Idea Establishes Idw To Improve Efficiencies

Online Product News, May 1, 2003

Thomas Technology Solutions, Inc. (ThomasTech), Horsham, Pa., is developing a centralized product database for Warminster, PA-based CRC Industries, an international producer of specialty chemicals for the automotive, marine, electrical, industrial, and aviation industries.

The new centralized product database includes technology to enable CRC to participate in industry-wide supply chain initiatives established by the Industry Data Exchange Association (IDEA).

ThomasTech, a software and systems integrator that builds content management and publishing solutions for manufacturers and professional publishers, is designing and developing the database to help CRC improve its efficiency in responding to customer inquiries. Using SAQQARA(R) CommerceSuite, software for product content and catalog management, ThomasTech will build a customized solution so that CRC employees can easily research product details, pricing information, and stock availability.

"CRC is embracing IT solutions to help us improve our ROI and expand our business," said Denis Conlon, CRC president and CEO. "The product database that ThomasTech is developing will enable us to not only research product information and improve efficiency in responding to our customers, but also will allow us to share important information electronically with key vendors and customers."

A major component of the solution is an extract, translation, and load (ETL) capability that ThomasTech developed. The ETL enables CRC to easily send product and pricing information to the IDEA Industry Data Warehouse (IDW).

"ThomasTech's work with CRC is an example of how the right combination of content management technology and services can help manufacturers better serve customers and channel partners," said Lynda Brooks, ThomasTech's VP Sales and Marketing. "We are pleased that the IDEA has endorsed the ETL capabilities to help manufacturers in the electronics industry meet supply chain demand for data."

The IDEA established the IDW to improve efficiencies in the electrical manufacturing and distribution industry by providing a Web-based repository containing product and pricing information.

ThomasTech's ETL capabilities support the XML format, an open standard used for defining data elements and exchanging business-to-business information.

About CRC Industries

CRC is a worldwide leader in the production of specialty chemicals for the maintenance and repair professional, serving automotive, marine, electrical, industrial, and aviation markets.

For more information, visit http://www.crcindustries.com.

About the IDEA

Established in 1999, the Industry Data Exchange Association (IDEA) is a for-profit e-commerce service provider located in Arlington, Va. Idea's Industry Data Exchange 2, or IDX2, enables manufacturers, distributors and service providers to conduct partner-to-partner business document exchange on an Internet based network using EDI, XML, flat file or Web Form transaction sets. The IDX2 also enables manufacturers and distributors to upload and access product and pricing information from Idea's Industry Data Warehouse (IDW).

For more information, visit http://www.idea-inc.org.

About Thomas Tech

Thomas Technology Solutions, Inc. is a software and systems integrator providing content management and publishing solutions and services to commercial publishers and industrial manufacturers. ThomasTech builds solutions by combining industry-leading third-party software, custom-developed components, and value-added integration, implementation, and production services. Headquartered in Horsham, Pa., with additional offices in London, UK, ThomasTech is a wholly owned subsidiary of Thomas Publishing Company. ThomasTech maintains partner relationships with Arbortext, Inc., Corel Corporation, Documentum, Inc. Microsoft Corporation, Oracle Corporation, and SAQQARA(R) Systems, Inc.

For more information, call 212/725-2295 or visit visit http://www.thomastechsolutions.com.