Glossary

Auction models

Clock auction

An auction in which the platform moves price or another commercial variable through defined steps and participants signal whether they remain active.

Review auction format FAQs

Auction terminology

What Clock auction means in Bidvantic workflows

An auction in which the platform moves price or another commercial variable through defined steps and participants signal whether they remain active.

Auction model terminology defines how competition is structured, what participants can see, how prices move and when an outcome can be accepted. Getting this language right prevents teams from mixing different formats under one vague auction label.

Bidvantic uses auction model definitions during event design, template configuration, bidder communication and internal approval. The selected model influences increments, reserve handling, visibility rules, closing behavior and post-event award logic.

Operational meaning

How teams should use the term, not just define it.

Where it shows up

Clock auction can appear in auction setup, participant communication, rule configuration, approval workflows, reporting and post-event review. The exact impact depends on the auction model, user role and commercial outcome being managed.

Why it needs clarity

Clear terminology reduces avoidable disputes, support questions and internal interpretation gaps. It helps bidders, suppliers, operators and approvers understand the same event in the same way.

How it connects

This term often connects with adjacent concepts in auction models, especially when teams move from one event to repeatable templates, analytics and governed operating models.

Decision points

Questions to settle before launch

  • Which participant side creates competition: buyers, suppliers or both sides of a marketplace.
  • Whether price discovery should happen live, sealed, timed, ranked or through a hybrid format.
  • What bidders can see during the event and how much feedback supports fair competition.
  • Which approval steps are required before a bid result becomes a commercial decision.

Signals to monitor

What operators should review

  • Bid movement and competitive depth
  • Rule clarity before publish
  • Bidder confidence during close
  • Audit readiness after the event

Common confusion

What teams often get wrong

Teams often use auction format names interchangeably. A forward auction, English auction, sealed bid auction and Dutch auction can all support price discovery, but they create very different bidder behavior.