This topic answers common questions about Cloud Sales and Procurement.
What is Cloud Sales and Procurement?
Cloud Sales and Procurement is a procurement and sales collaboration network built on a next-generation cloud computing platform. It helps businesses reduce procurement costs, improve efficiency, and create more sales opportunities. The product provides customers with an integrated solution that combines resources, digital intelligence services, and tools.
Cloud Sales and Procurement offers specialized products for three types of entities: procurement enterprises, sales enterprises, and industrial cluster or platform operators. These products include the following:
For procurement enterprises: Cloud Sales and Procurement Digital Procurement (SRM)
For sales enterprises: Cloud Business Opportunities (formerly Enterprise Procurement CRM)
For industrial cluster or platform operators: Cloud Sales and Procurement Digital Supply and Demand Collaboration (SDE)
FAQ for Digital Procurement
How is it sold?
The product is sold as a subscription and billed annually.
How do I purchase it?
The online purchase channel is under development. In the meantime, you can purchase the product in one of the following ways:
Contact your sales representative directly.
If you are unable to contact your sales representative, leave your contact information, and a representative will contact you.
How do I use it after purchase?
Register an Alibaba Cloud account and a 1688 account, and then associate them. For more information, see Quick Start.
Confirm that you have received the service activation email for Cloud Sales and Procurement.
When you log on for the first time, procurement enterprises must use the root account and console URL provided in the service activation email. Suppliers must log on as instructed after they receive the account activation notification.
FAQ for Cloud Business Opportunities (formerly Enterprise Procurement CRM)
Who are the buyers and what do they purchase?
The platform has over 300 enterprise groups and 2,000 companies that purchase a wide range of items. Major categories include pipes, electrical equipment, construction materials, safety supplies, and office supplies.
Which edition should I choose?
You can subscribe to the Cloud Business Opportunities Premium Edition based on your quoting needs. This edition includes 500 quote tickets, lets you view up to 500 bid details and 250 enterprise details per day, and is valid for one year.
What are the benefits of the Cloud Business Opportunities Premium Edition?
The Cloud Business Opportunities Premium Edition includes 500 quote tickets, lets you view up to 500 bid details and 250 enterprise details per day, and provides customer and marketing management tools.
After you purchase this product, you can submit quotes for public procurement requests. Buyers compare the quotes and other criteria from various suppliers and select a winning bidder to complete the transaction. The following features are included:
Multiple ways to filter business opportunities
Quoting tools
Customer management
Online communication with buyers
Transaction Node Notification
How do I purchase Cloud Business Opportunities?
You must complete identity verification for your Alibaba Cloud account before you can make a purchase. Click here to purchase.
Quotes for major customers are handled within the 1688 domain. Therefore, you must associate your Alibaba Cloud account with your 1688 account. This association allows the system to grant you quoting permissions. If you have not yet associated the accounts, click here for the tutorial.
Can I get a refund after purchase?
No, you cannot. Refunds are not available after purchase, so please make your purchase decision carefully.
When you purchase the Cloud Business Opportunities quoting service, the system automatically issues quote tickets to your account. These tickets can be used immediately and are valid for one year.
How do I check if my purchase was successful?
After you subscribe to the Cloud Business Opportunities quoting service, the quote tickets are issued to your supplier account within one business day. The tickets are valid for one year. You can view your usage details here.
How do I submit a quote?
To submit a quote for a request for quotation (RFQ), go to the RFQ page. The page displays the fee for that RFQ. Click Submit Quote Now and then confirm the payment or the deduction of a quote ticket. You can view the online quoting tutorial here.
What happens if I revoke my quote or the buyer revokes the RFQ?
When a supplier submits a quote for an RFQ and meets the payment conditions, they must pay the quoting fee to Alibaba Cloud. This technical service fee, whether paid directly or using a quote ticket, is non-refundable, regardless of whether a transaction is completed with the buyer.
If a supplier revokes a quote and then submits another quote for the same RFQ, the technical service fee is charged or a quote ticket is consumed only once.
If the buyer revokes the RFQ, Alibaba Cloud will return the quote tickets that were consumed for that RFQ to your account.