Solutions provider company, Integrear Abacus, has introduced a new member to the o! suite of products.
The suite now comprises of o!Timetable, o!Exam and the new o!Booking.
According to Hercules Dreyer, MD of Integrear Abacus, the newly launched o!Booking complements o!Timetable and o!Exam in that it "imports data from them and then automatically makes the appropriate bookings on one system. This then allows staff and outside companies using facilities on campus to make ad hoc bookings through the Web." This helps to improve the optimal usage of venues on a campus.
The o!Timetable software package is used by tertiary institutions to generate and optimise timetables, while o!Exam specifically optimises the exam timetables, ensuring, among others, that the minimum number of students write examinations on consecutive days.
Rapid product development over the past two years has made Integrear Abacus a market leader in this field in SA. With a client base including Potchefstroom University, RAU, Technikon Northern Gauteng, The Durban Institute of Technology, University of the Free State and Venda University, this local product, designed specifically for the South African situation, has made tremendous inroads in the tertiary market.
Dreyer highlighted that the distinguishing feature of o! is that it is NOT simply a basic scheduling program, but rather an optimisation tool, designed with the input of South African tertiary institutions, specifically for local conditions.
These products have also become essential in the management and planning of the ongoing mergers of tertiary institutions.
It helps in the decision-making process by allowing institutions to look at "What if..." scenarios.
The software is powered by world-renowned ILOG tools, which are used worldwide in optimisation programs.
"Abacus also has the ability to apply this same technology in other fields," says Dreyer. "Optimisation of bookings for various items such as airplane seats and the scheduling of vehicle/transport operations could benefit greatly from these programs."
According to him, this adaptable tool could even be used in fields as varied as HR/personal and mining.
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Integrear is well positioned in the area of providing software and business solutions that address requirements in the two separable arenas of credit management and resource management.
Integrear`s credit management focus is centred on credit granters in the commercial, parastatal and municipal markets, while its secondary focus is directed at tertiary training institutions addressing their needs for resource optimisation.
Integrear has built a strong reputation in the area of workflow, document management and business process management solutions. This core strength is exemplified in their business solutions and that they remain well positioned to serve the market in delivering bespoke solutions. Integrear continually spends significant resources on expanding the functionality of its software solutions in response to identified market needs.
These solutions include:
Solidus Credit Management Suite that addresses new business processing and debt collection modules.
Zeus Credit Manager, developed specifically for debt collection in the municipal sector.
O! Optimisation, focused on resource optimisation solutions, currently with a primary focus on the needs of tertiary education institutions.
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