Metric-Seals, Inc. Adds Customer Convenience with Online Catalog

Metric Seals is a small company with a huge line card and a global customer base gained primarily via word of mouth. Until recently they had never really marketed their business, and they didn’t have a catalog. After all, how do you keep 38,000 parts current in a printed catalog? Not only would it be a very thick catalog, it would be outdated almost before it went to print. Cost was a factor as well. When Metric Seals warehouse manager Dewayne Wethington learned that it would cost them nearly $40,000 to produce a full-line printed catalog, he made it his mission to find a better way.

“We had a partial product list on our website, but typically customers had to call in and ask if we had what they needed,” explained Wethington. He began searching for a product that would make it easy for Metric Seals to display all of their products online. He had three primary requirements of the software system: easy to use, easy to update part information, and easy to integrate with their backend system.

“I searched the internet and found Catalog Builder software,” said Wethington. “It was Microsoft certified, compatible with our Great Plains system, and about half the price of other internet catalog systems I found.”

Catalog Builder is a catalog design and management software system from Minnesota-based Computer Pundits Corporation. It automates the process of designing and managing catalogs in-house for output in multiple formats including print, Adobe PDF files, interactive CD-ROM, and internet.

Metric Seals already had part numbers and product information in their Great Plains Dynamics database, so they exported that data into Catalog Builder. Then they added pictures, profiles, diagrams, and references.

“I like the fact that the Catalog Builder software is customizable,” stated Wethington. “Not only could we design the look and feel of the catalog to fit our business, we could customize the catalog functionality as well.” Catalog Builder supports multi-level pricing, but Metric Seals chose not to display pricing at all. “We stripped off the online sales function and made our catalog quote-only,” explained Wethington. Metric Seals now offers customers two ways to browse the company catalog: on the company website and on CD.

The Catalog Builder software system has met all of Wethington’s expectations. It’s easy to set up, manage, and update, and it integrates smoothly with the company’s existing inventory management system. It was the technical support team behind the software that was an unexpected bonus. “It’s the best technical support team I’ve ever dealt with,” Wethington stated.

Headquartered in Westfield, Indiana, Metric Seals, Inc. is a supplier for all major European and Japanese hydraulic and pneumatic seal manufacturers.

Computer Pundits Corporation is revolutionizing the business to business cataloging industry and saving companies around the world thousands and even hundreds of thousands of dollars over traditional catalog production methods. For more information about Catalog Builder or Computer Pundits Corporation, call (888)786-3487 or visit www.catalogbuilder.com .