*IHS Tools to Help Purchasing Agents Find the Right Standards*
IHS, the holders of one of the world’s largest database of engineering information, supplies more than documents to librarians. Beyond offering a wealth of technical material online or in hard-copy form, IHS provides vital services for organizing the search and retrieval of the most up-to-date publications, acquisition accounting, and instant access to research specialists.
The first choice for technology information worldwide
Worldwide Search
Search on a worldwide basis, or specifically by continent, individual country, government or language. The IHS Research Center provides customized lists of documents on your particular subject that includes document numbers, dates, titles, and pricing.
NSN/Part Number Searching
Using our exclusive Haystack online database, librarians can create individualized reports cross-referencing NSN and part numbers. Standard report information includes: technical characteristics, procurement history, related stock numbers, alternate part numbers, and full CAG code information. Users can tailor reports to include many other areas of information as well.
Book Searches
Using the ISBN number or title, the IHS Research Center can locate books on any subject, as well as books that are out of print or published outside the U.S.
Bibliography
A descriptive listing of more than one million documents proves an invaluable reference for technical libraries and purchasing departments. This bibliography of IHS content is obtainable through the IHS online retail store at http://store.ihs.com. Or, if you are already a subscriber to the IHS Specs & Standards Service, this “index only” document is free, even with subscription to a single collection. The IHS Specs & Standards Service also extents to a convenient online “shopping cart,” enabling agents to purchase a single hard-copy or one-time-download document, as needed.
Organizational Features
For those performing information searches regularly, IHS makes the tasks of research easier, by including convenient features that save past activity and assemble lists of documents to monitor for currency and availability. Instead of performing similar searches over and over, librarians may instead take advantage of forward-thinking automation features:
Wish Lists
Wish lists provide a convenient resource for purchasing departments to keep track of especially relevant technical documents within the IHS database. Lists may also monitor availability of hard-to-find articles, or the availability of new content related to subject.
Document Histories
IHS retains “document histories” of publications -- a useful feature available through the IHS online store or with a subscription. Document histories show all versions of the documents over time. Often viewing old version is the key to identifying the proper materials. IHS is one of the few information sources that offer historic versions as well as current versions. For more on managing versions of technical materials, see http://engineers.ihs.com/news/journal/version-management.htm.
Accounting Tracking
Acquisition of new materials requires billing and accounting, whether the order is a single document on special request, or a collection of reference volumes. IHS has several options to keep the purchasing of technical publications in step with customer’s own accounting procedures.
The GateKeeper System
The IHS Gatekeeper System allows multiple IHS Specs & Standards users to quickly and easily purchase documents outside of subscription while maintaining your organization’s central control and funding of purchases. This excellent administrative option is available at no extra cost to IHS Specs & Standards subscribers.
Deposit Accounts
By buying through a prepaid IHS Deposit Account, users are eligible to receive a 10% discount on most documents and publications purchased individually through IHS. As purchases are made as needed, funds are deducted from the Deposit Account. Users have the option of receiving individual invoices (marked “Paid”), monthly statements detailing all purchases for that month, or both. An online invoice may be printed for each purchase made from each desktop.
Specialty Research Services
For research that is beyond the means of in-house resources, either in terms of staff or information access, the project can be outsourced to the team of specialists at IHS. For example, law firms often hire IHS researchers to find all standards related to a court case.
With the IHS telesales group, assistance with a particularly difficult or extensive research tasks is only a phone call away. The research center’s highly skilled staff of research analysts will efficiently search through all of our worldwide contacts to provide you with the information you need on a given topic or document, even searching for items no longer in circulation.
Requests for documents from multiple sources, on multiple subjects ranging from agriculture to telecommunications and from construction to high-tech can be fulfilled accurately and in a timely manner. This service saves hours of research time and provide the most comprehensive and relevant data, including a full history of utilized searches for bibliographic reference. Orders may be placed by phone, fax, email, or online.
Contact Information:
To visit the IHS online store for individual shopping cart purchases, please go to: http://store.ihs.com.
For new IHS subscriptions, please contact: 800 716 3447 or 303 397 2896
For adding collections or features to an existing subscriptions, contact:
800 716 3447 or 303 397 2896
You can reach an IHS research analyst at:
IHS
Attn: Research Center
15 Inverness Way East
Englewood CO 80112
United States
Phone: 800-624-3974 ext. 1930 303-792-2181 ext. 1930
Fax: 303-705-4249
Email: global.research@ihs.com