Jordan’s connects to more than 130 vendors with FurnishNet

Furniture World Magazine

FurnishNet announced that Jordan’s Furniture, a division of Berkshire Hathaway, has connected to more than 130 vendors with FurnishNet’s solutions for Transaction Management and Parts Management. Jordan’s is now using FurnishNet to manage more than 90% of its purchase orders electronically, leading to improved communications, reduced costs, and greater operational efficiency. “By sending orders electronically, we’ve eliminated the manual processes and dropped paperwork that accompany faxed orders,” said Peter Clark, Director of Information Systems for Jordan’s Furniture. “With FurnishNet, we’ve been able to optimize and streamline communications for managing purchase orders and acknowledgements. We also have peace of mind that our orders are accurate, and have better access to information that helps us to better service our customers.” FurnishNet’s solution for Transaction Management speeds the accurate transmission of purchase orders, purchase order acknowledgements, advance ship notices, and invoices. By integrating e-mail, web applications, electronic data interchange (EDI), XML, and faxed-based processes into a unique “Any-to-Any” exchange, FurnishNet is able to translate the information into the appropriate format for the immediate electronic flow of information between business partners of any size, running on any corporate system. In addition to using Transaction Management to manage merchandise orders, Jordan’s Furniture continues to expand the use of the Parts Management solution from FurnishNet that the retailer helped design and create. Using this solution, parts purchase orders go directly to the manufacturer's Parts Desk, and email alerts from the manufacturer provide online status notifications. Two-way communication via the Internet enables collaboration to quickly answer questions and reconcile discrepancies. To improve customer service, FurnishNet Parts Management also includes carrier tracking numbers so shipments can be closely monitored. By automating these processes, customers get their parts sooner, which reduces returns and cancellations. “Using FurnishNet Parts Management, we’ve greatly improved what’s often the neglected aspect of many operations” added Clark. “Now, we’re able to send part orders directly from our system to the manufacturer’s parts desk, and manage communications via the Web. If the order is available, and the customer is willing to install the part, the manufacturers can ship directly to the customer, which saves us money on freight and enables the customer to get the part faster. FurnishNet Parts Management has reduced data entry and improved service, and has also helped our connected manufacturers to operate more efficiently.” “Jordan’s Furniture has always been a leader in embracing new technology, and they have proven how FurnishNet can be leveraged to optimize operations, improve service, and reduce costs,” said Ron Sellers, Vice President of Sales for FurnishNet. “They are taking full advantage of our solutions for Transaction Management and Parts Management to conduct their business on their terms, and have already realized a significant return on their investment.” About Jordan’s Furniture: Jordan’s Furniture was incorporated by Samuel Tatelman in 1928. In the early 70s, Barry and Eliot Tatelman took over the business, bringing it from a company of eight employees to now over 1,200. Barry and Eliot sold the company to Berkshire Hathaway Inc. in October 1999. With four stores and headquarters in Avon, MA, Jordan’s prides itself on providing quality products and services and a high degree of customer entertainment. The Natick store was chosen as the “Best Store in the Biz” by In Furniture Magazine. The customer experience features a walk on “Bourbon Street”, a Riverboat, a “Streetcar Named Dessert” and a nine-minute multimedia Mardi Gras F/X show. Jordan’s took entertainment to a new level by opening a 262-seat, six-story high screen, 3D theatre at the Natick store. The Comcast IMAX 3D theatre features both educational and entertainment-based films. The Avon location houses a 48-seat flight simulator movie theatre called the Motion Odyssey Movie ride on a four-story high screen. A fifth store is scheduled to open in 2004. About FurnishNet: With more than 300 trading partners and over $1.5 billion in contracted purchase order volume, FurnishNet is the leading provider of Internet-based supply chain solutions for retailers, manufacturers, and suppliers in the home furnishings industry. FurnishNet’s solutions for Parts Management and Transaction Management provide a cost-effective alternative to EDI, and help trading partners to streamline communications, reduce errors, and save hard costs. For more information, visit www.furnishnet.com.