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Try keeping track of every
single copier sold in South Africa, ensuring you have the correct details of each new
owner - and scaling that service depending on the size of the branch that sold the copier.
Now imagine writing a series of
programs that not only does that, but also lets management know when debtors levels are
too high, what's happening with the exchange rates, controlling the orders and monitoring
the reponse time of technicians among other things. Mark Clulow of Diametrix
Solutions, managed
to do just that for Konica Business Systems South Africa, leaders in the office automation
industry.
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| Konica needed an efficient
accounting system to increase productivity, protect business data and reduce user
downtime, allowing for system growth and Y2K compliance. Mark delivered more than just an
accounting system. After eight months of development, Konica had a full management
solution including advanced spreadsheet integration. |
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| Looking for intellegence |
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| "I wanted to have not only
statistics and graphs, but to offer some intellegence behind the statistics" Mark
says. |
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| The solution included modules
with accounting systems that included budgets forecasts and the ability to draw dynamic
graphs automatically based on specific data. The solution also provided a Digital Nervous
System using Microsft Excel Visual Basic for Applications and Microsoft Visual Basic 6
programming language with programs including management accounts, cashflows and budgets. |
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| The programs used a combination
of Microsoft NT and Microsoft Windows operating systems, and also
included Microsoft SQL Server to meet Konica's database demands. |
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| Mark believes no other
development platform would have allowed him to develop such an intricate Digital Nervous
System "Without Microsoft and its Certified Solution Provider Program we wouldn't
have been able to deliver what our client wanted. I do not think we would have been able
to reach the depth of the solution with any other platform, however much money was thrown
at the project." |
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| "With Microsoft being a
generation ahead of any other available software, and with the ability to cross-reference
anything, I believe that Microsoft is the way to go when developing software
solutions" he says. |
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Diametrix started in developing customised solutions in 1990. Mark worked
mainly in Lotus, but switched to developing solutions with Microsoft
products in 1994. |
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| Staying up all night with
Microsoft |
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| Mark Clulow's self-discipline
doesn't stretch to forcing himself to go to bed, as he explains: "I'm simply
passionate about Microsoft programming and often find myself working through the night.
The products are so focused on the future and so revolutionary that you have to enjoy
working with them. The open-structure database, for instance, offers opportunities that
none of Konic'a competitors have". |
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| "The information Konica
management has at its finger tips is vastly superior to the information that their
competitors have available, simply because they are not using the correct programs".
The sales reports, for instance, don't only include the run-of-the-mill information like
graphs and statistics, but also include the figures that each branch should be doing to
maintain its specific market share - broken down into what each salesperson should be
achieving. Konica keeps track of more than 4 000 photocopiers using this solution. They
know in detail which components were used on any specific day and can even track a
technician's response time, along with every call that has been made about a photocopier,
whether it is a client calling in, or a technician calling out. |
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| The new system is so sucessful
that Konica has doubled in size since May 1997, and has grown in market share from 4% to
just under 11%. The company believes that it will reach a market share of 11% once the
solution is running countrywide. |
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| Blueprint |
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| Hardware |
- 3 sever Pentium 450, 128MB Ram, 20GB Hard drive Mecer
computers.
- 30 workstations (in process of upgrading all to 64MB Ram).
- 16 Distribution Centres.
- Peripherals like laser printers etc.
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| Software |
- Windows NT Server 4.0 Service Release 3 on the servers.
- Exchange 5.5 Service release 1.
- SQL Server 6.5 and Access 2000 for the database, upgrading
all to SQL 2000.
- Office 2000 on about 20 workstations.
- Outlook 2000 on all workstations.
- Windows XP as operating system.
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