MarketBay is a cloud-based digital software module and mobile device app for buyers in wholesale fruit and vegetable markets. It can also be used in other industries where static ordering and mobile buying functions are required. It seeks to replace the paper-based form, pen and clipboard approach to buying, and manual faxing of buyer orders to suppliers. It is cost effective, intuitive and simple to use.
MarketBay has administrative and user portals with both code-driven defaults and also freeform product descriptions enabling creation of templates for compilation of buying orders and storage of order files which may also be retrieved for use on an ongoing basis.
The data structures in MarketBay provide for the description of product by variety, size, grade and colour with all these descriptive elements being available in both the portal during the order processes, and also in the mobile device app on the market trading floor.
The MarketBay Mobile Device App accesses the buyer's orders in an SQL database and provides interactive access to place orders with sellers, opportunity buying and also confirmation, update and maintenance of pricing with point-of-sale immediacy. Importantly, the app also facilitates communication with the shop, warehouse and distribution as the buying activity proceeds, enabling dynamic information flows between buyers and sellers.
The MarketBay Mobile Device App also communicates directly with its related product MarketBase, establishing a digital dialogue between parties to the sale which reduces confusion and error in purchase detail and pricing; these identified as leading causes of billing errors with resultant credit claims.
The user interface for orders in the portal is personalised for the functions of stock, ordering and other requirements. Column visibility, colour, font, width and headings are personalised across the many purpose-driven grids which can be established by users.
MarketBay services the buying community with facilities for buyers with a single outlet as well as those buying on behalf of buyer groups. Orders placed by multiple outlets can be received and placed separately, or combined as a group order chargeable to a single entity.
Suppliers can be set up by the buyers in preferred order for each product type and assigned to each order line subject to adjustment by the user.
MarketBay retains details of suppliers' contact and communication details enabling a buyer's entire order to be split into components by supplier and sent electronically at the touch of a button, by email or fax. Suppliers may also participate in MarketBay by providing details of each salesperson, their contact details and product range, providing choice between receiving consolidated order documents or separate documents directly delivered to salespersons.
Written in industry-standard MS program languages utilising MVC architecture, MarketBay uses MS SQL database structures and web services, and facilitates dynamic messaging between itself and MarketBase.
The MarketBay Mobile Device App is a native iOS project for Apple devices implementing messaging and web services to communicate across the internet. Android versions are planned.