problems updating db with new fields

my client wants to add company name fields to the checkout form billing and shipping sections.
I have added the fields, and the company name is displayed correctly on the confirm page.
I have added the fields to the order summary table
The problem I am having, is that the company name is not being stored in the summary table when the confirm button is pressed.
I tried adding a text string, which works fine, but when I try updating the server behaviour, the new columns do not appear in the ecart_checkout_form binding.
I also tried adding the new field manually, but this doesn’t work either.
If I check the bindings on the checkout page, the new fields are there, but when I ckeck the bindings on the confirm page, they are not.