Electronic Catalogs provide an opportunity for businesses to re-engineer and streamline procurement processes. Electronic Catalogs leverage the tremendous capabilities provided by Electronic Commerce, the Internet, and the World Wide Web. ManTech's Enterprise Integration Center has been instrumental in designing and developing Electronic Catalogs. The Electronic Commercial Catalog (E-CAT) system was developed for the Department of Defense by ManTech Enterprise Integration Center (see link to demo below). The E-CAT system streamlines procurement functions performed by consumers and suppliers through the use of EC/EDI and Web technologies.

The E-CAT system operates in a three tier client/server architecture using mid-tier Unix or NT workstations as the primary and secondary servers. E-CAT is truly a 'thin client' - access to E-CAT requires a Web browser. E-CAT places commercially available commodity items into an electronically accessed and maintained catalog. The E-CAT catalog utilizes the Oracle Relational Data Base Management System to store and manipulate catalog entries and information. This catalog is organized by vendor, commodity type, and/or commodity description. E-CAT can be accessed and cross indexed by various criteria including item type, item description, vendor, part number, NSN, alphabetical index, etc. The system includes the capability to process "On-line" customer orders directly with the vendor or through the local supply system as appropriate. Non-stock items are shipped directly from the vendor eliminating storage and interim shipping costs. Items currently stocked could be eliminated when existing stock is depleted, further reducing administrative, storage and shipping costs. These streamlined processes will result in lower prices and better business terms than those obtained at the local level.

Our core team of Electronic Catalog professionals possess a wide-breadth of knowledge and experience built upon a philosophy of open systems design to ensure the flow of interoperable, secure, and reliable business transactions worldwide.

The E-CAT system offers a flexible solution that is easily tailored to meet the needs of your suppliers and customers. E-CAT possesses the following features:

	Supplier Neutral Classification System (based on the Thomas Register)
	Buyer Distributed Architecture
	FOB Destination and Origin Pricing
	Internet and Modem Access
	Web Browser Interface
	Secure Sessions (SSL encryption)
	Automated Credit Card Processing and Electronic Funds Transfer
	Interfaces with Legacy Systems
	ANSI X.12 EDI Transactions
	Flat File Interface for Catalog Loading
	Supplier Access to Catalog Information

Our team's professional experience and expertise is designed to add value to every stage of your electronic catalog system development and support needs. If your organization is faced with a requirement to implement an electronic catalog or if you are seeking to expand an existing EC/EDI function, our team can help. We develop strategies and implement systems for integrating and augmenting electronic catalogs into your business operations. Contact us today for more information.