Howco Group, an independent processor and distributor of specialty steels, was recently in a situation familiar to many companies with significant investments in enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems. Simply put, the data available in the ERP wasn't being directly extended to customers, compromising service levels, delaying responses, and even discouraging business from new, tech-savvy customers.

Spurred on by the requests of some long-standing, high-dollar customers, Howco turned to ComCity, a specialty e-business software vendor that does much of Howco's e-commerce development. ComCity added a Web-based front end to Howco's ERP system, says Howco Webmaster Malcolm Howat.

Howat explains that Microsoft Access programming and ASP pages provided the bridge from ERP to the Web.

The front end now allows customers to submit RFQs, check their order status (orders themselves typically come in over electronic data interchange, or EDI), and query Howco's inventory -- all online. Being able to use self-service features like this means that customers "aren't taking up salespeople's time," Howat explains. It's also a service level issue, as Howco's larger customers had been expressing an interest in this functionality.

Howco's front end is not yet in real time, as the system is updated (via data transfer from ERP) thrice daily. Howat says this isn't an issue yet, as customers seem to be happy with the current configuration.

The new self-service features are also a way of attracting new customers, says Howat, especially in those regions far removed geographically from Howco.

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