>>>Ain't automation great?
>>
>>Sounds great! Another idea is using WAN systems instead of diskette but this approach is costly...
>>
>
>I'm not sure you understand what's going on here, Jess. We get a floppy each month from American Express with that month's charge detail data. The files they send are in comma-delimited format.
>
>All I had to do was APPEND the files to existing tables (they sent me good docs with table format specs in them), massage the data a little, and print reports for our corporate AmEx cardmembers to use in reconciling their accounts.
>
>We would not be able to contact AmEx directly, so a WAN is not even in the picture for this exercise.
>
>- Gerry

I stand corrected if I got your message wrong at some point. But what I mean WAN is just using modem to transport data instead of diskette. One specific example is the old type purchase order to certain supplier which was done via fax, but due to volume of daily PO, customers can now send particular file in txt format or whatsoever through modem, and the supplier is just convert that file into DBF format and boom... and if files being sent have common format, you might as well do data manipulations directly without printouts. For example, a travel agency is having an online transactions with an Airline or Hotel, using Galileo systems as a link, travel agency could come up with an updated Ticketing Status or Hotel Room Accomodations by way of reading files interactively being sent by the link system (in text format or whatsoever). No double entry, no printouts...

Good thing you only have one company, if am not mistaken (AMEXCO), you are dealing with, and maybe, it is still convenient for you to do transactions by way of what you said (diskette). What if in one way or another, same business environment or not, you have the same requirement but this time volume, are you going to do the same process or think of more convenient way. What I am saying is only an option.

Cheers,

JESS