Catalog management services and software solve this problem. Requisite, for example, hires ontologists, scientists in the field of language structure, to develop XML tagging systems for e-marketplaces. It couples human talent with a sophisticated search engine that takes advantage of the more precise tags for better searches. It can display data hosted on the supplier's site, which ensures accuracy. Most e-marketplaces can't perform such intense content management for the thousands of items they sell, particularly if they host their own content rather than linking to supplier sites, Staples' Keane says.
Manual updates are nearly impossible because manufacturers change their product lines daily.
Staples uses Requisite on an extranet it launched in April to serve midsize to large business customers. Requisite ensures that accurate data is sent to all marketplaces in which Staples participates. Some buyer-hosted catalogs won't provide users with the Staples shopping experience. They don't allow us to differentiate ourselves. We like supplier-hosted catalogs.