IDII Software Newsletter
 To assist the professional dealing with software in Warehousing Distribution, Logistics, and the Supply Chain.
January 2nd 2002 - Vol 3 No 1
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Techniques, Vision, & Educational Thoughts

Designing Software for Ongoing Changes & Maximum Flexibility

Software designers fail to plan for ongoing software changes & upgrades done for each customer. Many software vendors, such as EXE Technologies with hundreds of customers, have libraries of custom "mods" (modifications). The normal procedure for the software industry is to treat "custom modifications" as an "intrusion" to their product. This "intrusion" mindset is wrong and needs to be transformed to an "opportunity" to succeed & make the customer ecstatic!

Once an application in installed it is considered to be "fixed in place", but really needs to be flexible to adapt. TEC writes, "Most software packages are relatively inflexible once installed. Software vendors need to do a better job of architecting products that allow the implementation of the product to evolve with time. Since it is very difficult to change the way the product is implemented, it does not get changed. How a product can evolve is rarely a consideration in the selection of a new system but it is a major consideration in the long-term value of the system." (TEC - Application Erosion: More Causes and Cures - Dec 29, 2001)

Attempts At Making It Better

Re-Entry Points. Software architects added entry points, where their programmers, the customer's IT staff, or an ISV could add new logic. Literally hundreds of entry points would be added to the application software. These entry points would be added at "business events", such as Shipment Confirmation for an order, Picking Shortage, Order Line Item Entry Completed, and so forth. For example, when an outbound order shipment was confirmed (shipped), the code in the Shipment Confirmation Entry Point would be executed and performed. The regular logic of the software application would also be done, but the customer was able to have "customized" logic.

Challenges to Re-Entry Points: The software vendors had to (1) manually document all the Re-Entry Points and (2) continually add additional ones per customers' requests. Limitations: Custom code was just that - custom! It still had to be coded by a programmer and tested, tested, and tested! Re-entry points were limited, as one could "add" logic - but not "drop" or "change" logic in the software application (via re-entry points). As vendors try to avoid providing source code to customers - this is a two-edged sword approach - one must "Wait & Pay" the software vendor to make a "deletion" or "modification" to source code. In addition, when upgrading the software application, custom re-entry point code must be re-installed, modified (if needed), and tested.

Database Triggers. Years ago, all major database vendors added database triggers and software vendors leveraged this new capability. Triggers consist of (1) table triggers for Add, Update, Delete, & Read and (2) row triggers (Add, Update, Delete, & Read). For example, when an Outbound Order Line Item was just added, the database would automatically fire the Add Outbound-Order-Line trigger. The trigger was code that the vendor provided to complete the addition of a new line item.

SOME vendors added a Re-Entry Point to each table triggers (Add, Update, Delete, Read) for custom code additions. This resulted in the same Challenges to Re-Entry Points, but gave the customer base "relief" - but no cure. Programmers still had to code & test. Upgrades still required custom code re-install, modification (if needed), and testing again! Modification to drop or update existing business logic in the application, still required the two-edged sword - "Wait & Pay" from the software vendor.

Advanced SCEM & Workflow - A Better Way

What is Supply Chain Event Messaging (SCEM)? It's being notified of a business event which occurred and indicating either information about that event -or- information with choices of action to take. For example, a warehouse receipt is shorted on this critical part (Pint of A+ Blood). Automatically the event ("Receipt Shortage") triggers and the subscribers are messaged for this event, part, vendor, carrier, and buyer. Each subscriber may have a preferred messaged delivery method (e-mail, fax, pager, data file, XML, EDI..) and a preferred delivery format (e-mail in text, e-mail in HTML, data file in ASCII, data file in CSV). In a WMS, ERP, or TMS application, there are literally hundreds & hundreds of business events eligible to be a SCEM event.

Watch out! Supply Chain Event Messaging (SCEM) means different things to different software providers. A wise person will research the "level" of SCEM utilized and obtain a "full" list of SCEM events. That list of SCEM events will vary in quantity from vendor to vendor. The first level is basic notifications (one-way) of a business event to subscribers involved. Level two is basic notifications (one-way) with ability to build statistics & historical data based on these business events. In this manner KPI's and Non-Compliance Reporting can be done for customer, carrier, and employee reviews.

