B2B Ecommerce Panel Discussion at FloorTek Expo

Contact: CRI Communications Department, 706.428.2103

April 11, 2003, DALTON, GA - At the upcoming FloorTek Expo, Kim Gavin of Floor Covering Weekly will moderate a panel discussion about the new ecommerce technology in the floor covering industry called the business-to-business (B2B) standard. Helping companies increase efficiency, cut costs, and improve customer service, the B2B standard is gaining popularity all along the supply chain, among dealers, distributors, manufacturers and software providers.

The B2B standard is the industry-accepted language for the electronic exchange of product and order information across the Internet. The technology, formally launched in January 2002 and endorsed by The Carpet and Rug Institute, currently covers the following types of transactions: product/price catalog, purchase orders and acknowledgements, shipment notices, and invoices.

At FloorTek, a panel of software vendors and floor covering dealers will be discussing their implementation of the B2B standard, and how it will impact the industry as a whole. The discussion will highlight the progress made in manufacturer-to-dealer relationships, and will explore how the technology may be expanded to the supply sector.

Panelists include:

• Jim Creamer, CEO, Potomac Floor Covering, StarNet member
• Derek Proffit, Business Analyst, Dancik International
• Bob Turner, President, Vencom B2B
• Terry Wheat, CEO, RFMS

Event information: