E-Business Integration

The Cosyfeet case study looks at integration of business systems: Online sales, Computer Telephony Integration, Stock Control systems, Distribution and warehousing systems. Is your business e-business ready?

These resources will help you explore some of the solutions available:

Computer Telephony Integration

A good introduction to Computer Telephony Integration (CTI) - www.telecomsadvice.org.uk/infosheets/cti.htm

Cisco Systems White Paper offering tips for a successful migration to IP telephony. A successful conversion to IP telephony does not rest solely on technology. It requires the right combination of products, people, processes, tools, services, best practices, and methodologies. Here is a document that lays out the ten top tips and a migration questionnaire to help you successfully project manage an enterprise-wide IP telephony implementation:

www.cisco.com/en/US/about/ac123/ac114/ac173/Q2-04/features_migrate_to_iptelephony.html

VOIP primer: How it works and what the jargon means:
www.silicon.com/research/specialreports/voip/0,3800004463,39127759,00.htm

Information on software systems that help companies move towards a paperless office.

Columbus www.oasys-software.com/product/dm/columbus/
Columbus is a combined navigator and viewer that allows a company to organise data the way they perceive it. Columbus includes viewing technology from Stellent and Rasterex. Both are encapsulated into a single viewing window, which will automatically choose the best viewer for the selected file. Over 300 file formats include Microsoft Office, AutoCAD, Microstation, Zip etc.
Hummingbird Enterprise 2004
www.hummingbird.com/products/enterprise/index.html?cks=y

A content management platform that enables organisations to build content management solutions. It offers the following capabilities:

Content/Document Management
E-mail Management
Records Management
Knowledge Management
Enterprise Workflow
Collaboration
Instant Messaging
Mobility
Query & Reporting
Data Integration
Portal Framework

Version One www.versionone.co.uk
Version One offer DbArchive - an enterprise-wide document imaging and management system that is tightly integrated into all the major Accounting and ERP systems.

Invu Series 200
www.e-file-uk.com/documentmanagementsoftware/invus200.htm
The Invu Series 200 is an information and document management system for a multi-user and networked environment. Designed to bring sophisticated document management facilities to the small and medium sized enterprise, the Invu Series is a management program that sits above the operating system and application programs. The Invu Series provides a uniform environment for the creation, filing and retrieval of all forms of information and documents. It is compatible with client/server networks using Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 2000 and Windows NT4 and any application program running under these operation systems.

ScanFile 2000
www.cull.co.uk/frames.asp?frame=paperlesssolutions.asp
ScanFile 2000 is a complete departmental network imaging solution, a modular system on an industry standard network platform. Documents can be quickly and easily retrieved using keywords, manipulated in size, pasted to another application and even pasted back to paper if required.

Points to consider when choosing Document Management or File Management systems for your business

There are many vendors offering Document Management or File Management systems and the one you choose will obviously depend upon your specific requirements, the nature of your IT infrastructure, and how much money you are willing to invest, since it's difficult to identify explicit cost savings or ROI (return on investment) with this type of IT spend.

If we refer to Document Management and File Management systems as DMS and information as 'data', then typically, a DMS will address some basic issues:

1. knowing where data is held (indexing)
2. allowing access to that data from a number of geographic locations
3. subjecting that data to version control
4. being able to search for data via a sophisticated search engine (knowledge management)
5. allowing data to be shared (collaboration).
Additionally, the data must be held in such a way that it is (1) secure (2) maintains integrity - easy to backup & retrieve.

How do you currently store data? Is it on individual PC's, a central file server, or a combination of both? Do you have access control and security? Do you have a back up and retrieval strategy (disaster recovery)? Because a lot of the file management/document management can be done without buying any additional software or hardware, but organising what you have to best effect.

After that, there are a number of vendors to choose from who will supply software for any additional requirements your clients may have. They range from 'top end' Lotus and Oracle (the latter recommends using central file servers), to companies like Arup who have a free software package called Columbus.
Columbus http://www.oasys-software.com/product/dm/columbus/
Oracle http://www.oracle.com/index.html
Lotus http://www.lotus.com/lotus/offering4.nsf/wdocs/domdochome
Stock Management Software Solutions
This is not a complete list of options available and should be used as a guide only.
BT e-Business Manager - Stock Manager
http://www.btebusinessmanager.com/products_detail.asp?productID=9

This online service offers to streamline the ordering process and ensure essential materials don't run out by keeping an up-to-date record of current inventory levels. This application warns a user when inventory levels are low and can be configured to automatically re-order stock items. All calculations are automatic; the need for re-keying is eliminated.
Locator Expert
http://www.synergy-logistics.co.uk/product.htm
Locator Expert's functionality is broken down into discrete modules which cover all the activities in the warehouse; System Control - Receiving - Warehouse Resource Supervision - Stock Control - Order Management - Picking - Despatch - Production Receipt - Raw Material Request - Third Party Management - Yard Management.
SMARTStox
http://www.smartrack.co.uk/index_all.html
SMARTStox is a flexible comprehensive stock control and inventory system, which allows management of stock from purchase and delivery following through issue and usage allowing control of stock level and re-ordering. Fully featured Windows application.
FulfullmentSCE Warehouse Management
http://www.fwltech.com/fwl.html
This system contains three core modules:Warehouse Control; Stock Control; Sales Order Management.
PCF!Stock
http://www.pcf.co.uk/barcode/stockcontrolsoftware.htm
PCF!Stock enables automated stock control and product tracking using a bar code system for Windows XP/2000/NT/98 using a Microsoft Access database engine. It records transactions and integrates data from a Portable Data Terminal which is then used to collect all the data and then transmit it to the PC. The software then manipulates the data and updates the database. The PC software includes the production of barcode labels where these are not already on the product.

Inventory Control
http://www.idlsystems.co.uk/accpacsoftware/products/advantage/stock_control_software_uk.html

ACCPAC software that manages stock levels and processes inventory receipts, shipments, returns and adjustments. It provides extensive screen inquiry and reporting functions to give you the detailed, current information about quantities, prices, item movements and sales history that is crucial for effective inventory management-regardless of the size of your business.
OrderWise
http://www.orderwise.co.uk/
OrderWise is designed to work as a company's front end order processing and stock control. Software includes: product features, customer features, supplier features, pricing & discount features, sales features, purchasing features.

Exact Abacus - 3EX
http://www.exact3ex.co.uk/
3EX offers two separate software packages, one for stock control and once for warehouse management. The multi-location stock control system holds no limits to the number of stores and bins held on the system. Stock selection can be from any store, with automatic documentation for transfers or direct despatches.
For more serious stock applications, 3EX offers warehouse management - intelligent least-walk picking, ensuring that the greatest number of orders reach the packing benches in the shortest possible time, as well as optimising the work of the pickers.
For further information on e-business systems, visit www.businesslink.gov.uk

www.sfmdirect.co.uk