Level three is the Advanced SCEM & Workflow, which a few software vendors are now coding & deploying. This advanced level three is workflow that interactively lets a business analyst graphically flowchart how exceptions & business events should be executed. On a pick shortage example, the business analyst could design an HTML page that would be provided to the responsible subscriber giving them a choice to (1) Re-Order Pint of A+ Blood with EXPEDITED Delivery, (2) Cancel the BackOrder, (3) Keep on Back Order (Regular Delivery). All of this would be done without custom coding and this "workflow" environment was provided to the customer as part of the application & environment. This workflow environment can help tremendously in both the installation and going flexibility needed as the end-user's company grows & changes business strategies.

Attitude On How To Treat Custom Modifications

Why not keep the flame, the fire, of wanting to hear the customer praise you year after year for doing a fantastic job - especially in meeting their "custom" needs? In our opinion, all software companies grow up in a manner that loses the thrill & excitement of meeting the customers needs! The praise of customers saying you have done a great job is precious and does NOT have to be lost while the number of customers grow & grow!

What it does take is "thinking-planning-plotting" on how to be successful in this "critical" custom modification arena! A software vendor must ask themselves:
  • How can I make the customer extremely happy this month?
  • How can I make custom modifications 'painless' in time, development, & upgrades?
It really comes down to motives driving the company. IDII advises software providers & software designers to select a permanent positive "I want their praise" attitude, which impacts both product development itinerary & longevity of the company!

Author: Philip Obal - Click Here - This article is available as a separate white paper.

Philip Obal is President of Industrial Data & Information Inc. (IDII), a research consulting company providing consulting on supply chain software, software directory, RFP's, and research reports.

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Software Company News
  • CAPS Logistics, Inc. (TMS, Optimization, div of Invensys plc, 1979) announce Collaborative Dispatch. New Functionality Facilitates Collaborative Routing and Scheduling Across Multiple Dispatching Environments. Collaborative Dispatch enables a multi-user, vehicle routing and scheduling environment, providing visibility between dispatchers and allowing plans to be optimized across geographic boundaries. It provides real-time plan tracking and status notification allowing for immediate and responsive actions in a multi-dispatcher environment. For example, if an order has been delayed, the dispatcher is notified so all connected orders can be rescheduled, coordinated, and communicated to all other dispatchers.

    Collaborative Dispatch combines the powerful routing functionality of RouteProÔ with a central database. The solution runs on Oracle's multi-platform database technology and can be implemented using thin client technology. The solution also takes advantage of the strength in CAPS Logistics' proven in-RAM database technology for computationally intensive and complex routing decisions. Collaborative Dispatch enables enterprise scale routing and scheduling.
  • Descartes Systems Group Inc., (TMS, Nasdaq:DSGX), (TSE:DSG) has acquired Tradevision AB, a European provider of global connectivity and value-added software solutions for transportation logistics.

    Descartes will connect the Tradevision air cargo messaging network to the Descartes Global Logistics Services Network - a logistics messaging service with current reach to more than 5000 transportation service providers, manufacturers, distributors and retailers. With access to Tradevision's messaging services, participants of the Descartes Global Logistics Services Network will be able to more rapidly and cost effectively connect to and exchange messages with more logistics partners throughout Europe. This includes access to more air carriers and freight forwarders throughout Scandinavia, Finland, Great Britain, Germany, Switzerland, the Baltic States and Poland.


