NMBS reports that increased numbers of construction products suppliers are signing up to OnePlace, its unique B2B Ordering and Product Information Management (PIM) platform.
NMBS OnePlace offers suppliers a central platform through which they can interact with and sell products to more than 1,150 independent merchant members across the UK. All NMBS suppliers can sign up to OnePlace and list some, or all, of their products on the platform. Once live, information about these products is visible to the entire NMBS membership, giving suppliers the opportunity for valuable additional sales.
Merchants use OnePlace to source, research and place orders from suppliers, suppliers with the platform giving suppliers an easy way to quickly get their products in front of hundreds of potential new stockists as well as existing ones. Drop-shipping delivery options are also available through OnePlace from suppliers who wish to offer it, which can often help to encourage merchants to begin working with a new supplier to fulfil specific or one-off orders, allowing merchants to offer an extended range both in branch and online.
One of the main benefits of OnePlace to NMBS suppliers is the ability to set up bespoke ordering rules for their products, so that orders can only be submitted if the merchant includes all the information necessary for the supplier. This ensures suppliers receive clean, validated orders in either XML or PDF format, drastically reducing the number of order queries and follow up which improves the purchase to payment process for all parties.
Thanks to OnePlace’s enhanced connectivity, suppliers can also use the platform to provide accurate, up-to-date stock level information to merchants through regular, automated data uploads through the platforms API functionality. This means merchants will always know whether the products being ordered are in stock, and the likely delivery lead times.
Once an order has been placed, merchants can use their OnePlace account to access all relevant documentation including order tracking, acknowledgements and delivery notes.
NMBS says that OnePlace is designed to offer true flexibility for supplier pricing and product information, allowing them to provide bespoke pricing for individual merchants or buying groups. Suppliers can use the PIM functionality within OnePlace to maintain, update and enhance their product data including digital assets such as images, documents and videos, which can then be distributed manually or automatically to their own platforms via the enhanced interfaces and channel functionality within the system.
The suppliers can then also enable their product data to being instantly accessible by all NMBS members, allowing them to distribute product data and price changes instantly in one single update to over 1150 merchants, meaning they only have to update information in one place, before it is automatically distributed to all connected databases.
NMBS members have access to the same interface and channels functionality allowing them to get product updates manually or automatically on a schedule in a common format suitable to their requirements to export into their own platforms. This gives them control when their receive product data updates and control over the format for each system – the channel connectivity means they don’t have to contact suppliers directly for updates, because all changes by the suppliers are automatically distributed to the merchants required schedule.
OnePlace also provides instant feedback on the completion of supplier product data, so that suppliers can quickly see where there may be information such as imagery or product attributes that my need enhancing. This functionality is in place to ensure the suppliers data is in the best possible quality, allowing the merchants to use it in branch and online to help drive growth for both the supplier and members.
NMBS Commercial Director Andy Hextall says: “The NMBS OnePlace platform has been welcomed by many of our suppliers since it was first introduced in 2018. It offers a wide range of features that can make it easier than ever for suppliers to sell product to hundreds of independent merchants, and we have a programme of continuous development ahead that will bring even more benefits to the merchant industry.”
