W.W. Grainger Inc. launched an entry in
the B2B maintenance, repair, and operating (MRO) supplies e-commerce arena
called TotalMRO.com.
The company said the site offers searchable product information, contract
pricing and availability for millions of MRO products and services available
through distributors. Competition in this space includes PurchasingCenter.com, an online
marketplace dedicated to buyers of industrial and facility supplies in
mid-sized companies.
TotalMRO.com technology partners include BEA Systems, Requisite Technology and
webMethods. Customer access to TotalMRO.com will initially be through Ariba
a B2B platform provider.
Initial participating MRO distributors include Briggs-Weaver, Cameron and
Barkley Company, Lab Safety Supply, Manufacturers Equipment and Supply
Company, MetersandInstruments.com (a subsidiary of Transmation Inc.), Motion
Industries, New Pig Corp., Newark Electronics, and Transcat (a division of
Transmation Inc.), as well as
Grainger.
TotalMRO.com organizes the fragmented and inefficient MRO supply chain —
allowing buyers and sellers to interact and transact business within one
solution, Grainger said, adding that the site will be a universal,
“transactable” catalog, eliminating the high cost of maintaining “buy side”
and “sell side” catalogs.
W.W. Grainger Inc., with 1999 sales of $4.5 billion, is a major player in the
North American MRO area.