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B2B and B2C data exchange with an enterprise job scheduler


Johannesburg, 26 Aug 2016

In modern enterprises, data is being transferred to and from a company constantly as, for instance, trading partners exchange payments, invoices, and shipping information. A customer enters his personal information on a Web site and the company gives him access to his account data. Any business that wants to be competitive has to be able to deliver fast, high-volume, accurate data exchanges.

A small company with only the occasional data transfer may be able to manage these tasks manually, but data transfers without automation are time-consuming and prone to mistakes. A basic job scheduling tool can improve speed and accuracy, but you can still run into trouble with more complex processes.

Many job scheduling tools only have time-based scheduling options; for example, you can send files at 2pm hours every day; however, what if the transfer has prerequisites, such as a report arriving in a specified folder, before the job can run successfully? With an event-driven scheduler, you can set up your job so that it waits for the file and then kicks off immediately when it arrives. You could also:

* Trigger a job based on the arrival of an invoice from a partner or information entered by a customer on a web form;
* Launch the customer onboarding process based on an action taken by a customer;
* Transfer data back to a customer, for example rewards in a loyalty program, in immediate response to changes in the customer's account data; and
* Automate the file transfers involved in financial transactions in real-time.

Another way that businesses try to manage advanced scheduling challenges is by writing custom scripts. While custom scripting can be useful for automating one repeated task, it puts your business at risk, and it's not very scalable. Each process that needs to be automated will require additional scripting, which isn't cheap.

Once an enterprise job scheduling solution is installed, any new IT process can be automated using the same centralised scheduler.

Exchanging different types of data with multiple business partners and customers probably requires a company to use a variety of disparate applications. Without an enterprise job scheduler, that means using valuable resources to manage these applications separately.

When you look for the best enterprise job scheduler for a company, make sure you consider how well it can integrate with the applications that keep your business running. For example, Skybot Scheduler can interface with, for example, Informatica PowerCenter and Cloud; SAP; Oracle E-Business Suite; and, built-in Job Schedulers like cron and Windows Task Scheduler

Integration of applications and systems is essential for using data effectively, but most companies aren't doing a great job of it. A recent HelpSystems survey of over 500 professionals from organisations of all sizes asked respondents how well their data sources were integrated with their enterprise applications. Fewer than half said they were fully integrated. An enterprise job scheduler allows all your moving pieces to work together.

Exchanging data with customers and partners is especially sensitive when it involves financial transactions. Fundtech, a company that hosts financial transaction processing services, was a perfect example of a company in need of a better automated solution for moving a high volume of data. Before they implemented enterprise job scheduling, Fundtech struggled to move hundreds of thousands of files a day on tight deadlines. Sometimes the software would seize up and not even send a notification when a transfer failed. The company had to hire an administrator to babysit the system overnight.

If this kind of workaround sounds familiar, consider next generation job scheduling software for the enterprise as your customer relationships depend on it. Fundtech came to the same conclusion. "We're adding new customers and bringing new servers online every day," commented Fundtech's Marni Jessie. "We couldn't afford a solution that would slow down if it tried to handle more than 10 000 files."

Enterprise job scheduling not only keeps your own business running smoothly, it helps you build better business relationships.

SPI, the African distributor for utility software products and services to the Open Systems segment of the IT industry is the sole sub-Saharan Africa distributor for Help/Systems.

For further information, please contact Chris Anderson at tel. (+27) 11 234 1560; fax (+27) 11 234 1387; e-mail chris@spi.co.za

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Help/Systems

Help/Systems, LLC is a leading provider of systems management, security, and business intelligence solutions. Help/Systems software reduces data centre costs by improving operational control and delivery of IT services. Founded in 1982, the company has 14 offices worldwide and more than 7 000 customers from small businesses to Fortune 100 companies. Based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Help/Systems sells its solutions directly and through strategic partners worldwide. Help/Systems brands include: Robot, SEQUEL Software, PowerTech, Skybot Software, Safestone, CCSS, InterMapper, Bytware and ShowCase.

Skybot Software

Skybot Software, a division of Help/Systems, develops automation software for multiple platforms. Skybot Scheduler is an intuitive, web-based job scheduler that automates complex business processes with ease.

SPI

SPI is a company that provides utility software products and services to the Open Systems segment of the IT industry. It is the sole sub-Saharan Africa distributor for US-based Innovative Routines; US-based Help/Systems; US-based Linoma Software; France-based Esker; and; UK-based Xi Software. SPI also develops some of its own software utilities to complement the overseas products that it distributes.

SPI has a wide and varied customer base and includes organisations such as Aspen Pharmacare, Johannesburg Municipality, University of Johannesburg, MMI Holdings, Nampak, National Brands, Stellenbosch University and Unisa.

Editorial contacts

Paul Booth
Global Research Partners
(+44) 747 003 3126
pabooth@mweb.co.za
Chris Anderson
SPI Group
(+27) 11 234 1560
chris@spi.co.za