Ilance v3.0.0 final production release?

[khalid]

Hello Peter,



Do you know an ETA date for the final ilance release v3.0.0? I have not yet updated my marketplace to RC2 because it make no sense to go through all the customization work for days/weeks and then two weeks later redo it again with a new release version.



Thanks!

Khalid

[Peter]

Hi Khalid,

Good question. As you are aware, we have considered everyone's comments based on the fact of the commissions, budget levels, and unlimited depth categories which are basically scattered throughout all the code. We are working very hard on bringing these new efforts to everyone in the fastest possible time, but with the limited amount of resources we are working with, usually take a bit longer.

There is no ETA, as we do not want to promote false promises.

The tasks on the go now are basically the CORE elements of the ILance software, and these elements we're obviously lacking so we're improving the way your marketplace will charge for "Product Auctions" and "Service Auction" using the new method of tiered commissions and not just the "overall commission %" you will charge (based in their subscription).

If I'm not mistaken, the subscription plan manager (commissions) tab/details will not be an option as commission, fees, etc will not be based on a subscription plan, rather based on fees promoted within the categories of your marketplace where auctions will fall into.

- You would have new options to "Create" Roles. (buyer/seller/merchant)
- You will create subscription plans and put them into Roles above.

- You will create budget levels (buyers will select these budget levels that you have assigned to your categories during posting of RFP). Buyers will select a budget level and bidders will not be able to bid under or over this budget level the buyer has set.

- Buyers will create RFP's with a certain "bidding type" This bidding type will provide buyers with the way they want their bid's presented (in terms of the monies). Example could be a buyer launches a project on your marketplace and wants only vendors to bid via "Weekly Payment". Bidders will place their best "weekly payment proposal" and bids will be displayed for that auction listing based on Weekly bids, calculated accordingly ensuing the bid averages and other elements shown on search results also reflect these new set-parameters.

- Admins will be able to create "Insertion Fees" for both, Product and Service Auctions. Insertion fees is more or less how your local newspaper works, but ILance adds a twist. Depending on the "sellers" "starting price" or "reserve amount" (product style), or "budget level" the buyer selects for his RFP during new RFP creation menu, the Insertion fee will be calculated accordingly and would cater to your marketplace by ensuring every project or item listed on your site can or cannot be "billed" as an insertion fee.

Example: As a seller, I list my Sony Playstation Game for $30. Depending on the insertion fee tiers you create as the admin, there may be an invoiced generated to me after my auction listing was created for $3.85. Insertion fees gives admin the chance to have members pay per list so to speak.

- Admins can now define "Final Value Fees" for project and items listed on your marketplace for events that are successful. Either a provider is awarded for a project, or a bidder has won a item at the highest amount, whatever that amount will be, the marketplace may charge the lister for a Final Value Fee based on the total amount of the sale in question. These final value fees can be created, then you would assign your main categories to use these final value fee groups you will define via tiered commission logic situations as well.

So, as you can see, this is what we are working with now, and everything is coming along very nicely. Understandably, we will be running a quick beta testing program once more for the final 3.0.0 release, to ensure we can have a full team including existing customers trigger everything to tween out the bugs for that final release.

Keeping you updated :)

Peter

[delta]

The tasks on the go now are basically the CORE elements of the ILance software, and these elements we're obviously lacking so we're improving the way your marketplace will charge for "Product Auctions" and "Service Auction" using the new method of tiered commissions and not just the "overall commission %" you will charge (based in their subscription).

If I'm not mistaken, the subscription plan manager (commissions) tab/details will not be an option as commission, fees, etc will not be based on a subscription plan, rather based on fees promoted within the categories of your marketplace where auctions will fall into.



Well done Peter,

This may not be important since I assume Ilance teamj must have thought of it but it doesn't hurt to mention it in case it slipped someones mind.

The new category system which will give us the possibility of setting various prices and percentages according to categories is going to be an amazing addition BUUUT there is the problem of getting lost in the jungle of prices and percentages.

I suggest that there should be a page (static or dynamic) where a summarized list of all the categories and their prices are listed, (Maybe) grouped according to the subscription plan. This page should automatically update upon any change made be the admin. We can call this page Fees and Charges for Sitename. The logic applied to this page could be something like if under a Subscription plan two or more categories share the same price and fee they will all appear in the same table row with only one fee or percentage shown for them. If they share unique or non-similar fees or percentages they can be shown in individual rows. This will prevent overcrowding.

