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The Index/Working with/Builders' merchants/Trade accounts and self-service

Who we work with

The Index is researched and published by iWeb. Some of the research is carried out with partners whose technology and services we know from our own projects. This page lists them, says what each one does, and states plainly what our relationship is.

Site experienceSearch and navigationProduct informationPricing and stockDelivery and collectionOrdering and paymentsTrade accounts and self-serviceCustomer communication

Why we work with other partners

  • No single partner covers everything a business needs to trade online. Delivery, product data, payments and search are each specialist fields.
  • We work with partners whose products we have implemented, tested or seen working for businesses in these sectors.
  • Where a partner supports the research financially, that support helps to keep every report free. We say so on its entry below.

What working with The Index means

  • +A partner can support the research in one category.
  • +It can contribute expert comment, which is always labelled as its own.
  • +It sees sector-level figures for its category before they are published.

What it does not mean

  • –It has no say over what is measured, how it is scored, or any business's result.
  • –Its product is never recommended by name in a report.
  • –When a review finds a product on a website, the report names it, whether that partner works with us or competes with one that does.
  • –It receives no business-level data and no contact details.
  • –Comparisons between ecommerce platforms carry no partner at all.

The partners

Trade accounts and self-service

Category page
What it does
Replaces or extends the ecommerce account area with orders, invoices, payments, credit and documents for trade customers.
Why we work with it
iWeb makes it, as part of Kit for Trade. A review names it like any other product found on a website.
What it does
Provides EDI and PunchOut connections between suppliers and their trading partners.
Why we work with it
PunchOut and EDI matter to larger contractors who order through their own systems.
What it does
Provides EDI and supply chain data exchange between retailers, suppliers and distributors.
Why we work with it
PunchOut and EDI matter to larger contractors who order through their own systems.

How we choose

  • The product or service is in use by businesses in the sector.
  • iWeb has first-hand experience of it, or it is recognised by a trade body.
  • The partner accepts the rules on this page in writing.

Questions

Do these partners pay iWeb?Some do. Each entry states whether the partner supports the research financially.
Does a business that uses one of these partners score higher?No. Scores come only from what a customer can do on the website.
Will a report recommend one of these partners to me?No. Reports describe what a website does and what would make it easier to buy from. They do not recommend named products.
Why is a company I use not listed?This page lists partners that work with The Index. It is not a list of approved suppliers, and absence says nothing about a product.
Can my partner become a partner?Yes, if it meets the points under "How we choose". Contact us.
Talk to us about working with The Index