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Our core business is the development of bespoke Access
systems. However, we also help clients expand the capabilities of
their home-grown systems to place them on a new level. We see no
point in 'reinventing the wheel' where the client has done both analysis
and testing, however, we can add the value of expertise gained in
developing and distributing 'grown up' systems worldwide and in many languages.
In essence, no system is too large or too small.
The experience available to be tapped within the company is
extensive, experience gleaned from nearly 30 years in IT, ranging from
employment by a bearing manufacturer, a major manufacturer of jeans and
leisurewear, a diesel engine manufacturer, an offshore oil and gas company, a
company that provided financial information of companies in the construction
sector and so on.
Some examples of systems we have developed and clients we
have assisted over the years:
The Challenge:
Our client runs a busy Service Training School. Students
need to attend courses, many from abroad, their pass levels need to be
maintained and refresher courses scheduled. In addition, classroom
equipment and tutors need to be scheduled.
Our Solution:
A complete course booking system, which manages the
courses and their associated charges (both UK and foreign). The system
also records hotel bookings, airport pickups and collection from hotels
to the classrooms. Course attainment is recorded, certificates printed,
even special dietary needs are relayed to the catering staff. This
system has been in operation - in various modified forms - for nearly 15
years.
The Challenge:
Our client is a major manufacturer of diesel engines,
exported world-wide. Engines are sold to distributors who in turn sell
on to dealers and in their turn sell on to the end user. With so many
dealers and distributors, keeping track of engine locations is has been
difficult to say the least. In addition, each distributor/dealer has
kept their own version - paper records, Excel spreadsheets and so on.
Our Solution:
An engine population management system which is installed
at dealers, distributors and central locations. Engine locations are
tracked over the various countries. In addition, servicing schedules
are produced for each engine type, along with critical parts lists and
'shopping lists' for just-in-time supply of servicing parts and
consumables. These population lists can further be used by the
company's marketing groups to target sales in the future and provide
projected revenue and sales reports, providing a very powerful tool.
This system is currently running in approximately 10 countries.
The Challenge:
Our client expressed a need to record the speed of
response to a customer at workshop level. Customer response can only be
improved if it's first recorded. Again, this is a diesel engine
manufacturer.
Our Solution:
To improve on response times it's necessary to record the
date and time of first customer contact, repair option quote time,
technician despatch time and repair complete time. Various other
details of customer service are collected too so measuring and improving
upon the whole customer response at a workshop. In addition, a complete
workshop scheduling system was provided to schedule repairs through a
workshop. ensuring the correct equipment is available and also the
correctly-trained technician works on the repair. Some 600+ copies of
this program are installed worldwide, ranging from China to America to
the UK and 'all points in between'.
The Challenge:
Our client is an expanding and successful metal
fabrication company. The brief was initially that an order to invoice
system was to be provided.
Our Solution:
This system was first installed some 20 years ago,
running under Lotus 1-2-3. It has evolved several times through Basic,
Paradox and now runs under Access. The original brief has been met
throughout but the system now encompasses purchasing, sales,
engineering, production methods, BOM, MRP, EDI, quotations, bar coding,
stock control, goods receiving, invoicing, purchase orders, subcontract, capacity planning, offsite
warehousing and manufacture, personnel, quality, capacity planning and
so on. It supports over 40 users and runs on a Windows 2003 network
locally and under Citrix for remote sites. We also manage and
maintain their whole network and IT infrastructure.
The Challenge:
Our client, a company specialising in vehicle bookings, had a
system developed for them some time ago. However, it did not meet their
expectations and required considerable re-vamping. The decision was made
to cut their losses, scrap the system and rewrite. We were contacted to
assist.
Our Solution:
We persuaded the client that a more cost-effective solution
would be to fix what they had and, utilising the code written so far, we have
streamlined, removed errors and generally improved the running of the system,
saving many thousands of pounds.
The Challenge:
Our client, an international producer of generator sets,
wanted to record the prices of competitors world-wide. This can really
only be gleaned from local knowledge but must be reported centrally.
Our Solution:
We developed a web-based SQL database for the client that
allows users to input competitive parts information from many different
countries. That information can be viewed on-line or downloaded for
offline analysis and reporting.
The Challenge:
Our client, a metal fabrication company, needs to track jobs
through busy manufacturing shops. Jobs need to be tracked by job number,
operation, personnel ID and plant ID, as well as details of when a job was
started, when it was finished and how many parts were produced.
Our Solution:
We have installed some 6 Motorola Symbol Windows CE-based bar
code readers. Jobs are scanned at start and end and payroll and plant bar
codes are used to track when a job started, who did it, where it was done and
how many parts were produced. This is contributing to WIP costing, the
removal of time sheets, capacity planning and also providing customers with
accurate tracking and delivery information.
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