Large Web Systems Developed by INDENT in Production
  • Manufacturer-Supplier collaboration system: In production since April 2000 at one of world's largest consumer packaged goods companies. It supports collaborative replenishment and Vendor Managed Inventory
  • e-Reporting System: Developed reporting application to support an existing e-Collaboration system. Currently being sold to clients with Syncra System's manufacturer-retailer collaboration product.
  • e-Forecasting System: Developed demand forecasting application to support an existing e-Collaboration system. Currently being sold to clients with Syncra System's manufacturer-retailer collaboration product.
  • Web based Sales Force Automation System: In production since August 1999 at one the leading ethnic hair care products manufacturer
  • Web-enablement of Employee Benefits System: In production since October 1999 at employee benefits outsourcing company

 

Sample Projects


Collaborative Image Annotations
Web-based system that supports collaborative annotation of images (satellite, medical, reconnaissance, map).  This system supports creation of rich annotations using emerging standard for web graphics called Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG).  Annotations were created using a touch-screen stylus on a web browser in two components: annotation marking (drawing the boundary of an area on the image with a stylus) and annotation properties (attributes associated with annotation marking that have been measured, read, or interpreted).  Rich annotations fuse markings with properties.

Rich Annotation Service for Images (RASI) has been built as part of a NASA project.  It has been applied to Ophthalmic Images to annotate lesions and track progress over multiple patient visits as part of a NIH project; and to reconnaissance/map based images.

e-Collaboration
Developed Web-based e-collaboration for one of world's largest consumer goods manufacturer. Application has been in production since April 2000 for collaborations between manufacturing facilities and their suppliers. The application supports the vendor managed inventory in the collaborative planning forecasting and replenishment (CPFR) process. Components of the application are:

Development environment is Enterprise Java Beans, Java Servlets with Oracle 8I as the back-end database. This application is also in use for collaboration between retailers and CPG manufacturers to do replenishment planning.

Transportation Collaboration
Web-based transportation collaboration system that supports collaboration between manufacturers, third party logistics providers, carriers and retailers.  This system supports order consolidation, load construction, load sizing, cost estimation, carrier selection, load bidding, load tendering, load and order tracking.

In the multiple server version of this system Weblogic Collaborate is used to send and receive XML documents between collaborating companies.  The application runs on Weblogic, Tomcat and Oracle. 

e-Reporting
Web-based reporting system using Seagate Crystal's Reporting engine. The Crystal API was wrapped using JNI for access by our Java Servlet-based program. The servlet program collects all the user entered fields from HTML page and sends them to the reporting engine. The reporting system is currently deployed in a CPG manufacturer-retailer collaboration setting. Cross-tab, slant chart, graph and drill down reports are created from enterprise data in Oracle 8I and delivered by e-mail, HTML, Excel or Word. This application has been in production since January of 2000. We also evaluated several e-reporting and OLAP tools for functionality, ease of use and cost: Cognos, Business Objects and Oracle Reporting.

e-Forecasting
Web-based statistical demand forecasting system to support CPFR collaboration. It has been in production since October 2000. E-forecasting is an expert system-based, best fit, statistical-forecasting system. The forecasting engine is a third party C++ program with Java Native Interface (JNI). It is wrapped for access by a Java servlet program. The servlet manages data transfers between HTML, the database and the forecasting engine.

Available To Promise (ATP) with WebLogic's Commerce Server
Web-based decision system using WebLogic's Commerce Server. This application computes reliable delivery dates based on inventory and capacity availability across the entire supply chain. Customer and product specific inventory, capacity allocations and a variety of configurable business rules are used to process delivery-date requests from users. The business logic is programmed using EJBs. The ATP application is integrated with a shopping cart based order system of WebLogic's Commerce Server.

Web-enablement of mainframe financial system
Web enabled a financial system for employees of a Fortune 100 company. The web based retirement savings system allows employees to manage accounts through the internet. The web system interfaces with a legacy mainframe application. The legacy application processes the transaction requests from a web browser. The application has been in production since October 1999.

e-Commerce Strategy
Developed a strategy for the premier utility research company. The client wanted to deliver its service through the web and create a networked community of utility companies that would utilize the services. Developed a strategy based on vision and mission of the client, customer needs and business drivers. Implementation plan included a process for realizing business benefits early and often.

Web-based Sales Force Automation
Developed Web-based Sales Force Automation (Web SFA) System that enables sales personnel, distributors and brokers to do:

Web-SFA has been deployed at a health and beauty supply CPG manufacturer. Web-SFA interfaces with JD Edwards and custom-built sales systems on the AS400. InternetWeek has a case study write up about a very fast implementation--45 days--of Web SFA at Luster Products, Inc.: For Specialty Retailer, Legacy Apps Lives On, by Ellis Booker, October 4, 1999. The application has been in production since early 1999.

Business Process Improvement
Consulted with hair care products manufacturer to accomplish significant reduction in inventory, increase in on-time delivery to customers, improvement in sales forecasting accuracy and reduction of costs. The inventory turns have increased from 11 to 19 and order-fill rates have increased from 75% to 94% over a period of 12 months. Implemented systems and process for promotions management, sales forecasting, production planning and inventory management.

Cost-Benefit Analysis of Supply Chain Alternatives through Simulation
Client is a large Paper and Pulp manufacturer in Canada. Evaluated several alternatives based on three performance measures: Cost, Inventory and Lead Time. Recommendations based on this analysis are currently being implemented. For details, see "The Virtual Business," by Erik Sherman in Traffic World September 2, 1996 issue.

Dock Operations Labor Planning
Staffing of loading docks were optimized for a paper company. Simulation was used to understand the relationship between labor costs, labor utilization, and cycle time to load ships and barges. Optimized staffing strategy is currently being implemented with projected reduction in cost of 25% at one facility and about 15% in another. Additionally, the elapse time of loading vessels is shorter.

Identification, Quantification and Prioritization of Supply Chain Opportunities
Conducted opportunity assessment for the leading manufacturer of silicon wafer fabrication equipment and for a large pulp and paper manufacturer. This up front analysis details both the value of and the approach to supply chain reengineering.

Global Supply Chain Planning
Consulted with $1B Canadian chemical company, with production facilities in 5 continents to concurrently plan procurement, production, shipping, inventory and customer deliveries. Developed organization change plan for the new global supply chain planning group.

Requirements Definition, Software Selection, Project Planning and Implementation of Supply Chain Planning Tools
Client is one of the largest garment manufacturer. Defined business requirements for planning of sourcing, production and inventory. Developed criteria for evaluating vendors of supply chain planning software.

 

Last Modified: Sept. 30, 2003
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