connXus.com Focuses on Purchasing Demand, Connects Corporations With Diverse Businesses

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CINCINNATI, Feb. 15, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- A new online service called connXus.com revolutionizes supplier diversity by focusing on corporate purchasing demands and making it easy and affordable for corporations to locate, evaluate and engage performance-rated small, woman- or minority-owned businesses.

The connXus.com system actively matches buyers with diverse suppliers that fit their purchasing needs based on membership profiles.  Buyers can also conduct searches for performance-rated small, woman- or minority-owned businesses or post contract opportunities for suppliers to submit bids.  

"Since our trial launch started in December, connXus.com buyer members have posted real bid opportunities totaling more than $10 million," said connXus.com Founder Rod Robinson.  "Based on this early success, we project opportunity postings of $40-60 million this year.  In fact, right now we are seeking diverse trucking companies to provide less-than-truckload (LTL) services in 2011 for a connXus.com buyer member that sources over $2 billion in transportation services annually."

As a procurement expert and supplier diversity consultant to Fortune 1000 companies, Robinson knew the biggest challenge his clients faced was finding qualified, diverse suppliers for the specific products and services they needed to purchase.

"I knew that it was a true challenge and not just an excuse," said Robinson.  "I experienced the same frustrations with out-of-date or incomplete databases, fragmented resources and expensive software trying to match a company's purchasing needs with woman- or minority-owned businesses who could supply them.  Given all the ways that technology is being leveraged in today's business environment, I just knew there had to be a better way to connect buyers and diverse suppliers."

Robinson partnered with Chris Downie, founder and CEO of America's #1 diet and fitness site SparkPeople to develop connXus.com.  connXus.com combines Robinson's understanding of private-industry procurement and supplier diversity with Downie's technical know-how.

At connXus.com, corporations register as buyer members and include the product or service categories they need to purchase in their profile.  More than 100 spend categories are represented, including construction, legal, facilities, information technology, professional services (accounting, consulting , training, etc.), capital equipment , manufacturing, transportation and temporary labor.

Small, woman- or minority-owned businesses register as supplier members, creating a profile that indicates the product or service categories they provide, company size, industry expertise, representative customers and request performance ratings from prior customers via the proprietary rating system.  Just like other consumer-focused websites, more and better ratings translate into better search results.

"With connXus.com, companies can easily integrate supplier diversity into their normal sourcing process, reduce costs and increase quality," explained Robinson.  "Our proprietary performance rating system helps reduce the risks of trying a new supplier and at the same time helps quality diverse suppliers promote themselves."

Suppliers subscribe based on company revenues; buyers register for free.  For a limited time, connXus.com is offering new supplier members a free 60-day trial membership. For more information, go to www.connxus.com.

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Rod Robinson

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SOURCE connXus.com