MachineBuilders

Overview

At one of my previous jobs consulting on manufacturing automation and software, a colleague and I identified a need for manufacturers to more easily create tenders for machine builders to pitch for. Previously companies would resort to web searches, exhibitions, or asking their network, and often couldn't find expert companies specialising in the specific needs of their project.

We decided to implement a marketplace system similar to 'trust a trader' or 'upwork' where users could upload detailed project specifications and requirements which machine builders could then apply for.

We launched an MVP which had the full workflow for manufacturers to post jobs with the plan being to then manually source machine builders and invite them to use the platform to bid for jobs. We then faced the typical issues with growing a two-sided marketplace and decided to mothball the project.

Tech Stack & Architecture

• React
• Semantic UI
• Firebase functions
• Firebase firestore
• Firebase auth
• Firebase storage

Key Features

• Multi-step wizard to gather project requirements
• Document upload and sharing
• Email notifications
• Tender platform

Challenges & Learnings

A big learning was the difficulty in growing two-sided marketplaces. The MVP launched and we got a few manufacturers to post bids but we found it quite arduous to act as sourcing agents to find relevant machine builders, and we faced the typical marketplace problem: you need lots of suppliers on the platform for users to benefit, but it's hard to attract suppliers without a decent number of users.

If I choose to work on a project like this again we'll spend much more time validating the idea before launching and gathering a portfolio of suppliers so that we have a viable number before opening the user tender side.