The American Supply Association Center for Advancing Technology is working with Computer Pundits Corp., publishers of Catalog Builder software, to provide in-house catalog creation of products from manufacturers found in the Industry Database serving the PHCP industry, and now being developed for the HVAC/R sector.

ASA members - representing more than 80% of the wholesale sales volume in the United States' PHCP industry - will be able to generate customized digital and print catalogs from the ASA's Industry Database using the Catalog Builder software.

The Industry Database (IDB) is a continuously updated data file of more than one million PHCP products. It also contains marketing content such as product images and catalogs. Wholesalers use it to automatically update their inventory management systems with manufacturers' information such as product descriptions and ever-changing list prices, an otherwise costly and time-consuming task since an average wholesaler carries hundreds of product lines.

The Catalog Builder uses the IDB to help its users generate professional paper catalogs, targeted mini-catalogs, interactive CD-ROM catalogs without manual graphic design or programming and Web-hosted e-catalogs.

Kevin Price, director, ASA Center for Advancing Technology said, "This is a great extension of the service we've provided over the last six years with the Submittal Builder utility in the Source e-catalog, but with the power and flexibility to be used in building large catalogs from the IDB.”

A number of ASA members are already taking advantage of Catalog Builder, including Iowa-based Plumb Supply. A representative of the wholesaler said, “We like the versatility and ease of use of Catalog Builder. It will save us a lot of time and make it much easier, for example, for us to create different catalogs for each of our various market segments.”

Prashubh Batham, Computer Pundits president, explained that in his experience, most players in the PHCP industry either produce a catalog or would produce a catalog if it was affordable and easy to do so. “Catalog Builder together with the IDB Industry Database provides just that solution,” he said. “So now they can do more with the same database. Hence, more value for the buck!”

ASA members who are interested in a free demonstration of the Catalog Builder can contact Kevin Price at The Center for Advancing Technology at 1-800-608-7308.