SAGE’s Supplier Direct Connect, which helps improve business communication between suppliers and more than 15,500 PPAI distributor members, now has more than 70 supplier participants. An application programming interface (API) for industry professionals, Supplier Direct Connect enables suppliers to exchange data in real-time with all PPAI distributor members through the SAGE network with a single integration. It is supported by PPAI through the Power of Two alliance.

“It is great to see the industry embracing the importance of integration which is delivering great value to distributors and suppliers alike,” says Dale Denham, MAS+, PPAI Board Chair. “SAGE Direct Connect allows suppliers to provide information to the thousands of SAGE users with a single integration.”

Suppliers push information to the SAGE service using standard HTTPS POST commands and JSON-formatted packets. This modern, secure API framework allows suppliers to rapidly develop and deploy integrations with SAGE without worrying about hosting services, opening up firewalls, granting credentials, or other hassles.

The aggregate data SAGE receives from all the supplier updates powers SAGE Online, SAGE Web and SAGE Mobile, which 45,000 distributors access on a daily basis to research products and place orders. It also supplies end-user-safe information to over 8,000 distributor websites, allowing online visitors to browse through current product data.

“We’re proud to work with PPAI on yet another important service that can streamline the symbiotic relationship between industry suppliers and distributors,” said David Natinsky, MAS, SAGE president. “Seeing how the positive impact of the Power of Two alliance has transformed the industry, we’re inspired to continue delivering faster and more efficient ways for promotional products professionals to manage their businesses.”

Bob McLean, CAE, PPAI executive vice president, adds, “Our partnership with SAGE continuously brings significant benefits to our members and provides leading-edge business management solutions for suppliers and distributors to excel in the industry and better serve their clients and customers. In today’s competitive marketplace, real-time inventory, pricing, and data analysis tools are critical to our members’ success, and SAGE’s Supplier Direct Connect provides that.”

Supplier benefits:

  • Update product information and pricing in real-time.
  • Show up-to-date inventory status by attributes such as size, color, feature and warehouse location.
  • Provide distributors with instant order status information from order inception to completion, including carrier shipped and tracking numbers.
  • Transfer orders placed through the SAGE network for electronic entry into back-end systems, eliminating the need for the supplier to rekey the order.
  • Obtain a list of customers requesting order status information.
  • Leverage the SAGE database to verify distributors contact information.

Distributor benefits:

  • Instant access to real-time data from suppliers using Supplier Direct Connect via SAGE Online, SAGE Web, and SAGE Mobile.
  • Streamlined communication between distributors and suppliers on the most frequently asked customer service-related questions.
  • Real-time data from suppliers on distributors’ SAGE websites.
  • Access up-to-date product inventory, pricing and data.
  • Instant access to order status.

“SAGE’s Supplier Direct Connect is truly a solution that benefits the entire industry,” says Scott Denny, vice president of sales at supplier Garyline. “Not only are we able to push timely information to our distributor customers, but we also receive invaluable feedback from them on the performance of our business. With Supplier Direct Connect, SAGE has really opened the lines of communication for promotional products professionals.”

Chris Manfredini, CEO of distributor Mavich Branding Group, adds, “As a business owner, I depend on timely transactional information, like order status updates you would get from Amazon or other large online retailers. I’m extremely impressed with the level of insight we get with SAGE. From up-to-date product inventory information to real-time order updates, running our business has never been as efficient as it is now.”

Supplier Direct Connect is available for all SAGE Advantage Members at no additional cost. For more information, or to get started, suppliers can contact their SAGE account executive, visit go.sageworld.com/SITK, or contact SAGE at 800.925.7243 or sales@sageworld.com.