Redesigning the ordering process involved a combination of systems and business process
changes which had to be carefully integrated. A key element of the new ordering process was the
development of common databases for product pricing and product specifications. This shared
vision of business simplification and a common database was solidly grounded in the philosophy of
"simplify, standardize, then mechanize." The common databases developed to support simplified
pricing were designed to provide data directly to the customer's own system electronically. This
resulted in dramatic reductions in invoice deductions for retailers using the new pricing database to
verify or confirm purchase order information.