Web and Workflow

Web and Workflow is the integration of web applications and backend processing workflow applications that provide for business relationships and transactions to be maintained on an open platform such as an Internet Web Site.

The primary objective of a web and workflow system is to integrate the communication, documentation and resources involved in a business transaction into a congruent picture that provides access to all parties involved in a given enterprise with scopes that are appropriate to their position with that organization.

This involves, transaction documentation images that support line transaction items, data consumption requirements of customers, business partners and relevant internal resources and bookend requirements for management and executives that montitor the overall process.

From a systems perspective, this involves, Web Interfaces, Workflow Applications, Maintenance Applications and Analysis Interfaces.

Standard Applications in the Web and Workflow platform include those applications that are expected to be found in any working development and service oriented system in support of resource and work management, logistics, sales, materials purchasing and supply, inventory management and financial operations of any enterprise.

Web and Workflow Platform standard applications include a Sales, Purchasing, Inventory Management, Materials Management and Resource Management Interfaces.

Representing navigation, selection and information tools within the systems repository for use in document production and information maintenance.

Materials Explorer

The Materials Explorer allows the user to access the material information for the purposes of completing day to day processing and analysis activities. The Materials Explorer allows each user to custom configure the columns presented in the display and the sort order of that data. The data itself can be viewed at the global Client level, Line of Business level, store level and store organization and group level. The data may be filtered in any number of ways by selecting criteria or by using an integrated mechandise class navigator by selecting branches from the material hierarchy or the strategic business unit (SBU) navigator trees. This allows for the material catalog in the system to be viewed from multiple perspectives.

Material information elements such as quantity on hand, on sales order, on purchase order, in transit and all other quantitative information are combined here for creation of financial, valuative and standard views of the material repository. Information can be copied and pasted to other applications for offline data activities and reporting allowing a multitude of possibilities.

Functions can be performed on single material elements or grouped elements, with the ability to store items in system groups and user specific groups. Functions include such things as, mark-up and mark-down, output of labels, mass information changes and the like. Similarity searches are performed so that many items are returned based upon user entry, allowing for users to find what they are looking for immediately. The Finder also allows for Image++ searches by displaying the default image in each row, so that the material can be visually browsed. Item maintenance, inventory, transaction values, image++ and object launching are also provided moving with the selected material in an object oriented fashion without having to do anything but select the focus.

The Materials Explorer takes on the needed role in Purchase Orders, Sales Orders, Retail Transactions, Transfer Orders, Material Maintenance, Inventory Browsing as the user moves in and out of those applications areas, always available. All setting related to the Finder are maintained within the user’s own personal registry environment and the systems database remaining intact irrespective of time or locations, also allowing multiple people to utilize common equipment.

Material Catalog

The Material Catalog is a tool that saves time in the creation of order documents and allows the material to be navigated with many perspectives. Entries take place by indicating quantities beside the item in question and the items are presented in a predefined sequence using the material hierarchy and additional sorting options. When combined with the navigator windows for filtering and finding the first items within each section the user has the entire repository at their disposal.

In sales order, the catalog view makes itself customer oriented and presents all of the materials available for sale in a catalog format that is sorted in a user definable setting that would normally match a printed and distributed catalog or other predefined format. This allows for sales people and customers to move at the same pace and on the same page in order to satisfy the requirement. Customers often refer to their prior purchase so you will find their history available and be able to quickly enter a new order quantity.

All of the information found in the Materials Explorer can be found in the same fashion in the Catalog. With purchase orders you will find the Catalog to be vendor specific, with vendor history and purchasing centric information. In Transfer Order you will find it to be source and destination oriented with transfer history available.

Smart Window

The Smart Window supplements the line by line entry screens of the system transactions by providing the Material Explorer and Catalog informational views in nailed up or dynamic fashion providing information while in a document centric display such as sales or purchase order.

Order entry with the power of an enhanced catalog sales tool, Image++, Materials Explorer and Smart Window, bound with a Customer Explorer and Document Explorer.

Customer Explorer

The Customer Explorer permits the user to quickly find the customer they need and access all the information in a heartbeat. The Explorer provides general customer information, sales history with a definable start date, special materials pricing for the customer, notes and alarm entries and an image++ chain much like the image++ chain found for the material.

Customers are permitted to have an unlimited number of ship to locations as well as a grouping qualifier in cases where there are numerous locations and the customer would like to work with you in location groups instead of discrete locations.

The Customer Explorer also permits the user to query customers based upon their sales activity, location etc, and then export the contents of their result set to the clipboard and into any application they choose. A great way to create mail merge documents and labels. Support is also provided for Employee and Sales Associate Definition within the same control area, since these parties are also capable of being customers.

Document Explorer

The Document Explorer allows the user to quickly view all outstanding sales orders and credit orders and allows the user to perform actions on those documents in keeping with their status. The user can also view Invoices and Credit Notes that have been produced from those source documents.

The Document Explorer allows a user to get a top down view of the sales activities in process, sales history and current order status, and then get into the areas they need to. The information in the results window can be copied and pasted into the user’s local applications with a simple click.

Sales Orders

Created with a simple click from the customer area or from the application tool bar, sales order creation commences. The document is created and allows the user to create a sales order or credit order under the CLIENT/LINE/STORE they are working within for their customer. The Sales Order Document is comprised of a document header section, detail section, additional costs section, totals section and customer section. The customer section is repeated to allow access to the customer information from within the order entry document. The detail section provides the control of the item contents of the order and the additional costs area manages shipping and miscellaneous charges.

