3fifteen - the Microsoft applications solutions development division of Dimension Data SA - has enabled SA`s largest dairy group, Clover, to significantly streamline its warehousing and delivery processes by integrating Clover`s warehouse management and billing systems at its Clayville, Midrand operation.
The entire project, which involved synchronising the AS400-based financial system and a bespoke warehouse stock control process which had been developed by a third-party several years before, was completed in less than three months to meet the group`s financial year-end deadline.
"We needed a system that would integrate the old systems we used for warehouse management and stock control with the central billing system. For example, we need to be able to tie up customer order numbers with orders being shipped through our dispatch department. This requirement came about as the responsibility of the system was transferred between business units," says Jan Theron, systems manager at Clover.
"We were delighted with how quickly 3fifteen was able to integrate the two systems into one, efficient operation. They achieved this because they made a real effort to understand our requirements. The result was that they were able to deliver precisely what we needed on time."
James Baber, managing director at 3fifteen, says the project would not have been completed as quickly without the cooperation of the Clover IT team. "3fifteen has developed some stringent project management methodologies which work well - provided everyone involved in the project plays their part. The Clover implementation - because of the tight timeframes - was entirely dependent on everyone coming to the party and buying into the processes - and everyone did," he says.
The use of Microsoft .Net also made deployment of the new functionality a great deal easier. The end result is that all transactions between the Warehouse Management System and billing system are integrated, improved and streamlined. Reporting tools created by 3fifteen were developed using XML and XSLT.
3fifteen also developed new functionality for the system and created add-ons to the existing system. Development time of the new system functionality was significantly reduced thanks to the use of Microsoft ASP.Net and C#.
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