This article explains why Buyers need access to your product catalogues in advance of them Going Live with PurchasePlus
You have a new PurchasePlus Buyer!
This is great - but why are we asking you to link them to one of your catalogues now, if they aren't going live with PurchasePlus for a couple of weeks?
When we reach out to you to link your new customers to catalogues, we always contact you at least 4 weeks in advance of the Buyer's Go Live date with ordering through PurchasePlus. The Buyer's need access to your catalogues, so they have time to do real life, hands-on training with our Onboarding teams, and build their Buy Lists with your products.
Also, you may need to create a new catalogue, or curate one of your existing catalogues to tailor it specifically to your new Buyer (ie. include group pricing/rebates, specific pricing & products). We know this task takes time, you might need a good 2–3 weeks to complete your new catalogue. And likewise, if you provide us with your catalogue data to complete for you, it might take our team 1–2 weeks to complete it, depending on their current workload.
The Buyers may also need to place first fill orders to fill their outlets, store rooms & cold rooms with stock ahead of their site opening. They may be planning a pre-opening Gala or owner's party to celebrate their new site, and they need your catalogues to do this!
This is why we reach out to you often to remind you about your new Buyer, to ensure that they have opened an account with you (if applicable), and of course to offer our Catalogue team's full support to help you get the task done!
The Buyer's teams generally need 3-4 weeks training to learn how to use PurchasePlus and build their Buy Lists. Buy List building is vital to be done well in advance of the Hotel/site opening and Going Live with the program, as that is generally the source of their Purchase Orders.
If they don't have access to your catalogue - they can't build their Buy Lists, and you will miss out on orders!
Why haven't we given you the Buyer's paperless email address yet?
As soon as their opening day or Go Live day hits, we email you the Buyer's paperless email address to send their invoices to. We don't generally give that address too much in advance to avoid any duplicates or confusion with invoices on the hotel's side. Also, the email address' may not be generated until closer to Go Live date, for whatever reason.
You will see orders coming through when the Buyers are ready to begin trading with you.
As we all know, the Hospitality industry can be unpredictable & at times there are unexpected issues that may change a predicted Go Live date, so while we plan as much as we can, at times Go Live might be pushed back or even brought forward, depending on what is happening at the Hotel/site.
It's always up to myself and my team to ensure that the Suppliers catalogues are linked and pricing/products are correct at least 3–4 weeks in advance, no matter what happens, so that we don't cause any stress or delay for the Buyer while they get settled.
As always, please reach out to us via the below email address, if you would like a hand with your catalogue work or have any questions we can help you with. We are here to support you, so you can get the task completed, grow your Buyer network & basket, and get on with your day!
