SCL delivers new e-commerce solution for Alexandra
using web services and RPG
Melbourne, Australia
– October 31, 2007 - looksoftware’s
UK partner Simply Computing Ltd (SCL), working
with its customer Alexandra plc, has delivered
a new web-based procurement system driven in real-time
by its RPG based System i back-end.
Alexandra, a major provider of workwear clothing
with a Royal Warrant of Appointment to Her Majesty
the Queen, have always been very satisified with
its custom back-end RPG applications. However,
they needed to deliver a new web-based application
and had to do it quickly. Working with SCL (www.scl-it.com)
Alexandra were able to rapidly complete the application
by using looksoftware’s
soarchitect to provide web services
access to their existing RPG code.
"Using looksoftware’s
products, we’ve been able to reuse our existing
System i applications to drive the new front-end
web application and integrate with our back-end
RPG code in real-time”, said Ken Turner,
Systems Manager at Alexandra.
As a looksoftware solution provider,
SCL has also now developed an application for
export documentation using looksoftware’s
dynamic development suite. ‘Exdocs’
delivers efficiency, cost-savings, customer service
and regulatory compliance benefits to exporters.
Marcus Dee of looksoftware said,
“SCL’s success with Alexandra is a
great example of how a web services approach can
deliver rapid results and high reuse of existing
RPG code. By service-enabling back-end applications,
new solutions can be delivered quickly and relatively
easily.
Another customer is starting their 4th project
aimed at delivering new functionality by reusing
unchanged RPG applications. They’ve improved
call centre productivity by 40%, and have since
implemented Interactive Voice Recognition (IVR)
to provide 24x7 customer service. Now, with the
success of their other projects so evident, the
next one will integrate their back-end application
with a partner’s SAP ERP system - all done
with a services oriented approach, and more importantly,
without changing a single line of RPG code!”
Ian Harris, SCL’s founder and Managing
Director, has shaped his career around the mainframe
and System i evolutions of midrange hardware and
has seen many changes, mostly for the better.
Ian, passionate about IBM’s midrange market
said, “looksoftware is
making such a big difference because its web-enabling
and application integration strengths are so instantly
evident. Combined with our ‘Punchout’
and ‘EXdocs’ customer application
focus, I just know we can deliver exceptionally
robust and high value solutions to our customers,
and we can do it very quickly!”
Read more about Alexandra's
experience with back-end modernization.
|