  • J.D. Edwards & Company (Nasdaq: JDEC, ERP), announced New release of Advanced Planning 4.0. Significant enhancements available in Advanced Planning 4.0 include:
    • New scenario simulation capabilities in the Strategic Network Optimization application, empowering users to make highly-informed strategic decisions such as plant location, capacity allocation, and inventory pre-build to accommodate seasonality,
    • "Profitable-to-Promise" and "Capable-to-Promise" Order Promising, allowing sales personnel to make financially and operationally optimal decisions about sales order commitments,
    • A real-time Microsoft(R) Excel client and new Web enhancements for Production & Distribution Planning, which facilitates sharing of supply chain planning information with all trading partners, regardless of their level of collaborative software sophistication.
    • As part of the rollout of Advanced Planning 4.0, a new application called Demand Consensus, which supports forward-looking collaborative forecasting processes, will be available in January 2002.
    • Advanced Planning 4.0's Order Promising application provides real-time Available-to-Promise, Capable-to-Promise and Profitable-to Promise capabilities. Order Promising supports enterprise-wide Capable-to-Promise by simultaneously supporting multiple order entry front-ends, including OneWorld Sales Order Entry, Customer Self-Service and CRM applications, as well as web storefronts. Promises are made to individual customers based on user-defined business objectives such as maximizing customer service or minimizing costs, allowing the customer service representative to immediately quote accurate delivery dates to the customer while they are placing their order.
    • Order Promising works in two ways. In Auto-Promise mode, orders are automatically promised in real-time, including pick, ship and delivery dates. In Scenario Manager mode, the user can evaluate multiple fulfillment alternatives and examine costs, margins and on-time performance for each alternative. The information can be used to support negotiation of price and delivery while the customer is still on the phone.
    • Since Order Promising is tightly integrated to OneWorld's execution system, all inventory-related transactions, including late purchase orders, scrapped material or cancelled sales orders, impact promises in real-time.

  • SATO America, Inc. introduces a new tool WPC Plus (Web-based Printer Control PLUS). WPC Plus offers users of SATO printers a truly innovative and user friendly means of controlling, communicating and configuring SATO printers quickly and easily from virtually anywhere.

    SATO's WPC Plus gives users a quick "snapshot" of all of the most important functions of the printer and print server. SATO's WPC Plus gives users a very intuitive set of menus and screen options which let users quickly check the following items: Printer Detail Information such as Model Type, Serial Number, Firmware Version / Date, Current Printer Status, Print Head Life, Dispenser Life, Cutter Life and Total Life Counters. Printer Server Information including; Serial Number, Firmware Version/Date, Node Name, Ethernet Address, Boot Version, IP Address, Subset Mask and Gateway address. Printer Settings such as Service Options and Advanced user settings and options can easily be managed directly from the WPC Plus tool. Even memory card management can be handled with WPC Plus.


  • SLIM Technologies (Inventory Optimization) announces the release of SLIM/2000® 5.0, a significant enhancement to SLIM Technologies' comprehensive supply chain modeling system. SLIM/2000 has been recognized as a unique solution for supply chain optimization because it can perform both strategic and tactical planning. As Blaine Nelson, Analyst at Synergy, Inc. notes, "SLIM/2000 has proven to be a versatile and powerful decision-support tool. SLIM's customizable supply chain structures have allowed Synergy to model distribution planning for the US Air Force. Moreover, SLIM's multi-period capability has allowed Synergy to traverse the strategic/tactical divide with a single software tool."

    Version 5.0 expands SLIM/2000’s abilities to model inventory holding costs by allowing users to convert historical inventory and throughput data into cost curves that accurately represent the economies of scale associated with inventory holding costs. The software can then produce solutions that maximize inventory turns and minimize inventory holding costs. Version 5.0 also extends SLIM/2000’s abilities to model multi-modal transportation networks through distinct modeling features that can capture freight rates with volume price breaks and can apply inbound/outbound transport mode constraints throughout a supply chain network. In addition, integration with client freight rate databases has never been so straightforward. Finally, through a dramatically improved graphical interface, Version 5.0 makes the software more intuitive, easier to use and faster to apply.


  • TECSYS (ERP, WMS, TMS, E-Commerce, TSE: TCS) Launches "EliteSeries" 6.5 Web-Based Supply Chain Management Suite. EliteSeries 6.5 comprises of the following modules:
    • Distribution Management System (DMS) supports multi-company, multi-division, multi-warehouse, multi-lingual, and multi-currency business requirements to manage complex distribution operations.
    • Warehouse Management System (WMS) is a powerful execution system, which manages all of the activities within the four walls of the distribution center including inventory control, labor and equipment management, and warehouse storage capacity optimization.
    • Transportation Management System (TMS) optimizes small package and LTL freight rating, routing, shipping, and tracking.
    • Enterprise Performance Management (EPM) is a powerful and strategic set of applications that provides business visibility with real-time personalized access to enterprise data for the purpose of analyzing and benchmarking customers, suppliers, and the overall business' performance.
    • E-Commerce (Elite.eCom) is a sophisticated B2B e-commerce solution designed exclusively for the distributors that allows for fully integrated order capture and tracking.


