@Quotes

@UK PLC recognised early on that for Local Authorities over 60% of all orders are for services and an efficient easy to use quoting system was an essential part of the marketplace.

@Quotes is easy to use, and fully integrated with suppliers so that suppliers are aware of what is going on.  There are multiple ways of using the system.

  • Free text orders and Negotiated quotes
  • Closed or Public Quotes
  • Flexible or sealed bids.

The key is that all quotes once completed become shopping basket items that can be approved as part of a requisition and send out as a purchase order, with the return of a matching invoice.

Free text orders and Negotiated quotes

Both free text orders and negotiation with a single supplier are supported to try end ensure that the correct specification and pricing is agreed up front prior to approval and purchase order.

Closed or Public Quotes

Quotes can either be closed, only visible to a selected set of suppliers e.g. a framework for print services might have 5 suppliers on the framework, and they would all get the quote. Or the quote is public and any supplier may respond, and the quote is advertised as widely as possible.

Flexible or Sealed Bids

Flexible quotes allow buyers to open responses prior to the end date, and do not need to have an end date set so that the process can complete with the first acceptable response.  Sealed bids are normally for higher values and require a closing date, bids need to be made prior to the closing date, and can only be opened after the closing date.

Post quote negotiation and auctions

Quotes can be go forward into either further negotiation with the supplier or an auction if there are multiple suppliers of a suitable quality

USP Easy to use system

B2C ecommerce systems have to be usable with out training, where as most procurement systems are unusable with out training. @Quotes can be used with out training.

USP Correct prices

@Quotes tries to ensure that even for free text orders the pricing and specification is correct so that the supplier can check and agree before the order gets approved.

USP Credit Card Integration

As far as we are aware @UK PLC is the only eProcurement system with connections into all major banks for credit card acceptance. And the use of the system for services such as temporary staff and other services with payment by credit card is a new area for eprocurement.

USP Security

B2C ecommerce is not a trusted environment, eprocurement is normally a trusted environment and eprocurement processes often have flaws that were exploited at the start of B2C ecommerce.  As far as we are aware @UK PLC is the only eprocurement system with PCI/DSS certification.

USP Scalability and Critical mass

@UK PLC passed the 1 million user mark back in January 2010, and has achieved critical mass.  We believe this is more users that all other UK eprocurement systems added together, and probably the largest eprocurement system globally.

eQuotes Glossary rfq, rfp etc

  • rfq - Request for Quote
  • rfp - Request for Price
  • rfi - Request for Information
  • rfb - Request for Bid
  • rfx - Request for Price/Quote/Information/Bid

 

Find Out More
Explore @UK
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Why Choose @UK?

  • Green Marketplace with over 1 million users
  • Get analysis results fast: fully-automated
  • Guaranteed savings & Immediate business plan
  • Full granular, line-item level reporting
  • Products, categories and suppliers responsible for your procurement carbon footprint
  • Over £120 billion analysed to date
  • Over 290,000 companies formed
Find out more

@UK PLC is the leading ecommerce marketplace, with over 1 million users. We believe that @UK PLC has significantly more users than all the other UK marketplaces combined, and that we are probably the largest transactional b2b marketplace providing integrated eCommerce and eProcurement worldwide.

@UK PLC is the first large volume green marketplace with over 3 million products that have carbon footprints. @UK PLC supports businesses from start up through to being members of the fortune 500, and is a leading Company Formation & Company Registration Agent with over 290,000 Limited Companies formed.

 

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minitext

'The project was particularly exciting as it allowed for joint work with leading academics at the University of Reading and Research scientists at @UK PLC. This is one of the largest and most innovative KTP projects ever undertaken and we are very excited by the results. We believe that the new tool is groundbreaking and has come at exactly the right time to help public and private sector organizations achieve savings.'

Professor Mark Bishop, Department of Computing
Goldsmiths

'It's really useful because we can look at the information from all different angles and it's so easy to use,' says Ms Hamilton. 'It will help us rationalise and standardise our suppliers and products, which in turn means we can get better prices.'

Vicki Hamilton, The Head of Procurement and Supplies for the Outer South East London Shared Procurement
London Procurement Program

 

We’d love to hear from you. Please send us your questions, comments or concerns by filling out the form below. We’ll do our best to get back to you as quickly as possible, usually within 1-2 business days.
 

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