FurnishNet eyes supplier, mfr. linkages

San Diego— After building a strong base of retailers and manufacturers, FurnishNet is emphasizing the manufacturer-supplier connection for its next phase of growth.

A provider of Internet-based supply chain solutions, FurnishNet is marketing its SupplierConnect service that automates

"Supplier-side connectivity holds many opportunities to drive more savings through reduced paperwork, improved speed and increased order accuracy," said Ron Sellers, vice president of sales for FurnishNet.

Sellers estimated that manufacturers make more than 8 million purchases via either a fax machine or telephone. He said such orders could be automated with SupplierConnect and its system-to-system transaction exchange.

"I've seen many estimates that processing a purchase order and its related shipping notices and invoices costs over $100 when done manually," he said. "Even at half that figure, manufacturers are leaving hundreds of millions of dollars on the table that could be better utilized."

In 2005, FurnishNet processed about 880,000 retailer-to-manufacturer purchases, a 57% increase over 2004.

"With over 600 manufacturers already connected, it only makes sense to offer the same benefits of our Transaction Management solution to them and their suppliers," Sellers said.