RSA Clusters Group

As you may know, there are a couple existing solutions to this problem. Let us explore them:

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Listing sites like Yellow Pages

These sites often only have a brief company description, a list of industries in which the company operates and some contact details. These listings are generally not updated regularly and do not include a list of products on offer. More effort would be required to get a better picture of the company and whether or not they are relevant to your query.

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Company catalogues and product lists

These are often sourced individually, provided you know the company already. Search capabilities are limited, as they usually take the form of a PDF document or a printed physical book. Searching also does not span various vendors, as you need to search each catalogue. This can be a tedious process.

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Company websites

Company websites can be a good place to find this kind of information. Sadly, website vary wildly from company to company. Firstly, you may not come across the website at all, as companies spend differing amounts of time and budget on search engine optimization (SEO). Secondly, different websites are structured differently and include different information. Some companies list their products on their website, others simply a PDF link to their catalogue. Some companies simply have a landing page that redirects you to a social media profile on Facebook or Linkedin.

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Reaching out to a cluster, association, chamber or council

A common way to overcome some of the above mentioned shortcomings of existing solutions is to reach out to an industry support structure such as a cluster, association, chamber, etc. These collectives have a general idea of who their members are and what they make. They are likely also to know about other companies within their orbit. However, this can be far from representative of the entire local market and they are likely to know only enough to make an introduction and get the ball rolling. Specific product information and capacity would be referred to a company catalogue or salesperson.

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Additionally, a lot of industry knowledge is stored in the heads of aging industry professionals. This may not be transferred or utilized effectively by younger stakeholders once the knowledgeable person retires or passes away. This knowledge is subject to bias, may be outdated and cannot be considered an asset until it is recorded and embedded into a usable process.

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Google - Search, Shopping, Business Profile & Maps

Google offers an incredible set of tools for companies to be discoverable and for certain industries to reach their end customer in the easiest possible way. Performing a Google search for a company or industrial product is likely to provide you with search results that you may find helpful. The challenge, however, is that Google Ads and embedded content from the likes of Alibaba, Amazon and alike make legitimate search results something you need to seek out on the page. Promoted pages are likely not to offer South African made industrial products, as foreign solutions have the budget to rank their results higher in a Google Search.

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Google Profiles are an excellent tool for companies to use! We recommend companies use this tool to make them more discoverable on Google Search and in Google Maps. The challenge, however, is that this profile only shows up once you know who to search for. If you search for the company, the profile will make it easier to get to their different resources - contact information, address, website, pictures, reviews, etc.

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Google Shopping does a lot of what we would like to do, but not for industrial purposes. Google is focused on the consumer market. Searching "bluetooth speaker" will provide you with a carousel of options which you can peruse and purchase with little effort. Searching "twist lock" does not do the same.