How it works
From request to reorder, step by step
Eight steps of a trade on Hiram. Pick a step to see what happens, who acts and what the other side can see at that point.
Step 1 of 8
Request
The buyer publishes what it needs: product, quantity with its unit, delivery place and Incoterm, optionally a specification, certificates and packaging. Sellers start the same way from the other side, by publishing an offer.
- Who acts
- Buyer
- What the other side sees
- The request appears on the market with an anonymous profile: company type, country and verification level. The company name, website and contacts are not shown.
- Goods
- [DEMO] HDPE granulate, film grade40 tFOB
- Status
- Request published
- Counterparty as you see it
- None yet
- Terms
- 40 t, FOB, no quotes yet
Log
- 01 Request published
Step 2 of 8
Match
Hiram compares the request with offers on the market by product, quantity, place, timing, specification and Incoterm, and classes each pair as an exact, close, alternative or potential match. The score describes the fit, not the company.
- Who acts
- Hiram, automatically
- What the other side sees
- Each side sees the other as an anonymous profile: company type, country and verification level. No name, website or contacts.
- Goods
- [DEMO] HDPE granulate, film grade40 tFOB
- Status
- Matches found
- Counterparty as you see it
- Anonymous profile: trading company, DE
- Terms
- No quotes yet
Log
- 01 Request published
- 02 3 matches recorded
Step 3 of 8
Connection and RFQ
Either side can ask to connect from a match; the introduction is recorded when the other side accepts. The buyer sends one request for quotation (RFQ) to several suppliers at once, from its matches or accepted connections.
- Who acts
- BuyerSeller
- What the other side sees
- Until a connection is accepted, only the anonymous profile. Once it is accepted, both sides see each other's company name. Contacts stay hidden: messages go through Hiram, and contact details typed into them are hidden until the disclosure rules allow them.
- Goods
- [DEMO] HDPE granulate, film grade40 tFOB
- Status
- Connected, RFQ sent
- Counterparty as you see it
- [DEMO] Northbay Polymers GmbH, name disclosed
- Terms
- Awaiting quotes
Log
- 01 Request published
- 02 3 matches recorded
- 03 Connection accepted, RFQ sent to 3 suppliers
Step 4 of 8
Quote
The supplier answers the RFQ with a structured quote: price and currency, quantity, Incoterm and named place, payment terms and delivery window. Every quote is a version; a change creates a new version and the earlier one stays.
- Who acts
- Seller
- What the other side sees
- A quote is visible only to the buyer and the supplier that sent it. Contacts are still hidden.
- Goods
- [DEMO] HDPE granulate, film grade40 tFOB
- Status
- Quote v1 received
- Counterparty as you see it
- [DEMO] Northbay Polymers GmbH
- Terms
- Quote v1 (no price in this example)
Log
- 01 Request published
- 02 3 matches recorded
- 03 Connection accepted, RFQ sent to 3 suppliers
- 04 Quote v1 recorded
Step 5 of 8
Negotiation
Buyer and seller exchange counter-offers on the quote. Each step is appended to the history, so both sides see what changed, when and by whom. Either side can accept or decline.
- Who acts
- BuyerSeller
- What the other side sees
- Both sides see every version and counter-offer. Named contacts and registration and tax ids stay hidden until the deal is agreed.
- Goods
- [DEMO] HDPE granulate, film grade40 tFOB
- Status
- Negotiating
- Counterparty as you see it
- [DEMO] Northbay Polymers GmbH
- Terms
- Counter-offer v2, v1 kept
Log
- 01 Request published
- 02 3 matches recorded
- 03 Connection accepted, RFQ sent to 3 suppliers
- 04 Quote v1 recorded
- 05 Counter-offer v2 appended
Step 6 of 8
Deal
Accepted terms become a deal: parties, product, quantity, price, Incoterm, named place, payment terms and delivery window, with a record of every change. The deal room also holds the payment record.
- Who acts
- BuyerSeller
- What the other side sees
- When the deal is agreed, both parties see the named contacts of the deal participants and the registration and tax ids needed for contracts and documents.
- Goods
- [DEMO] HDPE granulate, film grade40 tFOB
- Status
- Deal agreed
- Counterparty as you see it
- [DEMO] Northbay Polymers GmbH, contact [DEMO] A. Weber
- Terms
- v2 locked
Log
- 01 Request published
- 02 3 matches recorded
- 03 Connection accepted, RFQ sent to 3 suppliers
- 04 Quote v1 recorded
- 05 Counter-offer v2 appended
- 06 Terms v2 accepted, deal agreed
Step 7 of 8
Shipment
Shipment data, status and events are recorded in the deal room next to the deal documents, so both parties follow the same record.
- Who acts
- SellerBuyer
- What the other side sees
- Only the participants of the deal see the deal room, its documents and its shipment events.
- Goods
- [DEMO] HDPE granulate, film grade40 tFOB
- Status
- In transit
- Counterparty as you see it
- [DEMO] Northbay Polymers GmbH, disclosed
- Terms
- v2 locked
Log
- 01 Request published
- 02 3 matches recorded
- 03 Connection accepted, RFQ sent to 3 suppliers
- 04 Quote v1 recorded
- 05 Counter-offer v2 appended
- 06 Terms v2 accepted, deal agreed
- 07 Shipment event appended
Step 8 of 8
Reorder
After a completed deal the buyer can reorder: a draft request and RFQ to the same seller with the agreed quantity, Incoterm and place. Nothing is sent until the buyer sends it.
- Who acts
- Buyer
- What the other side sees
- The seller is already known from the earlier deal. That deal and its history stay unchanged.
- Goods
- [DEMO] HDPE granulate, film grade40 tFOB
- Status
- Reorder drafted
- Counterparty as you see it
- [DEMO] Northbay Polymers GmbH, known from the deal
- Terms
- Draft RFQ from the deal
Log
- 01 Request published
- 02 3 matches recorded
- 03 Connection accepted, RFQ sent to 3 suppliers
- 04 Quote v1 recorded
- 05 Counter-offer v2 appended
- 06 Terms v2 accepted, deal agreed
- 07 Shipment event appended
- 08 Deal completed, draft reorder created
What the other side sees, and when
Disclosure follows three stages. The rules are enforced on the server, not only hidden on screen.
| Stage | Visible to the other side | Still hidden |
|---|---|---|
| Listing, search and match | Anonymous profile: company type, country, verification level | Company name, website, registration and tax ids, people and contacts |
| Connection accepted | Company name | Named contacts, registration and tax ids; messages go through Hiram |
| Deal agreed | Named contacts of the deal participants, registration and tax ids needed for contracts and documents | The deal room stays private to its participants |
Start with what you have
Post a request when you need goods, or list an offer when you have them. Every step above starts there.