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January
12, 1998 By Jim Kerstetter SpaceWorks Inc. is streamlining the online purchasing capabilities of its OrderManager software by putting more control in users' hands. In OrderManager 3.0, which is scheduled to be available by the end of this quarter, users can build an order form with various products and send the form to a supervisor for approval. The supervisor can either click "yes" on the order and send it on its way or click "no." Turning the order down creates an audit trail and routes the order back to the user. An administrator can also set spending limits that allow some orders to pass through but route others for approval, depending on the size of the order. The OrderManager purchasing application comes out of SpaceWorks' line of client/server procurement applications. Founded five years ago in Rockville, Md., SpaceWorks originally built third-party applications for enterprise resource planning suites such as SAP AG's R/3. SpaceWorks has maintained its ties to the back-end applications--most notably with continued integration with the R/3 suite--but moved OrderManager to an Internet-based application. Pomeroy Computer Resources Inc., in Hebron, Ky., is using OrderManager 3.0 to link its remote salespeople to its back-end applications. Eventually, Pomeroy will extend the company's sales-order extranet to its customers, said Larry Lokey, director of services at the network integration provider. Pomeroy's remote sales force will have access to inventories, volume pricing, product pricing and configuration. The company's internal, central order desk employees will also use OrderManager for incoming orders, Lokey said. "They had what we needed--something that wasn't going to take us very long to implement and was going to work the applications we already have," he said. OrderManager 3.0 has a new search engine that allows users to search for products based upon their characteristics. The engine, developed by SpaceWorks, has an interface that allows a user to search for several characteristics and receive the search results in one merged set. In addition, the new version of OrderManager has direct links to the Web sites of Federal Express Corp. and United Parcel Services of America Inc., so users can click on a link and receive updates on their shipments. OrderManager Version 3.0 costs from $100,000 to $250,000, depending on server size, and runs on HP-UX, Solaris and Windows NT. SpaceWorks can be reached at (301) 251-4136 or www.spaceworks.com.
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