We know you keep hearing a lot about the industry database and how important it is to your operation. Stated simply, the Industry Database (IDB) is a data file of more than 1,000,000 products in the plumbing, heating, cooling, and industrial PVF industry. It's just the data; it's not bundled with any particular software or function. It's being promoted to fill the void that exists for a standard industry-wide resource for product information.

If you are wondering why you should care, you can read a clear, coherent and blessedly short (2-1/2 pages) explanation of what the database is all about. Inge Calderon, ASA's Executive Vice President, has written this piece as sort of a "Database for Dummies" type explanation of what it is, how it works and why it is really important to you. If you would like a copy of the document in Word format, just send an e-mail to pfmartin@asa.net.