Integral IS instead of separate solutions
Research has shown that only about 35-40% companies use an integral information system (IIS). The figures partly depend on the research source, but we can conclude that most companies in Croatia use some independent application or do not use any information support in its business.
The situation is even worse in the book trade industry, which traditionally comprises a large number of smaller companies ? bookstores and publisher, with several exceptions to the rule.
Unfortunately, most of the smaller companies are, due to expenses, focused on low-quality solutions for IT business support in many respects, this also including selection of the solution for their business. With a small number of employees (sometimes even only one) all doing almost all tasks as required, without proper information support, business is often reduced to mere guessing the company balance.
Lost business data represent in the long run a major loss of the company's intangible assets. When time is lost and data is inconsistent, business difficulties are pre-programmed and increasing difficulties add to not transparent business costs, not to mentioned future data consolidation costs when implementing an integral solution, which is something that can not be avoided.
Why is an integral information system better than several separate units?
An integral information system allows for data entry at a single point in the system at the moment of its creation and its further use in other parts of the system as required.
An integral information system stores the data in a structured fashion that facilitates not only daily operation, but also making of solid business decisions and market survival.
Insight Bookstore Insight Bookstore has from the very beginning been designed as an integral information system. It has been designed as a modern and advanced system both in terms of business and technology. Its use will enable unobstructed growth of the company and its business volume and inclusion of all business units into a harmonious whole.
Insight supports a number of completed functionalities that support interweaved business processes. Such business processes are included into business units that can, if needed, but not necessarily, be used in the system. Business units are included in a logical fashion in terms of business and technology and make the integral whole of the Insight Bookstore system.
As regards the system use, certain business units have been included into modules for easier understanding and system operation. Some modules constitute integration basis and must be used. This primarily relates to system master data that enable inclusion and communications with an easy-to-understand language to all other business segments. By way of example, the product and the customer are defined at one point and described with all their characteristics. This way any other Insight system modules including the customer and the product ? such as material accounting, sales and financial accounting ? use those definitions in their specific business processes. The data is always clearly and unambiguously defined, as they are maintained at a single point in the system, thus allowing different parts of the system to use current data. With clearly defined processes always acting the same, business results remain consistent at all times.
Accurate and consistent data represents a perfect basis for business reporting and an excellent information source for the business intelligence system that should enable proper decision-making in any business segment.
Development
The Insight system has been completely developed by NEOS using our broad experience gathered in long-term cooperation with companies dealing with distribution, wholesale and retail, as well as production and other activities. That experience, combined with knowledge of modern technology, used in the development process, has resulted in product rich with features, that make it high-quality and unique on the market: - special attention was dedicated to user interface, together with simple and clear implementation of business processes, which has resulted with smooth learning curve, and ease of use,
- the system is specially secure and stable,
- used technology guarantees system scalability ? its use in larger and smaller companies, undisturbed business growth (by data quantity, number of users, etc.),
- owing to internal development and modular design, support, maintenance and further extension of the system are secured,
- the system price is adjusted to domestic business conditions, with special version customized for small companies.
System characteristics
The system is intended and optimised for book trade industry, but is adjustable for many types of products. This allows use of this system in companies with retail outlets selling various products, including providing of services (e.g. bookstore and stationary shop providing photocopying services). In addition to that, some of the system characteristics are: - sale of products with unknown purchase price, as soon they are physically received,
- price lists are customized for diversity of purposes (sales price lists, partner-specific price list, etc.),
- contractually defined rebates, and customer contract tracking,
- unlimited number of wholesale and retail warehouses is supported, as unlimited number of dealership stocks,
- commission and sub-commission sales have been supported in detail:
- the same product may be owned by the company or on commission with defined booking entry priority,
- the same product on commission from several suppliers with booking entry priority,
- automatic generation of logout according to freely chosen criteria (period, suppliers, warehouse) with manual correction etc.
- POS cash registry ? on-line i off-line mode,
- Flexible material and warehouse operation:
- minimum and optimum quantities (shelves),
- view of all retail, wholesale and commission and sub-commission warehouses from a single point,
- automatic generation of warehouse documents etc.
