RATEX Users Group Conference - July/August 2005 Millennium Knickerbocker Hotel - Chicago, Illinois RATEX Electronic Ordering – Why Not Just Do It? Larry G. Daniels, CSP Retail Alliance, Inc.

RATEX Users Group Conference - July/August 2005 Millennium Knickerbocker Hotel - Chicago, Illinois Today’s Goals… Explore the current ordering (electronic of otherwise) methods of RATEX users. Understand why those methods are utilized (a.k.a. uncover issues with EDI) Describe the electronic ordering functions supported inherently in Legacy-RATEX V7.6+ & VisualRATEX. Seek knowledge of obstacles that are preventing stores usage of electronic ordering.

RATEX Users Group Conference - July/August 2005 Millennium Knickerbocker Hotel - Chicago, Illinois Why Stores Are or Aren't Doing It? Stores using PUBNET, EDI, EasyLink, even automated FAX experience time expense, and order lead-time savings. However, the number of RATEX stores using these methods appears to be lower than anticipated or desired. What manual or automated methods are stores utilizing today to place orders? Why are those methods used over other options?

RATEX Users Group Conference - July/August 2005 Millennium Knickerbocker Hotel - Chicago, Illinois RATEX Full-Cycle EDI Transactions Available… Purchase Order P.O. Acknowledgement Advance Ship Notice Invoice Vendor Catalog Sales & Inventory College Store

RATEX Users Group Conference - July/August 2005 Millennium Knickerbocker Hotel - Chicago, Illinois What is Possible in RATEX? Full-cycle EDI with FHEG, B&T/Majors, NACSCORP, Thomson and others supporting X-12 documents. PUBNET EDI with all of their community of publishers/wholesalers. EasyLink/FAX orders. Ancillary benefits such as vendor catalogs into the EXTDB, order cascading, etc. What others are you using, perhaps outside of RATEX (i.e. Web ordering, etc.)?

RATEX Users Group Conference - July/August 2005 Millennium Knickerbocker Hotel - Chicago, Illinois Okay, Why Not Just Do It? What are the common technical, human and regulations preventing stores from using existing capabilities? What would RBS need to provide to assist with removing these obstacles? What other forms of business-to-business or business-to-consumer electronic ordering/commerce interfacing needs to be addressed? What rank of priority to you place on the above?

RATEX Users Group Conference - July/August 2005 Millennium Knickerbocker Hotel - Chicago, Illinois RATEX Electronic Ordering – Why Not Just Do It? Be like Nike – “Just Do It!”