Username Password NARTA TRADING EXCHANGE: THE RATIONALE Over the past 2 years, the Electrical Appliance Industry eCommerce committee (Applie-com) has been developing standards to facilitate the growth of electronic trading within the electrical appliance industry. In parallel with this activity, several industry buying groups and suppliers have also invested in eCommerce projects looking to reduce the cost of doing business. Narta Trading Exchange provides business-to-business electronic document exchange and management services. It incorporates industry standard e-Commerce software and infrastructure providing its clients with secure and reliable store and forward messaging capability. The model has been developed to function in an open trading environment. As Narta has twenty-eight members, with twenty-eight different computer systems, Narta and its suppliers benefit from a solution that capitalises on the "Buying Power of One" philosophy whilst offering each member and supplier a cost effective solution. This collaborative approach ensures that trading with the Narta membership is cost effective for industry suppliers as they will be dealing with one Narta solution rather than having to establish and manage communication with individual Narta members. The NTE provides both Narta members and their suppliers with the ability to connect via just one connection to the Narta Trading Exchange and use just one document format for each document type regardless of differences between suppliers' and members' IT systems. SERVICE OVERVIEW Flexible Any-to-Any Translation Trading through the Narta Trading Exchange means that your organisation is software application independent. Regardless of the business application you and your trading partners are running, the Narta Trading Exchange facilitates translation so that each partner can trade using one communications method and one data format for each document type. Supporting Multiple Communications Methods The recommended method of connecting to the Narta Trading Exchange is using the Pacific Exchanger Internet software provided by Pacific Commerce. The Narta Trading Exchange supports other forms of communications methods including FTP, SMTP (email), VAN (Value Added Network), external network interconnects, and modem dial-ups. Independent Data Formats Anyone involved with logistics and supply chain management knows that the paperwork they receive comes in a multitude of different formats. The Narta Trading Exchange allows you to send and receive trading information in an electronic format that is independent of your partner’s format. Precise Audit Trail The Narta Trading Exchange tracks and records each transaction with meticulous precision. Any incomplete transactions are detected and reported with fully descriptive archives available for auditing. Reports are generated regularly and include all vital trade information for tracking and billing. Reduced Complexity Utilising the Narta Trading Exchange means that organisations are spared the complexity involved of integrating and translating trade information. Business applications or processes can be upgraded with minimal effort and little or no disruption to trade. The business processes involved with trading are automated and simplified to increase accuracy, reduce data entry and eliminate re-keying of information, resulting in a more cost effective process.