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Why
is Material Express offering the APeX service?
Timely
price updating is a key for survival in the
electrical distribution business. It is in
the best interests of the electrical industry
to have an alternative for pricing. What would
happen if the only pricing service were to
disappear? Many of our owners and executives
are past employees of i2. And, we know how
to manage large databases from the experience
we have gleaned from our sister company Vision
Infosoft Corp. Vision has been servicing the
pricing needs for electrical contractors since
1995 and now counts thousands of subscribers
to the EPIC for Contractors product.
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Why
should I switch my price updating service
to APeX?
There
are lots of reasons, as follows:
- It's
a considerably cheaper alternative.
- Material
Express provides excellent customer care.
- APeX
data is always accurate and up-to-date.
- You
need to support a pricing service alternative
for the good of the entire electrical industry.
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How
much does APeX cost?
Pricing
varies depending upon the number of
material items you require and the number
of branches on your system. Call Material
Express for a free price quotation at 800-594-7044.
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Does
APeX use the same UPC numbers as i2 (i2)?
Yes,
they are identical. If your system accepts
PFMS™
updates it will accept APeX updates.
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Does
APeX keep their cost prices as current as
Trade Service (i2)?
Yes.
Our editors are a dedicated bunch and make
thousands of telephone calls, faxes, and emails
to over 400 manufacturers every month. If
a manufacturer changes prices on even one
item we will know it.
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Why
is APeX less expensive than the PFMS™
service from Trade Service (i2)?
We are
very efficient with our data management processes
and can make a profit selling for less. Plus,
we recognize that there has not been any competition
for data service providers to electrical distributors.
As such, we know we have to do a top-notch
job, give top-notch customer service, and
be less expensive to compete effectively.
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If
I need a duplicate of a weekly update can
I get it?
We save
a duplicate of the weekly updates for 8 weeks
and will send you a replacement when you need
it. Call Material Express Technical Support
Department at 800-594-7044 to request a duplicate.
If you prefer to use FTP downloading using
the Internet you can download any of the last
8 weekly updates at any time.
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Why
do I need a complete load of data when I subscribe
to APeX?
The initial
load gets all the information in your system
database to a current status. Then the weekly
updates are used to keep it current.
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What
type of media is used for APeX updates?
We send
out updates in many different formats. Most
customers prefer and use either diskette media,
CD-ROM, or FTP downloads via the Internet.
But, various other media can be made available
as well. Call the Material Express Sales Department
at 800-594-7044 to request a different media.
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Are
test updates available so I can verify the
media and format is compatible with my software
system?
Yes,
there are test data files available. Call
the Material Express Sales Department at 800-594-7044
to request a test load.
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I
just want a complete APeX load without weekly
updates. Can I purchase this?
APeX
is sold with a 12-month service agreement
only and includes 52 weekly updates along
with the initial load.
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Can
I use an electronic download instead of having
media shipped?
Yes.
We use FTP (File Transfer Protocol) which
transfers files from our computer system to
yours using the Internet. This is a simple
process to establish and it saves you the
monthly media shipping charges.
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