Kevin Price, the Center's Director, has been burning the candle at both ends this year.

Industry Database (IDB)

In addition to working closely with the CAT vendors and partners in the development of the IDB, Kevin Price has been conducting a series of free, online seminars to help promote the IDB. He has also been giving in-person seminars across the country to regional groups and to the members of various industry buying groups.

Early adopters of the IDB include 12 wholesalers, who served as the Pilot Group, who helped ensure that the database was complete and functional, as well as 21 additional firms, who as of September 1, 2003 were subscribers to the program.

Through a communications and marketing campaign, CAT hopes to garner the participation of more wholesalers into the IDB, and to encourage manufacturers to submit their information to the database as well.

The IDB is a powerful tool that offers a standardized set of product identification data to be downloaded into a wholesaler's operating system for a variety of time- and money-saving applications.

Source ASA+

Dozens of ASA members are regular subscribers to Source ASA+, which is an on-line resource for manufacturer product data and catalog information. Unique features of the program allow wholesalers to search through this catalog (which contains almost 100 manufacturers' offerings) in a variety of ways, and to cut and paste information into customized applications. Many wholesalers use Source ASA+ as the basis for online catalogs which they make available to their customers. Another popular function on Source ASA+ is the Submittals Builder, which enables wholesalers to prepare customized bid submittals without ever having to pull a single 3-ring binder or cut, paste and photocopy any pages.

Alliance With HARDI And Others

After successfully garnering a partnership with HARDI (formerly NHRAW) to promote CAT to its members, we were also successful in obtaining "preferred vendor" status with Affiliated Distributors. Kevin Price addressed a meeting of A-D members in mid-September, and has likewise been welcomed by the Wit and Embassy groups at their programs this year.

These alliances are critical to the mission of the Center for Advancing Technology, since they afford visibility and promotion of the standards and solutions that are now available. The CAT welcomes other groups to inquire about synergies in programming that might be in the mutual best interests of the memberships.

EDI Express, ANSINET And More

There are a variety of other technology solutions and standards available through the Center for Advancing Technology, which are described on the website at www.asa.net/tech. ASA members are encouraged to visit the website or to contact the Center for Advancing Technology at 1-800-608-7308.