Top Shops Develops Streamlined Sourcing Database

Since 2010, Top Shops’ (Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.) data and insights have helped suppliers and buyers of CNC machined parts and services answer critical questions about performance metrics and business practices. However, in recent years, as supply chain inefficiencies have surfaced and trends like reshoring and supply chain localization have become more present, two questions have been asked more and more of Top Shops. First, from suppliers, “How can we use Top Shops data to not just know but to grow our business?” Second, from sourcing, procurement and purchasing professionals, “How can we receive access to the companies that participate in the Top Shops program?”

As a single answer to both questions and as a service to the ongoing needs of North American machine parts buyers and suppliers, Top Shops has developed Top Shops Sourcing, an interactive, online database to help suppliers promote their unique capabilities and characteristics in a way that is efficient and informative for buyers looking to search for part, product or service needs.

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For buyers, Top Shops provides a streamlined way to quickly identify, evaluate and contact a list of qualified manufacturers based on a combination of traditional and proprietary criteria. In addition to commonly used sourcing categories like industry served or operations performed, buyers can look to production capabilities like dimensional volume or mix-volume alongside performance characteristics like first-pass quality yield and customer retention rate. While researching and evaluating suppliers, buyers can download and save companies, contacts and content to their MyTopShops Planner to create an on-demand archive of all sourcing activities.

For suppliers, Top Shops offers an interactive sales and marketing tool that operates as an extension of their shopfloor and corporate website. Instead of simply listing company information and production capabilities, Top Shops enables shops to share images, videos, brochures, key sales contacts and related content that help suppliers quickly and completely understand the shops unique value. Visit here to create a free MyTopShops Buyer Account.

Most importantly, Top Shops is focused on serving the supplier and buyer communities and separating itself from other supplier databases through a commitment to three key differences — data, exclusivity and content.

First, Top Shops is founded in data (see “2020 CW Top Shops recognizes top-performing facilities”). All suppliers listed on Top Shops have completed the Top Shops Benchmarking survey which exhibits a commitment to a deep understanding of technology, operations, processes and personnel. Along with a Top Shops listing, suppliers receive a custom report that highlights how their business compares to other companies completing the survey.  In addition to having access to a qualified list of suppliers, buyers can search based on individual categories or create an advanced search that combines multiple variables to create a highly targeted list of prospective suppliers.

Second, Top Shops is focused exclusively on discrete parts manufacturing. While Top Shops is founded in data, it is powered and supported by Gardner Business Media (Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.). Founded in 1928, Gardner Business Media’s sole focus for more than 90 years has been reporting on and manufacturing connections in discrete parts production. As a result, Top Shops participants benefit from the deep reach and deeper relationships of all Gardner Business Media’s industry leading brands including CompositesWorld, Modern Machine Shop, Additive Manufacturing, Production Machining, MoldMaking Technology, Products Finishing, Plastics Technology. Buyers using Top Shops gain access to qualified and relevant companies across all primary discrete parts manufacturing markets. Top Shops suppliers also benefit from the collective promotional reach and industry expertise of Gardner Business Media brands.

Lastly, Top Shops addresses the sourcing and procurement information gap by offering exclusive content. Ranging from reports and content downloads to live and on-demand presentations, Top Shops includes an open library of content on benchmarking data, sourcing trends, reshoring, marketing and more. By better educating buyers and suppliers, Top Shops seeks to make the sourcing and procurement transaction more transparent and more efficient. Visit the IMTS Spark Top Shops Knowledge Center

Access to the Top Shops sourcing database is free and open to both buyers and suppliers. Suppliers not currently listed on the platform are asked to complete the Top Shops survey to start their listing. Buyers interested in contacting suppliers, archiving their activity or accessing exclusive content are asked to complete a brief registration form to create their MyTopShops planner.