We’ve launched a new feature that’s been months in planning and development. It’s called collaborate and it’s a totally new way for distributors and suppliers to work together in commonsku.The commonsku distributor network now represents over $200 million in annual volume. We developed collaborate to give supplier products more visibility, allow more efficient collaboration between distributors and suppliers, help distributors to discover new products faster, and make it easier for suppliers to find new customers.Simply put, collaborate makes it easier for suppliers to get their ideas in front of distributors, and speeds up how distributors prepare presentations, estimates and orders.

Here are 2 ways distributors can use the collaborate feature:

1. Source products on the community newsfeedSuppliers on commonsku collaborate can now post suggest products right on the community newsfeed. You can grab any of these products and add them to an existing job with 1 click. No re-entry of products, no searching for products, it's just there. This is perfect for finding great new ideas.

2. Collaborate privately with suppliers on your projectsNow when you start a new job you will have the chance to work with your suppliers inside your opportunity, presentation, estimate or sales order. Tell your suppliers what you are working on, they'll be notified via email and they can suggest products for you. You select the products you like and add them immediately to the job.

There is no cost for distributor customers to use this feature. If a supplier is not already part of collaborate, when you invite them into a project, they will be given a 15 day free trial. 

Here are 4 ways suppliers can use the collaborate feature:

1. Collaborate with distributors inside private jobsWhen you are invited, you can suggest products and collaborate with the distributor privately. The distributor can take any of your ideas they like and add them straight to the presentation, estimate or sales order they are working on. Time is saved and now everything is in one place.

2. Suggest products in comment threadsNow when people are looking for ideas you can add the product right to the comment stream. You can suggest products via your Distributor Central catalog or add them from your commonsku products database if it's not in DC. Distributors can add these products to their presentations, estimates and sales orders with 1 click.

3. Add products to the community newsfeedSuppliers using commonsku collaborate have the ability to post products as part of a status update. This is an effective alternative to a static flyer posts as these products can be added by distributors to their presentations, estimates and sales orders with 1 click.

4. Search for distributors on commonskuAccess the entire commonsku network so you can better find, engage and communicate with prospects and customers.

This feature is available to suppliers at an introductory price of $99/month/company.