Airgas Introduces B2B Site; Customers Get Online Catalog and Account Management Capabilities.Business Editors RADNOR, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 20, 2001 Airgas, Inc. (NYSE NYSE See: New York Stock Exchange :ARG See argument. arg - argument ) today announced the rollout of a business-to-business Web site that gives customers a powerful tool for finding and comparing products, placing orders online, and managing their supply chains. At http://b2b.airgas.com, registered customers can browse a comprehensive electronic catalog catalog, descriptive list, on cards or in a book, of the contents of a library. Assurbanipal's library at Nineveh was cataloged on shelves of slate. The first known subject catalog was compiled by Callimachus at the Alexandrian Library in the 3d cent. B.C. of gases, welding welding, process for joining separate pieces of metal in a continuous metallic bond. Cold-pressure welding is accomplished by the application of high pressure at room temperature; forge welding (forging) is done by means of hammering, with the addition of heat. supplies, safety products and related MRO MRO In currencies, this is the abbreviation for the Mauritanian Ouguiya. Notes: The currency market, also known as the Foreign Exchange market, is the largest financial market in the world, with a daily average volume of over US $1 trillion. products. Included are the majority of the 200,000 stocked items in Airgas' inventory. Customers can quickly search and filter through products and compare them side-by-side. Through a "My Catalog" feature, customers can create their own catalog of commonly ordered products, and check up-to-the-minute inventory status, order status, customer-specific pricing, and past invoices. "Our B2B (Business to Business) Refers to one business communicating with or selling to another. See B2B e-commerce, B2C and B2G. B2B - business to business site makes it easier for customers to do business with Airgas, giving them greater flexibility and control in all stages of the procurement The fancy word for "purchasing." The procurement department within an organization manages all the major purchases. process," said Kelly Justice, vice president of eBusiness. "This new capability will help in expanding our relationships with existing customers and in attracting new ones, while reducing transaction costs Transaction Costs Costs incurred when buying or selling securities. These include brokers' commissions and spreads (the difference between the price the dealer paid for a security and the price they can sell it). for customers and Airgas alike." "Our eBusiness strategy focuses on the needs of our customers, delivering robust electronic catalogs and business systems to help them lower procurement and transaction costs," said Peter McCausland, chairman and chief executive officer of Airgas. "We remain committed to blending the benefits of innovative technologies with our integrated distribution network to offer customers the best supply chain management solutions." The site, which has been in pilot use since May, is now being rolled out to Airgas' medium and large customers nationwide. For more information, customers are invited to view a demonstration at http://b2b.airgas.com or contact their local Airgas regional company for more information. About Airgas Airgas is the largest U.S. distributor of industrial, medical and specialty gases, welding, safety and related products. Its integrated network A network that supports both data and voice and/or different networking protocols. See converged network and new public network. of 700 locations includes branches, retail stores, gas fill plants, specialty gas labs, production facilities and distribution centers. Airgas also distributes its products and services through eBusiness, catalog and telemarketing telemarketing, the practice of selling goods or services to customers by means of the telephone or of surveying consumer preferences in telephone conversations. channels. Its national scale and strong local presence offer a competitive edge to its diversified diversified (di·verˑ·s customer base. For more information, please visit www.airgas.com. FACT SHEET: http://b2b.airgas.com Summary Benefits Airgas' electronic catalog of gases, welding supplies, safety products and related MRO products allows customers to research and order products, check invoices and delivery status, and manage their accounts online 24-hours a day/seven days a week. -- Real-time information, including up-to-the-minute inventory status and customer-specific pricing. -- Detailed product information with links to material safety data sheets (MSDS) and product literature; a product-comparison feature makes selecting the right product easy. -- "My catalog" allows for users to store a customized catalog of commonly ordered gases and products. -- Online order status and invoice history mean fast answers to delivery and payment questions. -- Safe and secure online ordering using Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) encryption software. COMPLETE PRODUCT INFORMATION -- Find products using the powerful search and filtering capabilities. -- Research and compare products with MSDS MSDS Material Safety Data Sheets, see there and product literature. -- Create your own private catalogue of only the products that you want to search. -- Access real-time inventory status, order status, and customer-specific pricing. EASY ORDERING -- Browse the electronic catalog by product name, part number, or the cascading category menu. -- Copy items from your most frequently purchased items list. -- Create a template order for handling repetitive purchases. -- Copy items from past orders. -- Create quotes for large-volume purchases to check on special pricing. MANAGE ACCOUNTS ONLINE -- Manage multiple users and control user access. -- Set spending limits for individual users. -- Check payment status and account history. -- Review invoice history and detail. -- View the accounting of each type of cylinder. -- Store multiple ship-to addresses. www.airgas.com |
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