USE ELECTRONIC COMMERCE TO STREAMLINE GOVERNMENT BUSINESS PROCEDURES
Imagine this: Jane Sawyer, a Forest Ranger in Oregon, needs 75 shovels delivered before fire season. Through the Internet, she accesses a central electronic catalog system available on the Acquisition Reform Network (ARNet). After filling in ARNet's electronic form, she clicks her mouse on the "Start Search" icon to check multiple federal agency catalogs. Because several agency and vendor catalogs carry shovels, Jane uses ARNet's sorting capability to find the least expensive ones, including freight costs.
Jane electronically places her order. After her computer's card reader scans her smart card, her identification information is forwarded to verify that she is an authorized buyer. The purchase card and transaction information are also sent. The system then electronically transfers the purchase order to the vendor, and the shovels arrive within a week.
Chapter A11, Access America, Reengineering Through Information Technology