Networking with supplies and customers

摘要

The metals industry has witnessed the recent demise of several major c-commerce platforms. Industry-backed gorillas, such as MetalSite and Metal Spectrum have suspended operations as have venture-capital-backed players such as Aluminium.com and MetalMaker. While each of these companies has fallen for a slightly different mix of reasons, they all have had to confront a shared set of obstacles: the current downturn in the steel industry, the difficulty of changing the purchasing and selling patterns of metals-industry personnel, and reduced access to capital.As a result of the shakeout, steel and aluminum producers, many of whom have invested significant finds and/or time in e-commerce technologies, are being forced to reevaluate their c-commerce strategies and partners. A careful examination of the recent dot.com collapses can help metals-industry companies separate the next e-commerce failures from viable long-term e-commerce partners.