I am not talking about the usually Subcription Matrix. But just as a matter of addition, I think the Matrix will look ugly if all the fees are listed there. So, for the Matrix we can have a Pop-up for each Subscription plan's categories.

Back to the page I am thinking about, this should be accessible just like the Policies and Currency conversion pages at the footer. This will help simplify the pricing policy for the users.

[trochta]

I liked how the installation of the ilance system used to demonstrate three different subscriptions to show a range of possibilities. It made it easier to setup and make changes with the quicker understanding, where to make changes, etc.

[Peter]

I liked how the installation of the ilance system used to demonstrate three different subscriptions to show a range of possibilities. It made it easier to setup and make changes with the quicker understanding, where to make changes, etc.
Think so? We could add 2 for the final release. I don't see why not. :)

-Peter

[Peter]

The new category system which will give us the possibility of setting various prices and percentages according to categories is going to be an amazing addition BUUUT there is the problem of getting lost in the jungle of prices and percentages.
I see exactly where you are going with this and this was already thought out.

Instead of having the admin create say 250 overall categories, and then create commission tiers within each category, is time consuming among other things.

How it's being done is simple:

1. Admin Creates a new commission group
2. Admin Creates commission tiers (to/from/amount) for that group

So assuming admin has a basic structure in place, he could create maybe 3 unique groups and define commission tiers based on those 3 groups. Maybe admin create 10 groups, maybe 1.

3. As admin manages categories, he will be able to edit the "category" and define on that edit category page which "commission group" will be used for that category.

*Commission groups using tiers would be:

- Insertion Fees (product auctions)
- Final Value Fees (product/service auctions)

At present, the current RC 2 system allows the admin to define a cost for awarding service bids as well, and we'll most likely leave this feature in the final release due to various "auction types" some admins will use, which would be a great feature if everything else was disabled (in terms of fees).

Fees will be presented to your customers at the very ending of the page they will be using to create their auctions. They will see what fees cost within that category, also providing the seller (or buyer) with an option to list the auction in other categories (to be completed) Similar to as shown below:

http://www.ilance.ca/images/vbforum/listing_fees.gif


PS - Service Auction Listings will not provide an Insertion Fee option. There is no way to base a insertion fee other than a fixed value, and this can be easily controlled via "Award Process" (if you will charge buyers or sellers or both) during the actual "award" process event. The admin can; however set a Final Value Fee Commission Tier for Service Auctions that have been awarded (based on the awarded bid amount) (picture the above image but without Insertion Fees Table).. that is what service auctions page will look like (above is used for products overview)

Regards,
Peter

[delta]

that is what service auctions page will look like (above is used for products overview)



That is very good. Unfortunately the image used in this example is that of Product auction. It will more helpful if that of Service is shown.

My question then is the following:

1. On what page does the fees and percentages for service auctions appear? You mentioned auction service page above (see the bold in your statement above). If you make this show on the "service auction page" which I assume to be the page that anybody (registered or unregistered) can see upon clicking a listed auction, then I would suggest that you move it.

Service Auction Prices and fees should appear in two places: 1.) USER CP (maybe under selling activities) and 2.) on a separate page.

1. USER CP: I assume that since Sellers certain categories under which they wish to sell their services, they should only see the prices and fees related to those chosen categories only. These should show in their user cp only.

2. Since it is possible that these Sellers may want to add more categories later then I think a price listing which gives a GENERAL overview of ALL prices and Fees for Service auctions should be separate as a page of its own so that the site owner can decide who accesses it. For my marketplace only member will be able to acces it. The mystery should create curiousity.

What then happens is that we a seller places a bid for a job on the review bid page he is asked if he has read the fees and percentages involved should he win this job to which he must answer before he can submit his bid.

[Mike]

Delta did you read Peter's post?

I quote him:


PS - Service Auction Listings will not provide an Insertion Fee option :rolleyes:

[delta]

Delta did you read Peter's post?

I quote him:


:rolleyes:

Mike, perhap language is our problem here. :rolleyes:

I can't remember talking about Insertion fees. My point had to do with basic financial information that a seller needs to know about how much he pays to my marketplace (be it percent, fixed amount or fee) in relation to service he sells withing a category or Subscription plan. Do you call these Insertion fee? Please educate me on this.

To be honest Peter used the term "insertion fee" for the first time in his posting here (to my knowledge) and he did not give any definition. The image did not define it and I can't remember worrying about it either untill you raised it. If you don't get my point just ask me to clarify.

ADDED LATER
-------
Insertion fee is mainly a Product auction feature but my focus in my posting was on Service auction. I fail to see the relevance.