How important is the user interface and user experience?

Online marketplaces are great selling channels which can host large product bases. With the rise of e-commerce, the UK online sales exceeded £130 billion in 2016 according to the latest figures from the IMRG Capgemini eRetail Sales Index.

According to the Retail Research, 77% of UK internet users made a purchase online in 2015. Nowadays, consumer behaviour depends on how the marketplaces are being built. Modern customers feel empowered when they can shop around at a fast speed and they can make more informed purchasing decisions when it comes to prices. In addition, customers want to self-serve and do not want to be sold to directly over the phone. They will do their own research and reach out if necessary.

The ever evolving B2B selling space, increasingly complex sales process and buyers' expectations are becoming less effective without an integrated marketplace. B2B online purchasers are looking for a great experience with speed and convenience as two huge factors. An easy search process and seamless check-out will help buyers more easily transition from traditional buying methods to online purchasing.

Progora - The B2B Marketplace Platform

Progora helps you reduce time and money on procurement by quickly building bespoke marketplaces using our latest technology. One of the most powerful, if not the most compelling software platform on the market which allows vendors to reach and interact with customers seamlessly.

Successful marketplaces rely on creating a community where the customer and the supplier see a benefit. For a supplier, it may be access to a larger audience, ease of engagement or lower cost of sale. For a customer, it is:

  • a centralised location for information
  • competitive pricing environment
  • ease of engagement
  • lower cost of sale

Successful Design & Automation

The main advantages of automation are increased productivity, time saving, improved search ability and reduced direct human labour costs. A centralised location for all procurement with up to date pricing and product catalogues with rich content help with decision making and analytics to review spending and trends.

The Progora web store provides a user-friendly e-commerce experience with plenty of relevant, customised product information and simple price comparisons. Every area of the store's front end is designed to make the purchasing experience as streamlined and intuitive as possible, allowing end users to easily find the products they require, even if they have little to no experience.

How important is the customer journey?

Customer journeys are what drives the user to engage with the content of the platform and be interested in the site's products and services. A well-integrated marketplace brings buyers and suppliers together in an innovative digital environment and creates a space to facilitate both smart purchasing and selling processes. Efficiency, connectivity and integration are Progora's most important features which help businesses achieve a seamless experience for both customers and suppliers.

We understand that the customer journey may be different by product category so, unlike other purchasing systems, we can define and configure the customer experience to meet the business needs. Our guided advisors help basic and advanced users with their products or service search, ordering and purchasing decisions as quickly as possible.

Digital Transformation

Digital transformation is the change and evolution of businesses and their organisational processes with the help of a mix of digital technologies. Although many businesses have adopted a model for their digital transformation project, many would not know which products and services to choose.

Making an informed decision can be tough in these circumstances because finding a product which is fit for purpose to undergo the digital process is more than transforming a paper copy to an online catalogue.

It takes true dedication and great development skills to put together a system which helps businesses thrive their digital transformation. We are confident in our product, Progora, because it has been built while focusing on the most challenging requests and the honest feedback of many vendors from key industries. With Progora, the guided user journeys and rich content create a complete B2B marketplace platform. Guided advisors digitise a best practice selection process for anything from a basic product selection to the configuration of a complex service.

With our technology, sellers can easily add new categories, frameworks and functionality like guided experiences and purchase-to-pay workflows. But what is truly great about this platform is the easy integration with legacy procurement systems, finance and purchase-to-pay systems without having to build new systems to replace old ones, saving you time and money.

Progora can manage over 1 million product lines and performs over 10 million price checks daily, enabling the user to find multiple prices in one location without having to compare multiple sites or make multiple calls.

The automated price comparison takes these price checks and sorts them to lowest price with stock, depending on the defined business rules. Moreover, our smart basket functionality aggregates department, groups and companies spend. This reflects the transparency of Progora technology which allows buyers and sellers to work together.

By digitising time consuming manual processes, often accompanied by human errors, Progora automates huge amounts of data and auto checks all processes and workflows so that people ca focus on what they do best.

Expand on Digital Transformation

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ICAEW Best Practice Best Value Digital Transformation
BSI ISO
Crown Commercial Services
Microsoft Gold Partner