This year, Do it Best Corp. made several key investments in technology, designed to help increase efficiencies at the corporate level and help members streamline their backroom operations. The co-op launched an enhanced mydoitbest.com, a member portal that provides real-time access to news and product and program information, as well as interactive tools designed to help members run their businesses more efficiently. Do it Best Corp. also upgraded its Data Center in 2006, which increased data processing speed and improved access to the business-critical files in the Data Center’s primary storage unit. One important result of the co-op’s investments in its Data Center was an extended deadline for orders, which gives the co-op’s members more flexibility in planning inventory changes.

Kay Williams, Do it Best Corp. vice president of information technology, said that the organization is proud to be named to the prestigious Information Week 500 list. “The companies on the Information Week 500 have demonstrated their ability to adapt to today’s rapidly changing technology environment, and it’s very satisfying to be included among them. At Do it Best Corp., every decision we make to deploy leading-edge technology comes back to our corporate goal: helping members grow. We take every opportunity to improve efficiencies and offer new services to members through technology investments, and we’re pleased that our efforts have been recognized.”

Based in Fort Wayne, Ind., Do it Best Corp. is the only full-service, U.S.-based, member-owned hardware, lumber and building materials buying cooperative in the home improvement industry. With annual sales of $3 billion, Do it Best Corp. is the second largest co-op in the industry, serving 4,100 member-retailers in the United States and in 45 foreign countries.