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DataMagic Technical Column Vol.18

(Special Edition) HULFT-WebFiletransfer + DataMagic Integration Case Study

Introduction

This time, we will introduce a real case study that utilizes the tips from DataMagic technical columns we have introduced so far. This is a case study of a manufacturing company that implemented a combination of DataMagic and related HULFT products, resulting in significant improvements in operational efficiency in data integration.

background

In the manufacturing industry, streamlining procurement operations is a crucial theme in order to optimize quality, costs, and delivery times. Flexibility and stability of data integration are essential elements for the order placement and receipt systems involved in procurement operations. Manufacturer A had been outsourcing the construction and operation of its ordering system. However, as issues with outsourcing became apparent, the company decided to rebuild its ordering system so that it could be constructed and operated in-house.

Issues with the existing system

As mentioned above, manufacturing company A had previously outsourced its ordering system. While outsourcing allows resources previously allocated to operations to be focused on core business, it also has the disadvantage of leaving the system configuration and operation methods as a black box. This has led to problems such as increased development costs when outsourcing every time a supplier is added or product master data is changed or added. Furthermore, when an error occurred, the outsourcing company was left to investigate the location and cause of the error and take recovery measures, which often resulted in long recovery times.

When building the new system, the existing issues were identified and the following three points were identified.

Issue 1: High operational costs The monthly outsourcing fees are high, and additional costs are incurred every time specifications are changed, resulting in high operational costs. Issue 2: Time to recover when an error occurs It takes time to identify the location of the error and to investigate the cause, which causes disruptions to business. Issue 3: Starting transactions with suppliers When adding a new supplier, it takes time to prepare the supplier master, product master, and order data, which delays the launch of service.

New System Requirements

Manufacturer A needed a system that could eliminate the issues with their existing system and be easily built and operated. Since their suppliers vary in size and not all of their personnel are IT savvy, they decided to consider an easy-to-use WEB-EDI system rather than a high-function EDI system. The development policy for the new system was broadly based on the following three points:

Development policy for the new ordering system

  • A simple system that utilizes a package and has low maintenance costs
  • A system that allows your company to easily identify the cause of an error when it occurs
  • A system that allows you to quickly and flexibly respond in-house when adding suppliers or changing master data

Solution using "HULFT" & "DataMagic" & "HULFT-WebFiletransfer"

Because HULFT had already been introduced in mission-critical system, core system, HULFT was also adopted for data integration between mission-critical system, core system and the new ordering system. Order data output in bulk from mission-critical system, core system was transferred to the new system by HULFT, and then processed into purchase order data for each supplier using DataMagic. In addition, with consideration given to ease of use for supplier personnel, a system was considered for downloading purchase orders via the web, and HULFT-WebFiletransfer was adopted for the interface with suppliers as a web transfer tool that allows files to be easily downloaded using a browser and can also be encrypted for security reasons.

1. The order data for the day is output in bulk from mission-critical system, core system, and then transferred to the new order system using "HULFT." 2. "DataMagic" processes the data by entering order data items and converting tax-inclusive/tax-exclusive prices, then forms order data for each supplier. 3. "HULFT-WebFiletransfer" uploads the order data. Once the upload is complete, an order completion email is sent to each supplier. 4. Each supplier downloads the order data from their browser.

summary

By combining HULFT, HULFT-WebFiletransfer, and DataMagic, the company was able to reduce construction and operation costs, easily operate its own company, and build a WEB-EDI system that can flexibly respond to supplier requests.

Point 1. Reduction of operational costs By operating in-house, the monthly and annual development costs of outsourcing can be reduced by 30%. Point 2. Reduction of recovery time when an error occurs The software's history management function makes it easy to detect errors and identify their causes, thereby reducing recovery time. Point 3. Early service launch with suppliers Since suppliers only need to use a browser, transactions can be started via the web immediately when a supplier is added, and adding or changing master data or creating order data can be quickly handled by simply adding or changing the software settings.

lastly

This time, we introduced a case study of DataMagic implementation.
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