Will Buyers Find You? Make Sure They Do with Ariba Discovery
The harsh realities of today’s economy make connecting with new customers more important than ever. Keeping costs low is just as crucial. Ariba Discovery lets you do both—and features and tools added in November enhance efficiency and improve results.In tough times, you need to leverage every resource possible to boost your business. By taking one simple action—creating and maintaining a profile on Ariba Network Discovery—you can rapidly reach large, global buying organizations across a wide range of industries.
How Does Ariba Discovery Work?
Buying organizations with active purchasing projects post RFPs on the Ariba Discovery, which automatically notifies you via email about opportunities that match your business capabilities. Online search features also allow potential customers to find you based on multiple criteria ranging from commodities and sales territories to business revenue and ratings.
An Effective Way to Market Your Company
Rather than spend weeks and months courting prospects who may or may not be ready to buy, you can use Ariba Discovery to gain immediate access to those with decision-making power and approved budgets in an active purchasing cycle.
“Our company has found Ariba Discovery very useful in helping to identify potential vendors for events. As our business needs grow, we will continue to utilize its functions to help find qualified suppliers and to increase competitive bids.”
Strategic Sourcing Manager, National Discount Retail Store
Your Profile: The Key to Discovery Success
To participate in Ariba Network Discovery, you must first register and create an online profile. If you’re registered on the Ariba® Supplier Network™, your profile is already included in Ariba Discovery, and you can log in with the same user ID and password. If you don’t have an Ariba account, simply go to http://discovery.ariba.com/and click on “Register and Create Profile” to get started.
Once you’ve created a profile, you need to keep it up to date. RFP matching and customer searches are based directly on the information you provide—which means that the more complete and current your profile, the more opportunities you’ll get that match your business capabilities.
It’s especially important to ensure that your territory and commodity information are accurate, since these are key criteria for searches. Correct email contacts are equally essential, as prospects and customers use this information to contact you about potential business opportunities.
How Do I Update My Profile?
Keeping your profile current is easy. Go to http://discovery.ariba.com and log in with your user ID and password. Select “Edit Profile” at the right-hand side of the screen and follow the prompts. (Note that any changes you make to your Discovery profile will also appear on your Ariba Supplier Network account, and vice versa.) Then complete the following steps:
- Click Manage Profile, then select Basic Profile and update the Commodities field.
- Click Manage Profile, then visit the Email Notifications area. Find the Business Opportunities field and enter up to three email addresses. Be sure to list the email addresses of those best suited to respond to RFPs, since these people will receive RFP notifications from prospective customers.
Take your profile to the next level and gain a competitive edge by upgrading to a membership in Advantage. Offered at the introductory price of $199 per year, this program offers many valuable benefits, including:
- Enhanced rankings in online searches by prospective buying organizations
- Space to provide rich text descriptions, such as a specific marketing message, as well as attachments like product literature
- Inclusion of your logo
- Ability to include URL links to relevant website content
- Activity reports that provide the names of the last ten companies that accessed your online profile
- Ability to include a specific salesperson’s contact information which is visible to prospective customers during a search
“Ariba helps us receive interest from four new suppliers, on an average, for most of the new business opportunities that we post. It’s a great tool to use for supplier discovery.”
Shikhar Hassani, Global Process Leader, Supply Chain – Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc.
What’s New in the November Release?
In addition to more precise search algorithms that enable customers to find you more easily, new features on Ariba Discovery allow you to:
- Obtain and post customer references. A unique online tool makes it easy for you to obtain recommendations and references from existing customers and post them in your profile, enhancing your credibility. You supply the name and email address of the customer from whom you wish to obtain a reference. The system can then send either a preformatted letter or one you’ve customized to the customer, requesting their comments on your qualities as a supplier. Once the customer replies, you can review their statement and include it on your profile for other customers to see.
- Interact with prospects and customers online in real time. You now have the ability to send questions, comments, or even suggestions about specific RFPs directly to buying organizations through Ariba Discovery. Buying organizations can respond to you directly as well. They can also post these exchanges online for all suppliers to view, creating an online dialogue that supports greater efficiency and more open communication both before and during the bidding process.
Track Activity on Your Account. Monthly online activity reports enable you to see how many buying organizations are accessing your account, giving you clearer visibility into how much exposure you’re gaining through Discovery. (For Advantage members, these reports include specific company names as well.)
