Successful Supply Chain Management implementation using CANIAS ERP
November 2006 - IAS GmbH
Case Study: Online Integration of Business Customers to Corporate Processes
Customer Background: CMS Craiss-Mobile Service
Web-Based Order Placement and Tracking Portal Implemented Using CANIAS ERP
As an existing IAS customer, Craiss-Mobile has been using CANIAS ERP since 2001 as an ASP (Application Service Provider) client. In its continuous effort at improving the quality of the services it provides to its customers, Craiss-Mobile was seeking ways to enhance the integration of its customers to the workflows and processes it is using internally. Towards achieving this goal, IAS helped Craiss-Mobile develop a successful web-based order placement and tracking portal, integrating business customers to its supply chain management.
Prior to use of the new portal, customers faxed in handwritten orders, which were then entered manually into the system at Craiss-Mobile. The new portal allows customers to log in remotely over the web using customer IDs and place orders directly. Upon logging in, each customer receives a menu of choices customized to their needs. After entering the order details and the requested delivery date, the customer submits the order. The system evaluates the order and initiates the workflow for its delivery. The customer is then sent a confirmation message through e-mail.
As part of the corporate quality improvement processes, customers are also asked to respond to survey questions during the order process, to indicate whether their previously completed orders matched their expectations. Combined with automated backlog analysis, this initiative aims to increase customer satisfaction and customer loyalty.
Rapid and Full-Featured Implementation Through Standards-Based Technology
Because CANIAS ERP uses a Java-based technology, implementation of the web portal was possible using existing, open standards. The portal was completed using the same IDE (integrated development environment) that comes built-in with CANIAS ERP, eliminating the need for costly third-party web development tools. Future maintenance needs will also be kept at a minimum as the portal implementation does not affect system base code, which makes it easy to perform future release upgrades.
The web portal is fully integrated into Craiss-Mobile's CANIAS corporate ERP system. This eliminates maintenance of duplicate databases and further reduces operational costs, as the same architecture is used for both the portal and the ERP system, providing customers with a real-time view of the data.
The system uses digital signing of transactions. Automated password management is integrated into user administration and passwords can be requested by customers through the portal by entering their customer IDs and e-mail addresses.
Customer Benefits
The online order placement and tracking portal has enabled CMS Craiss-Mobile Service to attain the goals it set prior to embarking on the implementation:
- Order placement process has been substantially shortened, leading to cost savings.
- Elimination of manual order processing has reduced errors to a minimum.
- Quality analysis over operations is now accomplished faster, allowing potential sources of defects to be discovered and solved promptly.
- Cross-company integration is a big step towards achieving end-to-end supply chain management operations.
The integration of the portal has led to a much higher level of customer satisfaction for CMS Craiss-Mobile Service, which enables the company to push ahead confidently in its effort to become a European service provide.
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