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Lantec UK Ltd employs over 300 engineers across the country to perform
IT-related installation and maintenance tasks. Managing these engineers
involved the exchange of instructions and data via phone calls, faxes, and
paper job sheets and expense forms. This provided a major workload for a team
of administrators and schedulers interacting with both the engineers and the
clients.
Initially a system was defined that would allow engineers to be scheduled, and
to record details of jobs, timesheets, and expenses. To this was added complex
pay and billing calculations. The system needed to be accessible not only
within the office environment, but also remotely by engineers, their managers
and clients. Later on warehouse management and logistics support were added. A
PDA interface is also included to allow engineers to close jobs, manage
inventory, and complete timesheet absence, and expense data entry.
Business Net Solutions Ltd was invited to implement an application to fulfil
these needs. Starting with our existing suite of CRM and scheduling software we
customised a solution that met the above business objectives.
The application has been written using the latest Dot Net technology from
Microsoft and is accessed from any computer having Internet access. It is
currently deployed on two Windows 2003 Servers running Microsoft SQL Server
2000. The primary web server supports the transaction database, and the
secondary server supports reporting services and also acts as a hot-backup in
the event of a failure in the primary server.
Reporting services are provided both web based, via active Excel workbooks, and
via HTML emails delivering Key Performance Indicators and management reports
daily to key members of the management team.
Customised data exchange routines have been produced to provide a bi-directional
interface with client computer systems (NCR) and courier services (Business
Direct).
As the company has grown the system has similarly expanded and evolved into a
full Enterprise Resource Management solution, with Help Desk, Workshop, and
Order Management facilities. Additional web interfaces have been provided for
couriers, staffing agencies, manufacturers and clients to interact with the
system, together with SOAP and XML links to remote computer systems.
Staff access the system using a web interface that adjusts to provide only those
functions that each person needs to perform their job. The application is
therefore a simple to use, central repository of business functionality and
information.
Management have functions that allow them to view and authorise business
activity, together with support for exception management and alerts. In
addition we are able to modify and enhance the system rapidly to respond to new
client challenges.
Customer reaction has been favourable, in that more detailed, accurate, and
timely work reports are now available. In particular the total inventory and
defect tracking approach has allowed Lantec to win considerable new business.
Delivering the application via a web browser and Excel reports allows deployment
of the application with no setup or installation costs other than gaining
reliable Internet access. The application can be enhanced and if necessary
patched during live operation.
Software systems such as this need to be powerful, reliable, and flexible to
allow a business to change and grow. Administration tasks need to be simple and
accurate. Management need a wide variety of information and control functions.
Business Net Solutions Ltd continues to provide the software and support for
Lantec UK Ltd that is allowing Lantec to become a leading provider of IT
services in the UK.
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