Why Vanilla Steel has been designed as a closed platform for enhanced trust and security among steel professionals.

Why is Vanilla Steel a Closed Platform?

In a traditional market like the steel industry that deeply values human interactions and meaningful long-term collaboration,trust and security are paramount. Vanilla Steel understands the importance of fostering a reliable and authentic environment for professionals to connect, make deals, and explore collaborative opportunities. For this reason Vanilla Steel has chosen to operate as a closed platform, implementing a rigorous verification process, curated registration approval, that enables the platform to identify each user with definite attributes and history and subsequently implemented  tailor-made blacklist/whitelist logic, and automate sales instructions provided by our network of suppliers.

In this blog post, we will explore why Vanilla Steel's closed platform model is essential in establishing trust, promoting authenticity, ensuring safe execution, and creating a reliable professional ecosystem to build meaningful long term relationships as per the instructions of the steel suppliers. 

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Know Your Customer (KYC)

At Vanilla Steel, we take the verification process seriously. Through our robust onboarding and monitoring procedure, we ensure that every member's identity is verified through an unique identifier such as the tax ID, adding an extra layer of security and authenticity to our platform. Our commitment to trust doesn't stop there, we go a step further by introducing a personalized approach to bring professionals onto the platform with a demo call to explain to the new user how the platform works and detail our guidelines and rules.

Indeed, the onboarding process begins by scheduling a demo call in person with each potential customer which serves to understand the individual's background, skills, and professional goals, as well as to establish a personal connection. Through this interactive session, we aim to create trust and ensure that we are connecting with genuine steel professionals. Finally, this personalized introduction process helps us build a foundation of authenticity and establishes a strong sense of trust among our community members.

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Creating Trust and Reliability

Beyond the initial verification and personalized introduction process, Vanilla Steel places great emphasis on ensuring that its customers adhere to the platform's guidelines. These guidelines are designed to create a safe and fair environment for all participants. Two important aspects of these guidelines are the requirement that offers made on the platform are binding and that all trades and information remain within the confines of Vanilla Steel. Indeed, Vanilla Steel ensures that any offers made on the platform are considered binding. This means that when a user makes an offer to buy or sell materials, they are obligated to follow through with the transaction if their offer is accepted. Should one of the parties not respect their engagement, Vanilla Steel can exclude temporarily or permanently the user(s) from accessing the platform in the future.

This guideline promotes commitment and trust among users, as it ensures that the material quantity and quality corresponds to the description provided. By upholding the principle of binding offers, Vanilla Steel creates a level playing field where users can confidently engage in business transactions. Finally, Vanilla Steel strictly prohibits the disclosure of trades and information to third parties outside of the platform. This guideline ensures that all interactions, negotiations, and sensitive data shared between users remain confidential and secure. Users can trust that their trade-related discussions and proprietary information will not be leaked or shared without their consent. By safeguarding trades and information within the platform, Vanilla Steel maintains the privacy and integrity of its users' business activities.

When instances of non-compliance or inappropriate behavior are detected, Vanilla Steel intervenes promptly and takes appropriate action to rectify the situation. This may involve issuing warnings, providing guidance on proper conduct, or, in more severe cases, suspending or permanently banning users from the platform. Such measures are implemented to maintain a respectful and professional environment that upholds the integrity of the platform and protects the interests of all parties involved.

In order to do so, we actively monitor interactions, intervene when necessary, and take appropriate action against any instances of malicious or inappropriate behavior. This proactive approach ensures that professionals can confidently engage in business transactions, knowing that the platform is actively working to prevent malicious or inappropriate behavior. The commitment to maintaining a professional code of conduct contributes to the overall success and reputation of Vanilla Steel as a trusted and secure platform for collaboration.

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List Logic: Blacklist and Whitelist Approach

To further enhance security and trust within the Vanilla Steel community, we implement a unique blacklist/whitelist logic to provide control to our network of suppliers that want to understand how their material will be marketed. To whom and where are the traditional questions that one may ask and they can define it as per their self-defined sales strategy. This dual approach helps us maintain a secure and professional ecosystem, ensuring the seller full flexibility and control over his potential buyers, both new and existing ones.

The blacklist functionality allows sellers to specify their preferences regarding the audience allowed to view specific deals. Sellers can easily modify and adapt their blacklist based on their specific needs for each interaction. This feature empowers sellers to protect their private deals and business interactions by actively monitoring and preventing the presence of individuals who may not align with their requirements or objectives. By offering this level of control, Vanilla Steel enables sellers to engage with a trusted and targeted audience, enhancing trust and confidence in their interactions.

Conversely, the whitelist consists of trusted individuals who have been approved to participate in the seller’s deals. This recommendation-based system enables Vanilla Steel to expand its network with reliable professionals who have already proven their credibility and trustworthiness to the seller. By leveraging the collective knowledge and experiences of existing members, we ensure that individuals included in the whitelist meet the high standards of professionalism and expertise upheld by that specific seller and in general by  the Vanilla Steel community.

This dynamic combination of the blacklist and whitelist functionalities strengthens the trust and reliability within the Vanilla Steel platform. It allows sellers to have control over their target audience while also providing opportunities for collaboration with trusted professionals. By maintaining a secure and customizable ecosystem, Vanilla Steel fosters an environment where professionals can confidently engage in business interactions, knowing that their interests are protected and that they are connecting with reliable counterparts.

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