- built-in operational analytic reports (sale according to payment mode, publisher and/or author, rebate, margin etc.)
with many other characteristics, which provide the user with flexible system operation.
On application level, the system is also based on a modern concepts and features, such as, for example, integrated advanced security options. Each module has integrated contextual help, by use of F1 key.
Simultaneous support for more companies in the system, which can, but do not have to share master data definitions (products, partners etc.), but can also be fully independent, is also supported. In any case, business documents and business transactions are completely separate for such companies, which is essential for accurate business support of the respective companies.
Operational reporting The integral information system is an excellent base for setting up of a business intelligence system, i.e. an advanced business system reporting. However, already in its basic form, the system offers a redefined set of analytical operational reports that will serve as an excellent basis for good business monitoring.
Retail reports, i.e. an example: - sale per supplier for a period of time and allocation into commission goods and sold goods.
- sale per supplier/publisher ? including sorting according to the margin (percentage and amount, and sorting according to those two criteria). Also, the ratio of the amount and share in the total sales and calculation of average margin.
The Insight system is intended for large, medium but also small companies, constituting the majority in book trade industry. In order to make it possible, the system supports functions pertaining to companies with large number of employees (e.g. finely defined access rights). Those functions are provided through simple interfaces, which, with minimum limitations, allow use of the system in daily operation, even to just one person.
If the system is used in several companies doing business with one another, they can electronically exchange data. The system also includes a web module for internet ordering that allows electronic operation with other different information systems.
In not all system functionalities are required by the company, e.g. it uses external financial accounting service, those modules shall not be used, naturally, allowing for a lower system price. However, the material accounting modules support a large number of analytical reports, that can provide generation of quality reports for the external accountant.
Without regard to the size of the company in which it is used, the system always uses the same technology and application basis.
Insight Bookstore system modules
The system has been organized in modules, with specific modules grouped in units for support of business processes in material and financial accounting, production and similar. The core of the system consists of centralized master data definitions (products, partners?), and act as basis for integration of other system units.
Material accounting modules
- Retail and wholesale,
- Dealership and commission sales,
- Procurement,
- POS cash-register.
Financial accounting modules
- General ledger,
- Automatic accounting entry,
- Invoices payable and receivable,
- Payment transactions.
Production modules
- Material accounting,
- Production preparations and work orders,
- Production executive module, for touch-screen terminals.
The system allows use of other specific modules, such as web shop, web ordering and distribution tracking, electronic data exchange, customer text message reporting.
Technology
The system is based on three-tier architecture, while the technological basis is provided by the Oracle infrastructure ? data base and application server, 10g versions. For development Internet Developer Suite 10g Oracle tools have been used.
For system integration on the application level a complex system framework was developed which represents the basis for the system as a whole. The system users mostly do not come in touch with this level, but use it with simple interfaces e.g. for access right allocation. This level provides the following significant characteristics:
- integration of system modules ? screenshot forms, reports and procedures,
- support for several companies, that can, but do not have to, share master data definitions,
- setting of access and system use rights with fine definition of horizontal and vertical access rights to the modules and data stored in the system,
- option of electronic data exchange, using XML technology, as the world-wide acknowledged industry standard for such purposes, providing two types of data exchange:
- one-way transfer of product catalogue to customers,
- two-way exchange of business documents.
- other service functions securing system operation.
Summary
Insight Bookstore is a modern, flexible and scalable business information system that will satisfy al your needs for years. The system will start out and grow with you, with the investment paying out in a very short time and years-long support tailored to your requirements.
Contact us with confidence. Build your business on stable grounds.
Acknowledgment
Development of the system was supported and partly financed by the Fund for Central and East European Book Projects (CEEBP), Amsterdam, and the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs Matra Programme, which have, during the system development, recognized benefits that the system brings to the book trade industry. Consultants from company BMR (Book Market Research from Krakow, Poland), who keep seminars in CEEBP organization throughout Europe, have reviewed the system and gave a highly positive opinion about it . |
