In the not-too-distant past, retailers and manufacturers had to implement EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) technology in order to electronically transmit and receive important business documents such as purchase orders, acknowledgements, advance ship notices, and invoices. But the problem with EDI is that it's extremely complicated to set up and very expensive to maintain. As a result, only large companies have been able to adopt EDI technology, while most mid-size and smaller companies are left with manual processes. This makes it virtually impossible for any company to electronically automate a significant portion of its supply chain.

Today, FurnishNet offers a practical, affordable alternative that anyone with a computer, Internet access, and a browser can use. The FurnishNet solution has been specifically designed to help companies of all sizes create and grow electronic supply chain connections to every single one of their supply chain partners, regardless of their current system infrastructures.

FurnishNet is based on a concept called "Any-to-Any Connectivity." This means that any retailer or manufacturer, if they choose to do so, can electronically exchange purchase orders, acknowledgements, advance ship notices, and invoices for merchandise and parts regardless of their respective systems or technology platforms. For example, with a single file transfer to FurnishNet, a retailer can exchange documents electronically with EDI-enabled manufacturers as well as non-EDI-enabled manufacturers. Additionally, manufacturers can exchange documents with both non-EDI-enabled retailers as well as those retailers requiring EDI. And finally, for those businesses without automated back-end systems, FurnishNet's easy-to-use Web application provides a point-and-click solution for electronic transaction exchange with their business partners.

By connecting business partners, FurnishNet allows companies, regardless of size, to benefit from the efficiencies and costs savings that result from automating their business processes.