Interfloor Data Visibility Strategy and Solutions

1
Interfloor Data Visibility Strategy and Solutions

• Anne-Marie Morrissey, Group IT Manager

2
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

3
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

4
Data Visibility Strategy - To-Date at Interfloor

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

5
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......................

6
Interfloor Transport Planning

• Gregg Cole, Business Support Manager

7
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.

8
The Process

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

9
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!

RouteOne gives users the ability to run Order
Bank extracts on an Adhoc basis
Now called directly from Display Customer Orders
(OIS300) without modification to Movex
10
The Interfloor Order Status Review - Demonstration
11
The Interfloor Order Status Review
12
Select a Sales Order
13
Show Header Detail
14
Planned Deliveries
15
Delivery Authorisation - Accepted
16
Delivery Authorisation - Accepted
17
Delivery Lines
18
Drop Summary
19
Interface Details
20
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-iRoutes intuitive and simple concept
facilitated a seamless handover to the business.
Moreover, ShowMes 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.
21
(No Transcript)
22
Uti400 Overview

• Gary Pattinson, Business Development Manager
  (Uti400)

23
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.

24
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-Maries
  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.

25
Uti400 Customers and Quotes
Its 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.
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
Ive saved ten times the cost of this product in
the last few months alone Graham Entwistle, IT
Manager, Simon Jersey Ltd.

• Transport - TDG, and Exel Logistics
• Manufacturing - Unilever Chloride and
  Toshiba.
• Apparel - Simon Jersey Lee Cooper.
• Sport - Liverpool FC.
• Publishing - Harper Collins Barnes Noble(US).

26
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!

27
Uti400 and finally.. Thank You
www.interfloor.com
www.uti400.com