Business Out1

Businesses of all
sizes and kinds
are joining the
electronic
revolution.

GEORGE DILA
Special to the Jewish News

n the old days, when Bart Levich
was vice president of merchan-
dising for a large retail floorcov-
ering chain, getting carpet
ordered was often a taxing ordeal.
He'd get on the phone to the mill,
wait to be connected to the correct
mill rep (assuming the rep wasn't at
lunch or on another call), verbally
give the rep the long style numbers
and color codes,sbe placed on hold
while the rep checked stock availabili-
ty, and then finally place the order.
And, of course, he could only do it
during business hours.
Now Levich, who is owner-presi-
dent of the Floor Club of Southeast
Michigan, a wholesale floorcovering
showroom based in Wixom, can do it
all on-line, instantly, and anytime he
wants — even after hours.
Levich's company, which sells every
kind of floorcovering imaginable to
home builders, contractors, designers
and retail stores, has direct online
access to the inventories of the three
major carpet manufacturers — Shaw
Industries, Mohawk and Beaulieu.
From a computer in his showroom,
he can connect to any of these suppli-
ers, key in his password, check inven-
tories and order the goods.
"The system frees me up," says
Levich. "It gives me more time to
spend with customers. In fact, they
can watch over my shoulder as I
check stock."
But that's not all that Levich's infor-
mation system can do.
"In the old days, a salesperson
would write up the order, and then a
clerk would input it into the comput-
5,
er.
, Now, there are no paper sales forms. The
sale is initiated right on the computer.
"We could be virtually a paperless

ELECTRONIC SAVING

on page 22

Bart Lev iells

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