Going with a third party brings a level of integrity to it. The neutrality makes the sellers more comfortable. If I'm hosting the auction, suppliers may not be comfortable that I'm treating everyone fairly. They might think that I'm withholding information from some and giving it to others. |
I would assume with time we could build these systems, but it's not one of our core strengths. It makes sense to build a relationship with a third party that does have these strengths. |
It's a fantastic tool. It allows us to diversify our supply base and create a dynamic marketplace for buying and selling. Now, I can reach a competitive market price very quickly and with much less effort than phoning around and taking bids manually. I can do it in a matter of hours instead of a matter of weeks. |