Biolab Builds First Marketplace For Scientific Supplies
Biolab Scientific announced today that it is developing a “digital marketplace” to meet the purchasing needs of
Australasian scientific, research and health organisations from a single website.
The marketplace, which has been designed by e-commerce consultants Arthur Andersen, will run on Ariba Inc software and
be hosted by Telecom (esolutions).
“Our development partners have been chosen because of their ‘best of breed’ technology,” says Biolab’s e-Business
General Manager Catherine Calarco. “The existing strong relationships between Arthur Andersen, Ariba and esolutions will
give us speed to market and help ensure the success of the venture.”
Construction of the marketplace is well on the way. Biolab will begin testing with a group of clients and suppliers this
month before the site goes live in February 2001.
The digital market concept is a development of Biolab’s successful e-commerce experience with its own on-line warehouse,
Biolab Direct.
“It’s a natural evolution of Biolab Direct,” Ms Calarco says. “In two and a half years we have built a new distribution
channel which transacts a significant portion of our business.”
“The next step is to offer a greater range of products, and better integration with our customers’ systems. The digital
marketplace will do all that, and much more.”
The new market will not be another middleman perpetuating the old inefficiencies.
“The value we will add comes from process improvements and cost reduction. We can do that by building e-business
efficiencies into the supply chain, without sacrificing our customers’ preferred supplier relationships.
“Instead of having to invest in their own systems, our customers will be freed to concentrate on their own core business
of research, manufacturing or teaching.”
Biolab Scientific believes the primary customer benefits of the digital marketplace will include:
A single place to access multiple suppliers
Aggregation of buying power
Less “maverick buying” through customised access
Stronger reporting on order and spend status through better integration
Suppliers who join the marketplace will also benefit from:
Low cost to acquire customers
Increased volumes
Lower transaction costs
Better data for supply chain management
Customer advisory group helps develop the digital marketplace
Biolab Scientific is working with a number of its current customers to refine the model for the digital marketplace,
including AgResearch, a health service provider and a university.
AgResearch’s Stephanie Jones says there’s a strong synergy between the business objectives of the Crown research
institute and the Biolab marketplace.
“We both want to capture the efficiencies of the electronic environment. After successfully using Biolab Direct for the
last two years, we’re confident that Biolab Scientific’s experience and knowledge will bring as much, if not more
success from the digital marketplace.”
Suppliers are signing up
Biolab Scientific is working with a number of potential suppliers to participate in the digital marketplace alongside
its own range of scientific, research and health products. The extended range will include gas and engineering supplies,
stationery, computers, software and accessories, and travel.
One of the companies already on board is Australasian office supply company Corporate Express.
General Manager of Sales and Marketing, Grant Harrod says the digital marketplace concept fits Corporate Express’s goal
of helping customers simplify procurement and reduce costs.
“We welcome the opportunity to participate as a principle supplier,” Mr Harrod said. “We believe that this new venture
will cement our position, and that of Biolab Scientific, as Australasian leaders in B2B e-Commerce.”
Key partners offer global experience
Arthur Andersen works in partnership with Ariba to ensure clients’ success in eCommerce. Arthur Andersen helps clients
create, manage and measure value, and provides world-class implementation services for clients using the Ariba B2B
commerce platform.
Ariba is the leading provider of B2B solutions to companies around the globe, including 20 of the FORTUNE 100. Ariba
provides the most comprehensive and open commerce platform to build B2B marketplaces, manage corporate purchasing and
electronically enable suppliers and commerce service providers on the Internet.
The marketplace will be hosted on-line by Telecom, utilising a custom implementation of esolutions’ web-hosting service.
esolutions is the alliance between Telecom New Zealand, EDS and Microsoft. The esolutions Safecom package will also
provide an option for secure internet, extranet (vpn) and remote access to the marketplace to allow customers and
suppliers of all sizes to participate and share information in a safe way.
esolutions worked with Arthur Anderson and Ariba to develop its own BusinessXchange eProcurement service. It also offers
web hosting, managed network services and is an application service provider.
- Ends -
For further information, please contact:
Catherine Calarco, General Manager, e-Business Australasia, Biolab Scientific
Phone (09) 980 6741, 029 477 420
Released on behalf of Biolab Scientific by Network Communications - Peter Hallwright. Phone (09) 306 5803, (025) 444 534