STAFDA drops CD-ROM program
By Staff -- Industrial Distribution, 11/1/1998
Elm Grove, Wisc.--The Specialty Tools & Fasteners Distributors Assn. terminated its "First Place for STAFDA" CD-ROM program in September. Officials say participation in the five-year-old program had been steadily shrinking since 1996. The association reported in its August newsletter that there were only 51 distributors and 61 manufacturers participating in the electronic catalog program. STAFDA has more than 2,000 distributor and manufacturer members."This was a very difficult decision for everyone involved," STAFDA reported in the newsletter, adding that the program kicked off in 1993 with several thousand pages of product and pricing information. Participation leveled off, however, as a "classic 'chicken or egg' situation developed," officials said.
"Distributors held back on subscribing until more manufacturers were on the disc and manufacturers waited for more distributors to subscribe," according to the newsletter. "From that stalemate, participation gradually began to erode."
Dale Guenther, STAFDA president and vice president of Lincoln Contractors Supply in Milwaukee, said the program's value depended in large part on what kind of business you were in. For instance, he said distributors who repair certain tools would find much of the information useful, while others would not. Lincoln Contractors Supply used the program for a year but cancelled four years ago.
STAFDA had discussed ways to revive the program with its CD-ROM provider, Sterling Commerce, but Sterling announced in late July that it was getting completely out of the content management business for CD-ROMs. The company plans to focus, instead, on its Internet offerings.
STAFDA has no plans to boost its Internet offerings, according to Georgia Foley, assistant executive director. She says the association's Web site will remain as is.
First Place participants will be reimbursed for unused subscription fees. New manufacturer participants will be reimbursed for registration and catalog creation fees incurred during the last 12 months of the program.
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