Controlling Visibility on the Marketplace
A record on TraceGains Gather® in the ‘Visible’ status is publicly available on the TraceGains Gather® Marketplace. A 'non-Visible' status prevents information from being included in search results and makes it difficult to connect with customers.
Visibility can be managed on several levels, giving users control over their data and allowing for customized availability to TraceGains Customers. You can set toggle the visibility status for your company, each location, item, and document type. Setting something as visible or not visible has various impacts to accessibility both for new and existing customers.
To access a full definition of all visibility settings, go to Customer Management > Company > Marketplace Settings and click the (i) next to 'Marketplace Settings.'
Listing, Location, Item, and Document Visibility in the Marketplace
From Customer Management, the Listings sub-tab allows users to control visibility for company listing, locations, and individual items. Navigate to the following locations to toggle specific visibilities.
Company
(Customer Management > Company> Marketplace Settings) this is a company’s public Marketplace page. Toggle off the Is visible during initial listing building. A message will appear "Your company listing is set to Not Visible". Once everything is set us as desired, return to the Marketplace Settings and toggle back to Is visible. This will promote company marketing capabilities, ingredients to potential buyers, and existing customers on the TraceGains Gather® Marketplace.
Locations
(Customer Management > Locations) Manage visibility for all manufacturing locations where items are produced. Keeping visibility turned on allows for those locations and associated items to be found on the marketplace.
- It is possible to toggle visibility off for individual locations.
- This is recommended for private supply partners.
- An item may be visible, even when the location is not visible.
- When a location and individual items should remain not visible, please double check. Each individual item will also need to be toggled to not visible. Setting the location to not visible will not automatically set those items to not visible.
Items
(Customer Management > Items) Control visibility for individual items. To promote items on the public marketplace, set them Visible.
- Be sure to deactivate the toggle for private items and documentation which should not be visible in the Marketplace.
- Setting a location to not visible will not automatically set the connected items to not visible. Please double check that the correct status is in place.
Documents
(Customer Management > Share Settings) Visibility may also be set at the document level. Under Share Settings, manage the visibility for any location and item documents. Having visible documents enables potential customers to download these documents to quickly ensure that requirements are met. Alternatively, turn visibility off to require customers to contact or connect to download available documentation.
To view any changes/updates you've made, and to ensure accuracy, preview your Marketplace listings under Customer Management > Company.
Company listings get higher priority in search results when they add standard items documents and make them visible. These include Allergens, CoA, Country of Origin, Item Questionnaire, Nutrition statements, Product Specification, Safety Data Sheet (SDS), and Sustainability Requirements.
Be sure to set any private or customer specific documents to not visible.
Supplier Group Visibility
A Supplier Group represents the company headquarters and acts as a TraceGains Directory listing. All locations are connected to the Supplier Group, and it includes the company name, logo, address, and high-level company information.
TraceGains recommends keeping at least the overall Supplier Group visible because this allows TraceGains customers to find and request a connection.
Location Visibility
A supplier group may have multiple locations, including:
- Headquarters (there will always be a single "headquarters" entry in a Group)
- Each manufacturing plant or contract manufacturing locations
- For brokers/distributors/importers any third party manufacturing locations
The FDA, through the Food Safety and Modernization Act (FSMA), requires supply chain transparency to mitigate safety risks. This means disclosing the origin of each ingredient used, including its exact supplier and location. It also means customers will need this information for each location to maintain their compliance.
TraceGains recommends managing the visibility of each location individually. Most of them should be visible so TraceGains customers can connect or determine if the location offers geographic advantages. When locations only make limited or specialized items which they would like to keep non-visible, they can still manage their documentation in TraceGains so that it’s always ready to go without exposing it publicly.
Item Visibility
Items are the things that a company currently sells, or would like to sell, to customers. The more Visible items included in TraceGains Gather® Marketplace, the more opportunities there are for customers to discover items.
TraceGains recommends keeping best-selling and most common items visible so that customers can find them when sourcing new items. TraceGains recommends keeping custom or customer-specific items non-visible to maintain privacy.
Document Type Visibility
Document types range from simple and common, like Allergen Statements and W-9s, to the more complex and sensitive, like Third-Party Audit Reports or Specifications. Customers that are sourcing new items through the TraceGains Gather® Marketplace can view the level of completeness of visible documentation provided by any supplier, location, or item.
TraceGains recommends making as many document types visible as possible to enhance transparency for customers, and to build confidence to influence sourcing and buying decisions.
Visibility status does not affect whether an existing, connected customer receives a document they've requested.
For additional information, please refer to this video: Visibility on the Marketplace