The B2B Match-making platform matches members primarily on the basis of products, then also uses value chain matching as a secondary matching tool. To ensure you get the best matches, you need to complete the product inputs and outputs entry.
Inputs
Inputs are all the products and services that your business buys, whether to produce the products you sell, to resell or for your own internal consumption. The more important inputs to enter are those that relate directly to your output (i.e. products/services that you sell). The match-making algorithms will use this information to match you to suppliers of these products at the price you currently buy at or better. You can also enter even the products that you buy for administrative or internal consumption, so that you also get better suppliers for these.
Note that the input cost that you capture for each product will be used to select potential suppliers that can supply at around your current cost or better.
Outputs
Outputs are the products or services that you sell (or re-sell), as well as those that may be by-products of your production process or even waste! Outputs are what you are selling to other members and these are used to match you to potential customers looking for your product or service. Remember there are also businesses that are into recycling so even outputs you may regard as waste may be inputs to the next business. Therefore try and upload all outputs.
General Advice
If you have multiple outputs (e.g. you are a retailer) there are two ways to deal with these. The better option is to upload each product, starting with those that are either of higher value or higher demand, then over time capture the less prominent products. The second option is to enter product categories e.g. "timber", "pipes", "electrical wires" then put in the average prices. If you do this, indicate in the description the breakdown of such a category (i.e. individual products making up the category) so that the algorithm is able to pick up specific product names. This second option is less accurate and may result in less chances of matches to potential customers or suppliers.
Be as comprehensive as possible in describing your products/services to enable counterparties to be as reasonably informed as possible about your products or services. Also be candid about things like your capacity to supply or produce, as failure to deliver will result in tarnishing of your image.