They can shorten the sales cycle. And experienced users say these disks may actually cost less in the long run than a paper-based catalog. The EMS study, conducted by American Opinion Research, has found that people consider a CD-ROM catalog even more useful than a print catalog when buying computer parts. The study consisted of hundreds of interviews with end users. Seven of ten of those surveyed found the CD-ROM catalog educational, and much more informative about products than even a call by a sales representative.
Customers can download new information from the Internet onto the CD-ROMs as well.
As a high-technology tool, many marketers may automatically assume that the disks are expensive. But one major user of CD-ROMs for parts catalogs, the U.S. government, recently refuted that notion. Moreover, a foot and a half of hull space on each ship must be dedicated to serve as a manual library. What's more, in the past, two seamen were assigned full-time aboard the ship to handle administration of the document system. Purveyors and users of the technology claim similar savings can be had in other industries as well.