Blue Cross and Blue Shield did just that years ago.  They promised 'quicker'
turnaround on payments if we submitted claims via EDS.  When we visited them
in Indy, there they were as paper forms on the order entry desk.  However
they were the ones put in first.............

-----Original Message-----
From: Doug Werth [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Friday, December 03, 1999 2:42 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: OT: How NOT to do e-commerce


Glenn Cole <[log in to unmask]> wrote

> USA Today has a story about a botched order placed online through Harry
and
> David, the (primarily) fruit mail-order house.  Near the end, it notes:
>
>         Another flaw: Orders entered online take longer to get into the
>         system than telephone orders. Why? When you click "buy," the order
>         is printed and then hand entered into the main order system.
>
> Ugh.  Talk about an electronic facade.  (Supposedly, they've installed the
> hooks "this week" to have the web order go directly to the order entry
> system.
>
>       < http://www.usatoday.com/life/cyber/tech/ctg805.htm >
>

<snip>
>
> I guess I should remember that the whole online shopping thing is still in
> its infancy.  But somehow that's not much consolation.

Many companies are throwing a web based solution together hastily just to
provide a presence. It reminds me of an EDI implementation I was involved
with in a former life where the electronic orders were manually retrieved
from the EDI network provider, manually printed and sent over to data entry
for keying. Why? Because the customer demanded that an EDI interface be
provided if we wanted their business.

Doug.

Doug Werth                             Beechglen Development Inc.
[log in to unmask]                               Cincinnati, Ohio

The opinions expressed do not  necessarily represent the views or
opinions of Beechglen Development. They might but not necessarily.
They represent solely the opinions of the author.