integration.

www.necx.com

NECX is an open marketplace for buying and selling electronic components, computer products and connectivity equipment. The company bills itself as the "Hub for High-Tech Commerce."

www.pcorder.com

pcOrder.com says it provides three integrated value centers to enable the computer industry to move sales to the Web: commerce, content and community. Solutions are designed for the different members of the computer industry and a variety of business models, both direct and indirect. pcOrder's applications allow the entire computer industry to automate product searches, comparisons, configurations, pricing, financing and ordering. The company's content database aggregates product pricing and availability data for 600,000 products from over 1,000 manufacturers, including compatibility and technical information.

www.wareforce.com

Wareforce.com Inc., is a provider of information technology (IT) systems and services to large and midsize corporate, government and educational entities. Through its wholly owned subsidiaries, the company provides IT hardware, software and software site licenses; designs, configures and upgrades complete information systems; provides technical and asset management services; provides technical staffing services and distributes optical storage devices. Wareforce is an authorized dealer of Apple, IBM, Hewlett-Packard, HP UNIX, Compaq, Gateway, Sony, Toshiba, Cisco and NEC. Volume purchase and site license agreements include: Microsoft, Claris, Lotus, IBM, Apple and Novell.

www.amherst1.com

Amherst Corporate Computer Sales and Solutions, a computer reseller for small to midsize companies, offers a Web-based procurement system called CustomCommerce. Using the company's database of computer wholesalers, the system allows buyers to order technology products through the Internet.

www.singlesourceit.com

Singlesourceit.com is a site designed for buyers looking for products and information regarding their IT supply chain. Specific resources involving computer hardware and software, as well as technical information about products and industry tips, is also available through the site.

www.geexpress.com

Geexpress.com is an e-marketplace for computer parts from over 20 manufacturers of PCs, laptops, servers, peripherals and other computer equipment. Buyers can perform detailed product searches through a large database by using a manufacturer name, product description, or part number.

Software

www.asap.com

ASAP Software Express, a large software reseller, says it offers a low-cost way to buy and support more than 40,000 PC software and add-on hardware products geared to business and government.

www.softwarespectrum.com

In addition to software sales, Software Spectrum provides online and telephone help desk support as well as a full complement of outsourcing services for software publishers, original equipment manufacturers and Internet service providers worldwide.

www.shi.com

Software House International is a global corporate reseller of software, hardware and related services. The company says it can fill orders for over 80,000 hardware and software products. Software House is an IBM Business Partner, a Lotus Notes Premium VAR, a Microsoft Solution Provider and a Novell Gold Reseller. The company has a sales force of over 150 located across the US, Canada and Europe and accepts more than 30 currencies. Tech support is available in Spanish, Italian, German, French and Dutch.

www.irista.com

A subsidiary of HK Systems, this site has been launched to provide access to the company's supply chain event management software, which promises to improve a company's supply chain and B2B commerce.

Business forms

www.standardregister.com

Standard Register offers document automation and designs and manufactures electronic documents. The company tests market-leading industry laser and thermal printers to ensure that their documents feed reliably.

www.reyrey.com

Reynolds & Reynolds is an information management company headquartered in Dayton, Ohio. The company provides integrated information-management systems and related value-added services to automotive and general business markets.

MRO WEB SITES

www.purchasepro.com

On this site buyers can source all kinds of MRO products either by keyword, supplier or product SIC code. Trading takes place either in an open public marketplace or in private trading rooms with invited suppliers only. Buyers can issue requests for bid for competitive pricing and are able to maintain their own supplier lists to source from directly.

www.purchasingcenter.com

This site focuses on the needs of industrial supply buyers in midsize companies. Buyers using the service can take advantage of some 6,000 distributor locations representing 9,000 manufacturers. Buyers can source thousands of MRO products, can issue requests for quotes to get the best deal, or can participate in online auctions for excess inventory. The site is free to buyers and features purchasing news stories and career tips.

www.psdi.com

The site has made alliances with providers of software for industrial distributors in North America. The companies have a combined customer base of more than 2,500 distributors. Manufacturers can use the software to make product, inventory, and order status information immediately available to industrial buyers via the Internet, and also to receive orders.

www.amherst1.com

Amherst Corporate Computer Sales and Solutions, a computer reseller for small to midsize companies, offers a Web-based procurement system called CustomCommerce. Using the company's database of computer wholesalers, the system allows MRO buyers to order technology products through the Internet.

www.isolix.com

Solix Internet is a new Silicon Valley startup in the business process automation market. The company has created a framework in which customers can create multiple operational processes. They can go through ordering procedures, undergo a timecard process, and find out how their customers are looking to solutions for the procurement process. Users must register. The site features updated news about Solix and the services that it can offer buyers.

www.iProcure.com

The site enables its customers to fully automate their MRO purchasing. The network allows full integration with industrial suppliers, including leading MRO parts and equipment suppliers like Applied Industrial, Fastenal and WESCO Distribution. According to the company, iProcure integrates tightly with parent company Datastream's industry-leading MP2i and MP5i enterprise asset management software and leading demand-driven ERP packages to allow customers to maximize their investment in legacy systems to complete and automate their back-office supply chain. The site links directly to another Datastream offering, BizSurplus.com, where buyers can take part in online auctions for new and used equipment.

www.procurenet.com

ProcureNet offers e-procurement solutions to more than 250 major commercial and public sector organizations. Its flagship product, OneSource, integrates Web-based procurement applications, global buying portal, and purchasing services. Once the solution is implemented, buyers have access to sourcing tools and direct links with suppliers.

www.grainger.com

This is the Web site of W.W. Grainger, one of the nation's biggest MRO suppliers. It features a catalog of more than 210,000 MRO products. Buyers must register, but there are no minimum order requirements. Buyers also can use Grainger's search engine to get Material Safety Data Sheets about hazardous chemicals.

www.thomasregister.com

The Thomas Register Web site features e-catalogs from more than 500 companies. In addition to filling up shopping carts with items from different manufacturers, buyers can also order a number of Thomas Register's informational books and CD-ROMs.

www.appliedindustrial.com

Applied Industrial Technologies is a distributor of industrial products and services. The company operates in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. It is an authorized distributor for more than 150 of the industry's top manufacturers and 350 product niche manufacturers. Some of the products they sell include bearings, industrial rubber, fluid power and shop services.

www.equalfooting.com

EqualFooting.com is a new e-marketplace that enables small manufacturing and construction businesses to purchase industrial supplies and equipment over the Internet. The site provides for immediate comparison buying from multiple national suppliers and allows buyers to solicit bids from a large network of smaller suppliers. The complete service is free to buyers.

www.iMark.com

iMark.com is a business-to-business Internet marketplace for the exchange of used equipment. Users on the site can see pictures of equipment, submit offers online, arrange to inspect products offline, and there is messaging capability between buyers and sellers. Some product categories include power transmission, printing and publishing, and plastic molding and extrusion.

www.supplyforce.com

supplyFORCE.com is a network of independent distributors dedicated to providing national account and integrated supply solutions, as well as Web procurement options for industrial, commercial and contractor customers. The company says its "clicks and mortar" approach enables customers to meet individual and corporate procurement requirements while maintaining relationships between local facilities and distributors, all while still participating in e-business initiatives.

www.industrialvortex.com

This site facilitates services for buyers and suppliers of industrial automation within an electronic virtual marketplace, and provides resources to research, compare, and purchase MRO related products. This online company provides several types of help using an aggregated catalog and e-commerce site purchasing, as well as auctions, hot-buys, product showcases, and an open RFQ marketplace.