In the first article we mentioned the main characteristics that should have a software to be used as a Front-End with some functions of an Enterprise Resources Planning ERP:
- ODBC,
- Replication,
- Computed Views,
- Integrated e-Mail,
and we used the Lotus Notes example, but in principle will be possible to use other softwares with similar functions.
Now we will see a practical case, a system to detect and control - marketing, sales, new purchase orders - your aground products. As we know, the salesman prefer to sold new products only, and your aground products will be less and less sold.
We assume that your company already have an online managerial/accounting system, with evidently its own database.
1. We will use a method to transfer your managerial/accounting data to the Notes relational database, and although this last one has tools for that - ODBC for example - we recommended the purchase of a specific software for that purpose in order to be more flexible and with more powerful features, that must allow the following transfers:
- From Notes to your relational database
- From your relational database to Notes
- From a Notes database to another Notes database
- From ASCII files to Notes database
- From Notes database to ASCII files
- Synchronization of both databases
- Scheduled type transfers - in a defined time, or hour or minute or day, etc.
Normally this kind of software works with the following databases - and this probably include the database type used by your company:
ALLBASE/SQL, Btrieve, Clipper, DB2, dBASE, Excel, Gupta SQLBase, IMAGE/SQL, INFORMIX, INGRES, InterBase, Microsoft SQL Server, Microsoft Access, Microsoft FoxPro, Netware SQL, Oracle, Paradox, Progress 6, SQL/400, SQL/DS, Sybase, Teradata, Files text, XDB, and also the databases types ODBC, client/server and desktop, etc.
2. We will decide what fields from your managerial/accounting system - here so called of dbCompany - you need in your new ERP. We can, for example
- To establish the relationship of one-to-one, field x in Notes field y in the dBcompany,
- Or we need a non-existent information, what fields we have to bring from the dBcompany to compute - in Notes - in order to obtain the desired information. We are speaking about “information”, not of data.
3. We will decide if we need data transcriptions and/or data conditionally computed. A simple example would be the need - in Notes - to generate the resulting information x of the data y,k,z from the dBcompany.
4. Summarizing the above functions Second and Third - about each different product we need from your dBcompany:
- All the P.Os, products received, code, description, during the period t, with dates, quantities, costs, vendors, etc
- The whole sales, during the period t, with dates, quantities, sales prices, responsible salesman, etc.
5. We acquire - extract - those data, to be placed in specific Notes fields, and creating the Notes “Views”.
We will continue in the next article.
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About The Author
J.C.Melo is a 73-years old IT professional with 54 years of experience in computer & technology entrepreneurship. He was the owner of the first minicomputer factory in South America and Consultant for the U.S. Government in several contracts. Now is the CEO of http://mba-open-university.net and http://erp-enterprise-resources-planning-courses.us.
johnncmelo@yahoo.com
Tags: accounting, business, business software, consultants, CRM, erp, great plains, management, microsoft, systemaccounting, business, business software, consultants, CRM, erp, great plains, management, microsoft, systemShare This
accounting @ 25 Sep 2008 02:41 am by admin
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Continuing from the second article:
6. About the aground mathematical model, let us to see the product k:
- First quantity received in 10/6/98, quantity 1,000, unit cost US$ 34.00.
- Second in 12/11/98, quantity 1,300, unit cost US$ 23.00
- Third in 1/10/99, quantity 760, unit cost US$ 36.00
Therefore, if not been sold we would have 3,060 units in stock today. But you sold - in several opportunities - a total of 1,300 units, and our current total stock is of 1,760 units. We also have the data of those sales, besides its responsible salesman.
The question is: Because today is 1/11/99, about the product k what quantity should be consider as aground and therefore with a differentiated treatment in prices and sales conditions and also in marketing, in order to sell your balance in stock?
7. To establish the definitive aground formula that will be created - in Notes - and the new Views automatically computed, for example
- View 1 - column - reduced sales price, if sold in the next 15 days
- View 2 - column - same, for next month.
Remember that those information are practically online, and they can be visualized in every terminal of the company at local or regional or national or international levels.
8. We established a periodicity for the automatic communication of those information - without the human interference - to salesman and similar, through the Notes integrated e-mail system. Let us say that every 15 days Notes will send automatically the new - computed - sales prices.
9. We established the automatic data acquisition of the salesman’ results, with Notes automatically analyzing each salesman’s daily sales and how much as he sold of the aground products, and then Notes send automatic e-mails specific for each salesman with reports and new rules, etc.
The databases synchronization
Naturally we need the databases synchronization among Notes and your dBcompany, because the data in your dBcompany are dynamic, that is to say, the data residing in both databases should be synchronized, or in a field-by-field or document-by-document bases.
For example:
- dBcompany a,b,c —> Notes a,b,c (begin)
- dBcompany a,c —> Notes a,b,c (the field b was deleted in the dBcompany)
- Result: dBcompany a,c = Notes a,c (end).
Final
For each project, we must analyze the current and future needs of your dBcompany in what refers any ERP functions, but always you must have in mind that Notes as a Front-End it’s programmable almost to the “infinite”. Saying in another way, we won’t be wandering when doing an ERP application with the Notes as your Front-End, because this approach is almost an open application system.
We suggested a Front-End with the Notes, for your managerial/accounting system. But the same suggestion applies to several other situations, as the following few examples:
- You have your online managerial/accounting system and also other online system for your Human Resources Department, and you need to integrate the employee’s different data from both systems. Probably your have some HR features in your managerial/accounting system, but your HR system it’s more powerful with more information and features, concerning your HR Dept.
- You have your online managerial/accounting system and also other process control real-time system(s), and you need to integrate this manufacturing data with your accounting or marketing or sales systems.
- You have five different online systems in your company - some online and some offline - for different purposes, and need to integrate information and/or data from the five systems in only one system - your ERP programmed Front-End.
Naturally this is only few examples, because any of your desired ERP functions depends only on your imagination, if using this programmed Front-End approach.
–
Publishing Guidelines: You may publish my article in your newsletter, on your website or in your print publication provided you include the resource box at the end. Notification would be appreciated but is not required.
About The Author
J.C.Melo is a 73-years old IT professional with 54 years of experience in computer & technology entrepreneurship. He was the owner of the first minicomputer factory in South America and Consultant for the U.S. Government in several contracts. Now is the CEO of http://mba-open-university.net and http://erp-enterprise-resources-planning-courses.us.
johnncmelo@yahoo.com
Tags: accounting, business, business software, consultants, CRM, erp, great plains, management, microsoft, systemaccounting, business, business software, consultants, CRM, erp, great plains, management, microsoft, systemShare This
accounting @ 18 Sep 2008 02:28 am by admin
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