    Vastera, Inc. (ITL, GTM, SCEM, Nasdaq: VAST) has released Version 2 of TradeSphere Event Manager, which provides export to import, end-to-end, comprehensive solution for the global movement of goods.

    Key features include: extended Alert Manager and enhanced Workflow Manager. Both incorporate a highly configurable rules engine and significantly add to the functionality previously provided. Companies are now able to personalize the system alerts and the user interface down to the user level to meet the specific needs of their business. In addition, companies can use the highly interactive reporting engine to do root-cause analysis and optimize global business decisions. By tracking and controlling shipments using proactive alerts, companies can better assess potential issues and more effectively manage goods moving through the global supply chain.

    Global transactions are significantly more complex than domestic transactions because they involve more trading partners (carriers, forwarders, brokers, regulatory agencies and banks), as well as constantly changing, country-specific rules and regulations. In this challenging environment, visibility of the flow of goods becomes even more critical due to the greater possibility of shipment delays. Vastera’s definition of GTM (Global Trade Management) includes more than just management of imports and exports, but also the tracking and controlling of the movement of goods globally. The synergies created through the use of the Event Manager module integrated with the rest of Vastera’s Global Trade Management solution offers companies management of the global supply chain.


Quotes to Ponder - List of Quotes to Ponder from prior issues.
  • "One major obligation is not to mistake slogans for solutions."
    --Edward R. Murrow

Scripture to Ponder - List of Quotes to Ponder from prior issues.

  • "When the righteous thrive, the people rejoice;
    When the wicked rule, the people groan.    " Proverbs 29:2 NIV

Websites to Check Out

Standards (both US and International) - http://www.nssn.org

RFID Standards - http://www.aimusa.org/standards/rfidstds/RFIDStandard.htm

Books & Reports - NEW Online Book Catalog

Books on Shipping, Warehousing, Distribution, Operations, WMS, ERP, CRM, Supply Chain, Customer Service, Logistics, Facility Layout & Design, Metrics & Measurements,
"What To Look For In Warehouse Management System Software"


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Obal, Philip See reviews and more information on this book at Amazon.com


WMS Advanced Search Bundle

"ADVANCED WMS RFI Search Bundle"
Available from IDII only
Obal, Philip
 Advanced Version is available only from IDII


Valuable Future Events - List Your Event or Convention

IWLA Annual Convention & Expo - March 10 to March 13, 2002 - San Francisco, CA, USA - 847-292-1891 or visit http://www.iwla.org

2002 Material Handling Show & Conference - NA2002 - April 8 to April 11, 2002 - Cobo Hall, Detroit, MI, USA - 800-232-1537 or visit http://www.na2002.com
Supply Chain Expo - April 16 to 18, 2002 - Rosemont, IL, USA - 800-964-9665 or visit http://www.supplychainexpo.com

National Conference on Operations & Fulfillment - NCOF - April 29 to May 1, 2002 - Nashville, TN, USA, 212-790-1500 or visit http://www.ncof.com

Logistics & e-Supply Chain Forum, May 9 to 12, 2002 - New York, NY, USA - 212-651-8700 or visit http://www.logisticsforum.com

Distribution/Computer Expo - DC Expo 2002- May 21 to May 23, 2002 - Navy Pier, Chicago, IL, USA - 800-338-4112 or visit http://www.logistar2.com

19th Annual Catalog Conference, - June 10 to 13, 2002 - McCormick Center - Chicago, IL, USA - 212-790-1500 or visit http://www.catalogconference.com


About This Newsletter - ISSN 1533-435X

We educate and share news on software for warehousing, transportation, shipping, packing, slotting, loading, optimization, and enterprise wide software solutions. This free newsletter is published twice a month. Feel free to forward this newsletter to others that you know. One may quickly subscribe, view past issues, view FAQ, & our rate card by accessing www.idii.com/esn/index.htm.

© 2001 Industrial Data & Information Inc. All Rights Reserved.. Trademarks belong to respective trademark holders. Information accuracy is not guaranteed due to variety of sources.

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