PubEasy.com
http://www.pubeasy.com/
Middlesex Company’s Global Online B-2-B Portal for the Publishing Industry.

ISI/InterForum 2000 E-Commerce Award Winner: London

Company Background

Middlesex based PubEasy.com was developed by VISTA Computer systems, a supplier of enterprise solutions to the publishing Industry for over 20 years. The company, which employs seven people, was designed to specifically meet the needs of current and prospective customers in the industry.

The Business Opportunity

The publishing industry has long suffered from problems with the supply chain. The retailer often does not know if book prices are accurate or if a specific book is available. At the other end of the chain, publishers are concerned with bookseller’s lack of information about their products. As over 70% of calls to publishers' customer service centres are about price, availability and the status of individual orders, VISTA decided to address this information gap and set up a system which would make the whole process a lot simpler.

The Solution

VISTA established a new company called PubEasy.com which is an internet enquiry and ordering service providng publishers distributors, wholesalers and booksellers with business-to-business e-commerce tools which reduce the cost of routine enquires, speed access to the status of orders and account information.

The Success

With over 1700 publishers represented in the UK and over 400 publishers represented in the US, PubEasy.com very quickly established itself as the industry’s standard method of conducting business transactions electronically. More than 3,500 booksellers from over 95 countries are using the service to access title, price and availability information, to place orders, to check the status of their orders and to access catalogues from participating publishers, distributors and wholesalers.

PubEasy.com regularly conducts user surveys to highlight areas were the site and service can improve. Over the next 12 months the company plans to introduce a new facility specifically aimed at smaller publishers and integrate their systems with bookstore’s EPOS and inventories.

Advice for other companies

Gary Bowman, application development director for PubEasy.com said "The factors necessary to create an efficient supply chain include creating value by aggregating a critical mass, reducing transaction costs, facilitating an open communication environment and adopting common standards, not just for those who can afford it but for all. This is the "win-win" goal that benefits all."