The world of eCommerce is rapidly growing and PunchOut catalogs are one of the solutions that have contributed to this exponential rise. PunchOut catalogs are a solution created by developers that enable customers to easily access a seller’s product catalog using the suppliers’ websites interface. In addition, this solution allows customers to add products to their carts among other functionalities.
PunchOut catalogs have been designed in a way that allows customers to browse through different vendors’ product catalogs and even make purchases without the vendor being notified. At the same time, buyers can move through product catalogs of different sites without knowing they are doing so as the process is seamless.
Basically, PunchOut catalogs directly connect a customer’s eProcurement solutions with various vendors, enabling them to make purchases from the supplier’s website interface. Customers can place orders without necessarily requiring an eProcurement system and at the same time evaluate various products in the seller’s catalog. PunchOut catalogs have been successfully applied in B2B commerce, B2C commerce, as well as B2B transactions.
How the PunchOut Catalogs work
PunchOut catalogs do not only link the buyer’s eProcurement systems to those of the vendors but also allow for data and order transmission between different eCommerce websites. For PunchOut catalogs to be created the eCommerce platforms and eProcurement platforms have to be integrated. Customers can fully view the contents of a vendor’s website without actually visiting the site. When a customer visits the supplier’s interface, they can punch out and be redirected to the vendor’s storefront.
Once the customer has successfully gone through authentication, they can proceed to choose products and add them to their cart. When the customer selects the “check out” option, the items will show on the customer’s eProcurement platform, and, from there, an order will be created which will then be submitted to the supplier for fulfillment. Check out more on the Virto Commerce page—Virto Commerce is one of the leading developers of PunchOut systems for eCommerce platforms.
Why PunchOut catalog
PunchOut Catalogs connect a buyer’s eProcurement platform with multiple vendors’ product catalogs. For customers making bulk purchases i.e., B2B commerce, they can be directly bought from the vendor’s website. This means that a buyer can depart from their eProcurement page and collect data directly from a vendor’s page without actually having to visit it.
Buyers then can proceed to add the products they want to their cart and check out, just like they do in an eCommerce platform. One huge difference is that the buyer has complete control and authority when dealing with the transaction as well as invoicing instead of the supplier. This is to benefit customers as it improves efficiency and is a more flexible option. Businesses that utilize PunchOut catalogs provide a competitive advantage and increase productivity and profitability.
How can businesses benefit from using PunchOut catalogs?
While several vendors, as well as buyers, have been quick to adopt PunchOut catalogs, some suppliers have not yet—simply because they do not understand the benefit this solution offers both sellers and buyers. Experienced suppliers however have moved to embrace these solutions as it comes with several benefits like retaining valuable customers, opening new business opportunities, increased revenue, enhanced customer loyalty, customer satisfaction, gaining competitive advantage, and so on.
For supplier businesses, PunchOut catalogs are a must-have solution. There are those customers with strict measures on purchases including sourcing from verified vendors and following a rigid budget. This means you can lose these customers if you don’t have PunchOut catalogs. These solutions give the customer more control over invoicing but will most certainly improve your sales and revenue.
