Example Case Study

Widget Management System

"IntraWeb allowed us to develop the Widget Management System and deploy it in record time. Prior to using IntraWeb, the Widget Management System had not been attempted because our development team felt that we could not undertake such a project with existing web tools and complete it in reasonable time. IntraWeb is has made our developers heroes in the eyes of the executive team."

Joe Smith, Senior IT Manager, WidgetWorks International

WidgetWorks International

WidgetWorks International is the leading supplier of widgets in North America, South America and Europe. WidgetWorks International specializes in custom order widgets. WidgetWorks International employs 10,000 employees world wide and had revenues approaching 10 million US dollars in 2001.

Situation

WidgetWorks International needed a way to consolidate its separate sales systems and integrate them with the production lines. It also needed to make it a live system and make it available to its worldwide sales forces as well as its offices which are located throughout the globe. The system needed to handle a large amount of users and be readily available via any Internet connection including 14.4 modem lines. The system also needed to be secure and easily deployed. The system also needed to interact with limited functionality with customers as well.

Solution

IntraWeb allowed WidgetWorks International to create a solution and deploy it securely using the Internet and SSL encryption. Because the system is entirely browser based it was easily deployed and worked well in both low bandwidth and high bandwidth situations. The system can be easily upgraded by simply upgrading the server software with no installation changes to any client machines. Certain modules of the system can also be accessed by customers to perform inquires, place orders and check status.

Implementation

The Widget Management System consists of over 400 screens and now ties in the complete process from pre-sales to shipping. During the pre-sales phase the sales force can check credit history of the customer and availability of desired products or necessary production time. The sales force can then proceed to place an order and optionally schedule production time. From there the order is transferred to accounting, billing, and directly to the production system where factory workers interact with the order via wireless tablets and update the orders as they proceed through production. After production is complete the system integrates with the shipping department and notifies the customer of a pending shipment. The customer can use their web browsers to check the production status, shipment status, track shipments (via integration with FedEx, UPS, and DHL's web interfaces) and even pay invoices.

Impact

The Widget Management System has saved WidgetWorks International and estimated 1 million dollars (10% of revenue) in the first year alone in telecommunications, efficiency increases, travel, and employee time. Revenues also increased by 15% six months after the system was deployed and this is attributed to increased efficiency and better customer service provided by the Widget Management System.

Technology

Tools: IntraWeb 5.1, Borland Delphi 7 Enterprise, Borland Interbase Server, Windows 2000 Server
Other Tools Evaluated: CGI, Perl, ASP.net, JSP, Java
Number of Users: 5,000
Number of Developers: 2
Time to Develop: 2 months

Screenshots

Screenshots are optional, but greatly appreciated.

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