Interfloor Data Visibility Strategy and Solutions

Anne-Marie Morrissey, Group IT Manager

Data Visibility Strategy - Background

Interfloor and Movex.

Historically:- Poor user knowledge, users heavily reliant on IT staff for business data. IT skills for data extraction were diverse and little consistency User Frustration of using multiple Movex panels to retrieve a complete set of

information Data is proliferated in external systems throughout the business and Movex data

has become diluted

Increased demand for information due to business restructuring

Desire for Movex to be the ‘one source of truth’

Data Visibility Strategy – Requirements and Solutions

Review existing use of Cognos Powerplay

Software which would be installed ‘closer’ to Movex ERP database and therefore based on i-Series but presented in multiple formats

Software which could easily be used by IT staff and i-Series Query users alike.

Data extractions which could easily be performed by users entering simple selection criteria and delivered in the format of their choice.

Ability to display Movex information for remote users without incurring additional costs for licences.

Ability to display Movex data on one screen rather than through multiple panels

Invested in ShowMe, RouteOne, PC-iRoute, QueryManager

Data Visibility Strategy - To-Date at Interfloor

1. RouteOne/PC-iRoute/ShowMe used in one specific interface development

2. Developed additional business improvements such as:-• Providing sales reps up-to-date information• Developing several one panel detailed enquiries to facilitate data visibility• Emailed a standard Movex spool file to a key customer• Emailed key supplier information for the supplier to pursue a vendor managed inventory initiative.

Data Visibility Strategy – Next Steps

Continue to quickly deploy ‘real’ business solutions in providing data Review the production of pre-printed stationery Identify ‘business critical’ Query reports and redevelop to improve machine

performance Identify commonly run queries by re-development and post to the intranet in

PDF format Exploit use of PC-iRoute to use in key forecast information to save re-keying Develop a stock valuation BI cube on the i-Series machine. Review PowerPlay use within the organisation.

By continually exploiting the functionality of the Uti400 product suite then other projects will undoubtedly be identified…. The benefits gained are over and above the original requirement of a Transport Planning Interface……………………......................

Interfloor Transport Planning

Gregg Cole, Business Support Manager

Background

In June 2005, as part of a decision to bring the transport function in-house, Interfloor purchased a leading Computerised Vehicle Scheduling System to plan the movement of a 75 strong fleet comprising owned and sub-contracted vehicles delivering underlay and associated accessories to over 2,000 delivery points nationwide.

IT Objective In a short time scale, to provide a robust yet flexible interface between Movex ERP

and the new PC based transport planning system.

The Process

The transport planning project enabled Interfloor to conform to the Movex standard order flow.

Order Allocation Plan Approve Pick DeliveryPick

Confirm

The Interfaces

95% of the interfaces were created using RouteOne, PC-iRoute and ShowMe by a Business Analyst without any RPG skills!

All of the interfaces are automated and run in a ‘lights out’ environment

RouteOne extracts the order bank and distributes a csv import file to the Vehicle Scheduling System Complex calculations were required to cater for weights / volume and calculation of

non-working days. Manipulation was also required to overcome some of the Movex ERP idiosyncrasies

PC-iRoute monitors a PC directory. When a loads file is detected, it uploads to an i-Series work file and automatically calls an in-house RPG procedure.

From a user menu function, a suite of ShowMe enquiries gives full traceability of the entire process in real time!

Now called directly from Display Customer Orders (OIS300)

without modification to Movex

RouteOne gives users the ability to run Order Bank extracts on

an Adhoc basis

The Interfloor Order Status Review - Demonstration

The Interfloor Order Status Review

Select a Sales Order

Show Header Detail

Planned Deliveries

Delivery Authorisation - Accepted

Delivery Authorisation - Accepted

Delivery Lines

Drop Summary

Interface Details

The interfaces…

Were delivered on time and under budget using Uti400 tools Were achieved using 95% Business Analyst resource and 5% RPG Resource Require little if any Post Go-Live support. Process owned in the business.

“The flexibility of the Uti400 product suite enabled us to quickly react to scope changes in an exceptionally fluid project. The ability of RouteOne to model complex business rules enabled us to develop a robust and intelligent interface, while PC-iRoute’s intuitive and simple concept facilitated a seamless handover to the business. Moreover, ShowMe’s powerful and intuitive front end allowed us to swiftly develop and deploy advanced solutions to critical business visibility issues. The Uti400 support team were instrumental in us achieving all of the above.”

Uti400 Overview

Gary Pattinson, Business Development Manager (Uti400)

Uti400 – Who are we?

Head Office in Bolton, North West England.

US office in Millbrook, New York.

The Company was formed in 2000.

IBM Advanced Level partner.

Geac System21 business partner – our products are integral to their BI strategy.

We have hundreds of Customers world-wide, in multiple Industry Sectors.

More than 300 installations in the UK alone.

Our development and support teams have many years of experience in the iSeries and pc markets, enabling us to offer our customers a knowledgeable, efficient and friendly service.

Uti400 – What do we do?

Data Delivery………..

“The ability to give your users any data from your iSeries, whenever they want it, in whichever format they require and wherever they want it to be”

Products – already mentioned in Anne-Marie’s presentation, and a summary in your Conference folders.

Product strengths.- Performance - speed of data transfer is exceptional.- Extensive functionality – provide many business solutions - Simple to use.- Rapid development.- Competitively priced. - any iSeries data file or ERP system/module.

Uti400 – Customers and Quotes

“The ShowMe business intelligence cubes form an integral part of our management information systems, without it we would be lost”

David Kent, IT Manager, Tremco“I’ve saved ten times the cost of this product in the last few months alone”

Graham Entwistle, IT Manager, Simon Jersey Ltd.

“It’s a great product. When it was first demonstrated I challenged Uti400 to achieve something simple in principal, but I knew as an ex programmer you would really need a program to do it right, and it would be quite involved. Half an hour later we had a working solution LIVE on our systems! Since then its just got better and better!”

Rob Bates, Opella.

• Transport - TDG, and Exel Logistics

• Manufacturing - Unilever; Chloride; and Toshiba.

• Apparel - Simon Jersey; Lee Cooper.

• Sport - Liverpool FC.

• Publishing - Harper Collins; Barnes & Noble(US).

Uti400 – Movex and Value Add Packs

What can we offer Movex users?

Movex value add pack for ShowMe.

As a result of our collaboration with Interfloor, we have put together a number of enquiries – green on black, or web based – that address real day to day business issues.

(examples are Stock Valuation cube, suppliers on stop enquiry, the list grows every day!).

iSeries value add pack for ShowMe.

In addition, we also have a set of enquiries which allow analysis of your iSeries data , these can be used to help manage disk utilisation on your system.

(examples are Logical File usage and Objects growth enquiry).

MUA Conference 2005 attendees.

These 2 value add packs will be installed free of charge, with the purchase of ShowMe!

Uti400 – and finally……….. Thank You

www.interfloor.com www.uti400.com