We are planning two new methods of sending order information to fulfillment centers for packing and shipping of your orders: a file-based system that we introduced in Version 2 of the Order Manager (April, 2003), and a Web-based system that we plan to introduce in early 2004. The Web-based system will require a small monthly hosting fee to cover our hosting costs. The exact fees have not been determined yet, but for most merchants they will be in the range of $1.00 to $2.00 per day. There is no extra charge for using the file-based fulfillment system.

Both fulfillment systems export information as orders are approved in the Order Manager. The information includes everything required to pick, pack, print and ship your orders. It does not include any financial information, credit card numbers, or any other sensitive information. Both systems support multiple fulfillment centers. Products can be assigned to fulfillment centers individually, by Inventory Category, or with a system-wide default fulfillment center. One order may result in data being sent to multiple fulfillment centers. Once the Web-based system is operational, you will be able to combine the two methods, so the same order may result in some items being exported to the file-based system, and others via the Web-based system.

The file-based fulfillment system exports data to text files on your local computer or LAN. You must then manually send those text files to your fulfillment center(s). After the items have been shipped, your fulfillment center can send shipping and tracking data back to you via text files that can be imported into the Order Manager using the "Import .csv Tracking #’s" button on the Maintenance Menu.

The Web-based system, once it is operational, will send information to a Stone Edge Technologies server in real-time whenever an order is approved. A special Fulfillment Center version of the Order Manager will automatically download those orders on a timed schedule or when a button is clicked. After the items have been shipped, a similar process will return the shipping and tracking data to the Order Manager at your main office automatically