Product Context — Paper Surplus Marketplace

Why This Project Exists

The paper surplus market is:

• Opaque — no centralized pricing, no transparency
• Manual — email chains, phone calls, broker intermediaries
• Slow — days or weeks to find a buyer for surplus stock
• Fragmented — no single platform connecting mills and buyers globally

There is literally no Bloomberg for paper surplus. The only options are classifieds, industry reports (FOEX, RISI), and personal broker networks.

What We're Building

An AI-powered platform that:

1. Ingests mill surplus data (Excel spreadsheets via email — zero behavior change)
2. Parses and structures the data (AI extracts paper type, GSM, width, quantity, grade)
3. Matches surplus to buyer specifications (spec-based: GSM, width, grade, geography)
4. Notifies buyers via automated newsletters with matched surplus
5. Proposes container assembly for partial-lot shipments
6. Manages 48-hour exclusivity windows for matched buyers

How It Works (User Journey)

Mill Side (Supplier)

1. Mill sales manager has surplus to sell
2. They email an Excel file to the platform (same as they do with brokers today)
3. AI parses the Excel → structured surplus data
4. Geographic visibility rules determine which regions see the surplus
5. Matched buyers get notified

Buyer Side

1. Buyer registers with their specifications (paper types, GSM ranges, quality grades, volumes)
2. Platform matches incoming surplus to their specs
3. Buyer receives newsletter/alert with matched surplus
4. Buyer gets 48-hour exclusivity window to respond
5. Container assembly proposals for multi-lot purchases

Admin Side (Morichal)

1. Monitor surplus ingestion and matching quality
2. Configure geographic visibility rules
3. Manage mill and buyer relationships
4. Track transactions and commissions

UX Goals

• Zero behavior change for mills — they keep using Excel and email
• Fast matching for buyers — specs-based, not browsing classifieds
• Transparency — clear pricing, quality grades, quantities
• Trust — Morichal's industry reputation backs the platform
• Simplicity — MVP is deliberately minimal; no over-engineering

The Three Pillars

Every transaction in paper trading involves three interconnected aspects:

1. Credit / Payment — Payment terms, credit risk, letters of credit
2. Documentation — Bills of lading, quality certificates, phytosanitary docs
3. Trust / Relationships — Long-term mill-buyer relationships, reputation

The platform must respect all three pillars. Technology alone doesn't replace trust.

What We're NOT Building (MVP)

• Not a real-time trading platform / exchange
• Not an auction system
• Not a logistics/shipping management tool
• Not a payment processing system
• Not a document management system (yet)