July 1996 € Volume 6 € Number 7

APICS Enters Cyberspace With Launch of New Web Site

http://www.apics.org

In June, APICS publicly unveiled its new World Wide Web site, http://www.apics.org. The new APICS Web site takes full advantage of Web facilities, such as hyperlinks and graphics, to highlight and illustrate educational programs, offerings and forums of interest to resource management professionals in manufacturing and service industries.

The APICS Web site provides a new medium for member communications and will eventually enable APICS to harness the tremendous marketing potential of the Internet and World Wide Web for educational programs and other offerings. The new APICS Web site presents current information about APICS programs and activities as well as general information about the society for members and nonmembers alike.

APICS offerings on the Web
While most of the APICS Web site is open to everyone, the Certified in Production and Inventory Management (CPIM) and Certified in Integrated Resource Management (CIRM) forums eventually will be limited to APICS members only. APICS also plans to host a forum for service industries and may also launch other experimental forums. Plans also are in the works to enable APICS Web site customers (whose browsers support such functions) to be able to send APICS mail, place orders, register for events and display complex presentations online. Current and planned features of APICS Online include:

About APICS. Describes APICS member benefits, certification, local chapters and the annual conference.
What's New. Includes highlights of the latest APICS news, programs and other educational offerings.
1996 International Conference & Exhibition. Features highlights of the 39th APICS International Conference and Exhibition program as well as registration and travel information.
Certification. Includes forums and general information on the APICS CPIM and CIRM programs, testing dates and registration forms.
Calendar of Events. Provides complete, current information on coming events, including location, date and time as well as brief descriptions. Benefits in the works include the ability to request more information via e-mail or to pre-register for any event.
Catalog (due in November). Contains descriptions of more than 600 items in the APICS catalog of educational materials by subject, title and author. This page is currently under construction and will be completed by fall 1996.
APICS SIG Forums. Features general information and forums for the APICS SIGs, groups that focus on the following areas: aerospace and defense, constraints management, process industries, remanufacturing, repetitive manufacturing, small manufacturing and textiles and apparel.
APICS Business Outlook Index. Features past issues of the APICS monthly manufacturing-based economic survey report. The index is a unique economic forecasting tool developed by APICS and consultant-economist Michael Evans. Index to Other Manufacturing Sites. Includes key manufacturing resources on the Internet from Web sites to mailing lists.
Quick Index to APICS Online. Provides a quick search resource for the APICS site.

Industry.Net chosen as APICS Web host
APICS Online is part of the Industry.Net Online Marketplace system. Industry.Net was chosen to host the APICS site and to provide technical support because it is targeted to a business audience, is recognized as a major innovator in advancing Web technology and commerce and is capable of providing the type of technical support required by APICS.

The Industry.Net Online Marketplace is an interactive online environment that provides company, product and service information. According to Industry.Net corporate headquarters, its online service offers information from more than 1,000 manufacturers along with 210,000 regional distributors and commercial suppliers. APICS Web users may also browse the Industry.Net Online Marketplace through the APICS Web page or through http://www.industry.net.

Easy Reference Guide for APICS-Related Web Sites

APICS Online -- http://www.apics.org. The official web site of APICS -- the educational society for resource management.

Industry.Net -- http://www.industry.net. Technical provider of the APICS web site. Includes marketing information for more than 1,000 manufacturers.

APICS--The Performance Advantage -- http://207.69.204.147/APICS.shtml. The web site of Lionheart Publishing, which produces APICS' monthly magazine, APICS--The Performance Advantage.

Agile and Advanced Manufacturing on the Web -- http://www.sandia.gov/agil/home_page.html

Best Manufacturing Practices Network -- http://www.bmpcoe.org/

Allied Groups and Associations:

Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers -- http://www.ieee.org
National Association for Purchasing Management -- http://www.napm.org
National Association of Manufacturers -- http://www.nam.org
·Society of Manufacturing Engineers -- http://www.sme.org
U.S. Chamber of Commerce -- http://www.uschamber.org/chamber
American Society of Association Executives -- http://www.asaenet.org

Government Organizations:

Dept. of Commerce -- http://www.doc.gov
Dept. of Education -- http://www.ed.gov
Dept. of Labor -- http://www.dol.gov

The Internet/World Wide Web as the Ultimate Business Tool
The Internet and its graphical component -- the World Wide Web -- are having a powerful effect on business-to-business commerce. Just as the telephone and automobile each had a significant impact on the world, the Internet/World Wide Web has tremendous potential to change the way business is conducted.

History has shown that every major technological advancement develops faster than those preceding it. The telephone took 39 years to gain acceptance with 30 percent of the marketplace; the automobile, 34 years; radio, 26 years. Following that trend, the Internet/World Wide Web will take approximately seven years to grow to that same 30 percent acceptance rate. Many think it will happen faster.

The growth of the Internet makes it a powerful tool in the search for product information and specifications. There are, reportedly, more than 37 million Internet users today, and Investor's Daily predicts 500 million users by the year 2000, with 45 percent employed in technical occupations. According to PC Magazine, the manufacturing and service sectors are the biggest users of the Internet.

The Internet combines all aspects of business, providing a tool for buyers and specifiers to use in searching, selecting and transacting business easily and quickly from offices or homes. Electronic catalogs on the Internet provide up-to-the minute information on a manufacturer's product and are easily updated. At the click of a mouse, current technical specifications, product descriptions and prices are available. Business-to-business electronic commerce allows a user to search for a product, point to select it, then click to purchase the item, all from the computer terminal.

The connectivity and resources offered by the Internet represent tremendous opportunities for industry. Even the smallest company can use the Internet to inexpensively exchange information with customers and suppliers anywhere in the world.

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