Transnet has implemented a Lotus Notes and Domino-based solution to enable secure and accurate management event bookings at its head office. The application is called MEBA.
"We endeavour to design our information infrastructure to support the business needs," says Frank Nunneley, Group ITS senior manager at Transnet.
"Our `InterAct` program takes a broad look at technology and business issues that may impact on Transnet in the future. The program is designed to raise awareness of the technological environment, which is why we believe the scheduling of such events is vital to Transnet executives and senior management," he says.
Attendees at an InterAct event manage their bookings via a Web-browser-based client. Administration, via a Notes Client, ensures that the correct venue is booked, target audience is invited, their responses coordinated and that all special dietary requirements are catered for.
"We are currently using the Lotus Notes/Domino development environment to enable these facilities as we believe it has the majority of the necessary features built in," he says. "Furthermore, we are able to use a local Lotus Partner company, Softnet, to do the development for us. This is in addition to our own resources of arivia.kom."
The application is generic enough to be used for any Management Event (not only InterAct) and is administrated from six regions country-wide.
Lesego Tlhabanelo, marketing manager at Lotus Development SA, says that to achieve similar results Transnet would have had to purchase a number of off-the-shelf solutions at a far greater cost. "The Notes architecture, security and Web-enabled features found in Notes will allow Transnet to use the applications in other areas of the business," he says.
Another area is in the implementation of an "Action-Driven Balanced Scorecard" database developed by Accenture (formerly Andersen Consulting). According to Nunneley, this will allow Transnet Executive management to more effectively manage the implementation of Transnet business drivers.
Lotus QuickPlace, Domino.Doc and Sametime are being investigated to see if they can facilitate policy discussions and development. "Usually these discussions take place at management meetings, which are notoriously difficult to arrange given Transnet executives` busy schedule. Discussing them via a Notes-based discussion session will allows us to get everybody`s input, even the quiet members, before the actual meeting takes place. This should free up the meeting time to make effective business decisions, rather than debating fundamentals prior to the fact. The fundamental could be dealt with in the `online discussion forums.` While meeting are still necessary for the finalisation of policies etc, we do need to find a way to speedup the whole process of achieving consensus without having to schedule numerous meetings with the attendant costs and delays involved," he says.
Nunneley confirmed that Domino.Doc was under consideration for future use within the Transnet Corporate Office.
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