We are not an "agent" or a broker although we do at times derive our consulting fees from a fixed percentage of the deals. On a few occasions we have been mistakenly referred to as "another agent", which we are not. We work mostly either on retainer basis or on "performance-only" basis. When on "performance-only" basis our consulting fees are usually derived from a fixed percentage of the deals. It so happens that most "agents" also work on this basis. That is the only point where we have something in common with the "agents" but it ends there. From that point onwards we are very different from them . As a global procurement consulting group, we provide specialized consulting services to our international buyers who are looking for RELIABLE suppliers. It certainly takes a lot more work to search for RELIABLE suppliers. Part of our work flow involves processes such as conducting supplier reference checks, performance audits, customer satisfaction surveys, database integration, etc . They are part of our Standard Operating Procedure (SOP). From these feedback we rate our suppliers accordingly. All these "checks and balances" also ensure our suppliers are up to the mark.