Multiple Destinations

Sales Order can be single destination oriented with separate billing and ship to locations or they can be configured using the sales distribution tool for multiple destinations. Multi-Destination sales orders allow for quantities to be keyed for customer locations in a spreadsheet like fashion with destinations in columns and materials quantities in rows. A powerful tool for dealing with customers that have many locations such as retail oriented customers or large corporate customers. Billing rules are also available that permit you to create an overall invoice or bill each location distinctly.

Ship Complete and Back Orders

Sales Orders also have special processing rules that establish ship complete or back order capabilities and then what should be done when back orders are created. Allowing for the sales person to get what they want out of the Operational Centers. Back Orders can create new orders or simply loop through the operational center until they can be filled or canceled, with the salesperson being notified of each occurrence.

Order Templates and Quotation Documents

The Sales Order can be produced in a Sales Quotation Document and saved as a sales order. Sales Orders are not active in the system until they are released and once released become actual sales orders applying quantities on sales order to the inventory. Sales Orders can be copied to a new order document for the creation of Order Templates and Standing Orders. These saved orders are capable of being applied to different customers than they were saved under.

Forms

All forms and reports in the system were created with Crystal Reports/Business Objects and are thus modifiable by nature. Crystal allows for a WYSIWYG environment for forms design. Stored logos and graphics for use in standard business document presentation are also provided for use of standard forms that are provided with the system.

Operational Interface

Orders once released follow predefined paths within the system as designed by the business model applied to the sales department and line of business definitions. Orders that are destined to an operation center for picking travel to the destination as immediately as the network connection that is defined between them, if located in the same site that would be immediately.

Purchase Order and Transfer Order entry with the power of an enhanced catalog sales tool, Image++, Materials Explorer and Smart Window, bound with a Vendor and Destination Explorer and Document Explorer.

Vendor Explorer

The Vendor Explorer permits the buyer to quickly find the vendor they need and access all the information associated with that vendor.. The Explorer provides general vendor information, purchase history with a definable start date, notes and alarm entries and an image++ chain much like the image++ chain found for the material.

Document Explorer

The Document Explorer allows the user to quickly view all outstanding purchase and transfer orders and allows the user to perform actions on those documents in keeping with their status. The user can also view Receipts and Returns that have been produced from those source documents.

The Document Explorer allows a user to get a top down view of the purchasing and supply chain activities in process, receipt history and current order status, and then get into the areas they need to. The information in the results window can be copied and pasted into the user’s local applications with a simple click.

Purchase and Transfer Orders

Purchase Orders Documents define the supply details associated with the purchase of materials from vendors. The replenishment model jobs create purchase order documents when the model is defined with a vendor source.

Created with a simple click from the vendor control or from the application tool bar, order creation commences. The document is created.

Transfer Order Documents are created in the same fashion with the source being an existing inventory bearing entity within the enterprise. The replenishment model jobs create transfer orders when they are defined with an inventory bearing enterprise entity source.

The information provided is a header section, details where broken out by three levels, case, case pack and consumer unit orientation, additional cost section and totals section.

Currency Management

Once the document is created the currency of the vendor or the source of the transfer order dominates and the materials is valued in that currency. The system resolves all currency conversions during the receiving process. This allows for faster document preparation and a more streamlined process

Importation of Goods

The purchase/transfer document allows additional costs to be bound to the vendor of the goods or to a different vendor that may or may not use a different currency in order to allow for the Importation of goods and the payment of taxes, duties and customs brokerage charges. The system also permits these charges to be bound to the inventory valuation using a smoothing formula based upon the material quantity and value.

Transfer Orders can also incorporate additional costs associated with moving the material.

Multiple Destinations

The system provides for a distribution tool that allows the user to create purchase orders and transfer orders for multiple destinations under one order document. This is also known as distribution in some circles. The Supply Chain definition controls the logistical concerns related to creating orders that are distributed via your own operational center or alternatively the vendor may be told to direct ship the goods to the destination.

Order Templates

Orders are not active in the system until they are released and once released become actual purchase and transfer orders applying quantities on purchase order to the inventory of the destinations in question. Orders can be copied to a new order document for the creation of Order Templates and Standing Orders.

Forms

All forms and reports in the system were created with Crystal Reports/Business Objects and are thus modifiable by nature. Crystal allows for a WYSIWYG environment for forms design. The system also stores a corporate logo within the top level business definition for use in standard business documents and can be removed should your firm have preprinted standard documents.

Receiving Process

The receiving process depends a great deal on the supply chain definition and logistics system definition. Logistics facilities can be predefined as distribution oriented, storage oriented, case and case pack oriented and in cases where the operational center does not play a role in the receipt of material the receiving destination controls the receiving process.

This permits stores to not only receive goods that it must receive but also to confirm the receipt of goods that the operational centers have distributed to them creating a full circle environment instead of one that is based upon assumptions in the logistics area.

The receiving functions are either financially driven or driven by the verification process for later financial verification.

Workfoce and Workflow

This desktop application provides all functionality found in the web interface application for the day to day management of the workforce resources and work tasks associated with the projects and sites of the enterprise. The workload is provided in information list view as well as a chronological presentation in order to show present, past and upcoming workload events.

CASE

The interface supports the constant upkeep of work cases and resource and material work in process activities in real time concert with the web interface so that the two work together to provide accurate information from the office or the work sites.

BILLING OPERATIONS

the desktop interface provides for a billing interface for manually triggered billing activities for the entire customer/client base or group or individual client/customer and automatically generated billing document images with supportive case reporting in a paper free environment for e-mail, XML or other automated digital communications.