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Frost Electric Supply Company of St. Louis, Missouri has a goal: to have the best, most up to date product catalog in its primary market area. To reach that goal, they knew they must first replace their inefficient cut-and-paste method of producing catalogs. Now they use Catalog Builder-the automated catalog design and management system from Computer Pundits Corporation-and they're well on the way to achieving their objectives. Seeking an efficient catalog system
For years, Ace Supply produced its own catalog in-house using a word processing application. It was a laborious process, and new catalogs were printed only once every couple of years. When they began looking for a cost-effective way to improve the efficiency of their catalog process, they determined that outsourcing was not the answer. A mid-size wholesaler with four locations and 100 employees, Frost Electric supplies customers in the industrial, construction, and data-comm industries of Missouri and Illinois. Their full-line catalog, when finished, will have 17 sections listing everything from wire and conduit, to drive systems and industrial computers. So far they've completed 6 sections which they print and distribute to around 400 customers. Catalog Builder software guides users through a step-by-step, point-and-click process of creating catalogs for output in a variety of formats, including print and PDF, and browser-based CD-ROM and web catalogs. Data and images can be imported from existing sources or entered directly into the Catalog Builder database. Then users select the information they want displayed and choose fonts, colors, and other design elements to create the customized look and feel of their catalog. Modifications and additions can be made continuously. And by synchronizing the database with inventory management systems using Catalog Builder's Update Feature, changes in pricing or availability can be updated automatically. The task of setting up Frost Electric’s catalog belongs to a member of the company’s marketing team. The one thing that slowed her down was collecting and entering the additional product details Frost wanted to include in their new improved catalog. The pace picked up when they discovered i2 Trade Service, the San Diego-based provider of pricing update services and catalog marketing content. i2 Trade Service has created a special input format for their catalog marketing content that seamlessly integrates into the Computer Pundits Catalog Builder software. Catalog Builder can automatically import and publish i2 Trade Service content as well as content from manufacturer's catalogs and websites and other industry sources. "Like any other content, you still have to proof read it," Frost explained, "but considering the time savings compared to gathering and entering the data yourself, on a cost per line item basis getting data from i2 is well worth it." For now, Frost Electric isn't leveraging all of the output options Catalog Builder makes possible. According to Frost, their customers want paper catalogs and nothing else. But there are plenty of other features and benefits of the catalog design and management system that they are taking advantage of. For instance, Catalog Builder makes it possible to generate targeted mini-catalogs with just a few clicks of the mouse. So Frost can easily print a catalog that contains only those products of interest to a lighting maintenance contractor, for example. Frost summarized: "Catalog Builder makes our production process more efficient, the output more professional looking, and the content more current." About Frost Electric
In business since 1909, Frost Electric Supply Company is an Electrical, Lighting, Voice and Data, Industrial, and Automation Wholesale Distributor serving the Missouri and Illinois areas. For more information about Frost Electric call 314-567-4004 or visit www.frostelectric.com. About i2 Trade Service
Trade Service provides information-based services to distributors nationwide. They offer catalog marketing content that is specifically designed to enhance enterprise applications, and to work well for printed applications including full-line or segmented market product catalogs, and promotional literature. For more information about i2 Trade Service, please call 800-701-7003 or visit www.i2tradeservice.com.
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