By Kenneth S. Moser, CNA, CNSA
APICS Director of Information Systems

This month, I will try to get back to more site reviews and tutorials &endash; but not before we cover some more new developments at APICS:

• Fax-on-Demand — First, our Fax-on-Demand system is now online. This system allows you to order brochures and other information by fax any day and time it is convenient for you to do so. To access this system, call (800) 444-2742 or (703) 237-8344 and press 5.

The system will first prompt you for a member or customer ID number &endash; you can find this number on your member card and most APICS mailing labels. If you know your ID number, you may bypass this prompt by pressing the pound key (#). If you do not have an ID number, you can obtain one by pressing 1 and requesting an application.

Next, the system will ask you if you need a document index. This index lists the documents that are available through Fax-on-Demand and provides the document numbers you will need to order. If you need an index, press 1. Otherwise, to order up to three documents, press 3.

To order a document, enter the corresponding five-digit document number followed by the pound key (#). When you are finished requesting documents, the system will prompt you for a fax number and extension. Once you confirm these numbers, the system will queue your documents up for transmission. In most cases, assuming your fax number is correct and the machine is online, you will begin receiving documents within 15 minutes.

• List Server — Second, APICS has installed a new e-mail list server. A list server (often called a listserv) is a machine that hosts mailing lists.

Most lists operate like Usenet forums: You subscribe to a list and begin receiving all messages released from it. You may respond to any message by sending your own reply either to the author (for private responses) or to the list. Like Web-based forums and chat rooms, list servers allow you to contact a large number of people. Unlike these media, however, list servers send posts to you, and our server archives messages so that you may review old posts for answers.

• The WhatsNew List — Our first public list is called WhatsNew. This list is designed primarily to announce changes to our Web site and other electronic services, but it will also contain updates on other APICS programs. This list is designed for outbound traffic only; other lists to be announced here will allow you to post messages and contact your peers online.

As I write this column, the WhatsNew list has over 800 subscribers; you may join us by sending the command, join WhatsNew, to [email protected]