Clearly, business-to-business (B2B) order fulfillment has changed dramatically since the days of paper-based warehousing. And fortunately, your company has left paper and pencil behind to meet the needs of a new century. Or has it?

That was the central question posed by Jim Parker, president, Supplier Systems Corp. (www.suppliersystems.com ), at a D/C Expo seminar last month.

"Competitive pressures in the retail market are forcing companies to be more efficient and responsive than ever," Parker said. "Effective order filling and delivery is fundamental to meeting the needs of today's customer."

For those companies still struggling with outdated systems, Parker provided a roadmap for addressing the increased needs of their customers.

Those improvements begin with in-house computer systems to: Control the flow of customer orders; Maintain the unique details of each customer relationship; Provide up-to-the minute access to orders status, billing, and shipping information, and; Facilitate electronic communication via the Internet with customers.