Meet Behub-e, the global online platform for the energy and industry markets
For a manufacturer like Vallourec, the idea may seem bold at first glance. And yet, the Group has officially launched Behub-e, the new global online platform for buyers and sellers in the energy and industrial markets. In addition to offering a quick and easy way to sell new products, this platform gives a second life to dormant stocks and surplus production.
First open to vendors since November 2021, Behub-e was just made available to buyers in March 2022.
A simple and efficient online sales channel
Ultimately, this marketplace, which will include more than 20 product categories, should eventually offer up to 500 thousand references, from more than 100 different suppliers. Today, about 40 vendors are already on board.
E&P operators, equipment manufacturers, service companies, repair shops and distributors are Behub-e’s core target.
“We hope that the multiplicity of sellers will enable customers to discover new business partners, find innovative products and services, take advantage of competition between suppliers, and simplify their lives thanks to a simple and effective online sales platform, using a secure B2B payment process”, Geoffroy continues.
Sellers, on the other hand, benefit from a large base of buyers through a marketplace with a global reach. The platform helps them to digitalize their sourcing process and they don’t need to deal with payments, which are handled by a third-party payment service provider (PSP). In addition, they benefit from Behub-e’s targeted marketing campaigns.
- The two "be"s at the beginning and end of the name refer to the cycle associated with the circular economy.
- The "-e" stands for digital solutions.
- "Hub" suggests the "hub" where users can connect, exchange, and work together.
Successful test and learn approach
The ‘test and learn’ approach allowed us to quickly measure the effectiveness of different parts of the project and assess the relevance of Behub-e as a whole. “Each piece of feedback enabled us to correct weak points and determine the actions to be taken to optimize the platform. We were supported by two business development staff whose mission was to make us known and to bring suppliers on board.”
A user-friendly interface
“Indeed, our users are more familiar with B2C sites, like Amazon or Walmart, so we used their levers”.
Behub-e offers payment with a choice from a simple credit card to a term payment. All sellers have to set up terms and conditions (it’s a platform driven agreement). “We have solved the problem of international taxes – they are calculated in real time – and all products are displayed with their price, stock and availability,” Logan continues. The advantage of the marketplace? It allows small and medium-sized sellers to have a dedicated space – like a mini e-commerce site – with its own URL, at no additional cost.
Hosted at Amazon Web Services (AWS) for maximum security and availability, Behub-e is based on an open-source solution and the PSP is optimized for B2B marketplaces.
