A good example of this trend is the partnership among some of the world's largest automobile manufacturers. It all started when various individual automakers began to create their own global purchasing Web sites. Ford, for instance,announced plans for and was actively creating a site it called Auto-Xchange. The company intended to post all of its global procurement needs on the site, while also requesting that its suppliers post availability and prices for the parts and equipment the suppliers had to offer. Hence, Ford was viewing the site as the focal point for its entire supply chain management function.