Signs You will Need a PunchOut Catalog

As a supplier, if you are fed-up of using CIF catalog and looking for an easy way to setup communication with your B2B customer, it is time to think about PunchOut, a protocol that has revolutionized the way you exchange data with your big customers. In fact, your customers will be more than happy to connect with you using PunchOut technology.

You will need PunchOut catalog when you have the following:

Huge Product Catalog

When your product catalog is huge containing large number of products, it is always better to use PunchOut catalog. Loading large CIF catalog will require a lot of manual effort. In fact, companies find it a nightmare to conduct transactions using CIF catalog. On the other hand, a PunchOut catalog is a direct link between your site and customer’s procurement system. The customer only has to click PunchOut link to access your site.

Product Configurations that require Customizations

If you are selling configurable products and want to provide options so that the customer can create a product configuration as per his requirements, it doesn’t make sense to use CIF catalog. This is because, it is essentially a line item catalog that can only store basic information about the product. It is not suitable for your complex products. Lack of direct representation for product configuration is the biggest drawbacks of CIF catalog. However, a SciQuestPunchOut catalog is designed to represent configurable products. In fact, whether you are offering simple, customizable, bundle or configurable products, using a PunchOut is the best option.

Catalog Content is Changing Frequently

You might be having a small catalog – say of 400 items – but if you are changing product attributes frequently then again it can be a headache. For instance, if the product pricing is fluctuating every 2 to 3 days then you will have to frequently upload CIF file manually. Whereas, if you are using Coupa PunchOut catalog, your customer can view pricing and availability information in real time.