Providing on-line catalog services in the field of steel, stainless steel, aluminum, related metals and metal alloys, namely steel, stainless steel, aluminum and related metal and metal alloy products and supplies by means of global communication network; business management services in the inventory control, procurement and materials managmenet field, concerning steel, stainless steel, aluminum and other metal and metal alloy products and supplies and consulting relating to such services; providing assistance to others in the import and export trading of steel, stainless steel, aluminum and other metal and metal alloy products and supplies; providing on-line information to customers concerning the purchase of steel, stainless steel, aluminum and other metal and metal alloy products and supplies namely information concerning the status of orders placed by the customer for the purchase of steel, stainless steel, aluminum, and other metal and metal alloy products and supplies; responses to customer inquiries concerning the purchase of steel, stainless steel, aluminum and other metal and metal alloy products and supplies, namely automatic price quotations and delivery commitment; providing on-line transaction history information, materials management planning tools, account inventory management tools namely automated receipt of customer forecasts or direct preauthorized material releases and contract compliance reporting tools and providing a searchable, product catalog for customers as well as private views into the catalog for satisfying specific account inventory requirements unique to a customer's unique contracted or managed account inventory requirements