Development                                                            Migration

1. Multi-Tier Account Management Solutions

The Client is a life insurance company whose goal is to provide financial security through insurance and investment products to individuals and families across the United States.

Challenges

The objective of the developed system was to:

• Allow easy collection of the sales data in a detailed as well as a summarized format from different sources.
• Provide ways to aggregate and load the sales data into the database.
• Presenting sales reports to the account executives / general agents, dealers and managers in
  the form of reports and embedded analytics (immediate performance calculation and
  presentation to the user).

Solutions

IBC developed a multi-tiered application with the following modules and features:

• Dealer Information Maintenance Module - provides ability to maintain the dealer and manager list.
• Agent Information Maintenance Module - helps maintain agent information.
• Summarized Data Upload and Processing - the user can review the data which has been uploaded, in detail and then "summarize and load" the data for reporting purposes into the main "aggregate" table.
• Rewarding Alerts Module - as the manager enters the deals, alerts can be set up to notify the user about a number of events.
• Storage Module - support for working with desktop client in online and offline modes.

All operations with data in SQL database are performed by independent Data Access Layer module, which provides all functions to add/change/inactivate the data in the SQL tables. Smart database logic is implemented via mechanism of constraints, triggers and stored procedures which guarantees data consistency even if third-party tools operate with application sensitive data. Two parts of the system (Windows application and web-base application) use web service methods to access data. Interaction between web service and windows/web based application is made over SOAP protocol and is seamless for both windows and webbased application. Reports are generated using Microsoft Reporting Services which makes them reusable and independent from other components of the developed system.

Technologies

• .NET 2.0 with C# (ASP.NET, WinForms, CryptoAPI, SOAP, ReportViewer)
• C# Assemblies for Business Layer
• C# Assemblies for the Data Access Layer (use existing SQL Connection function)
• SQL Server 2000/2005
• SQL Server 2000/2005 Reporting Services

2. Work Order, Maintenance and Service System design

The company is in business since 1984 and is a reputable UK company with an excellent track record. Their software plans and tracks, maintenance related activities for Public Work, Facilities, Fleet and other maintenance operations. This system has had continual development since 1984 starting with DOS version, which was then converted to Windows based client server system written in Power Builder. It has over 30 different functional modules and supports 3 databases with the same code base, such as Oracle, MSSQL server and Sybase SQL Anywhere. It generates Work orders for corrective and scheduled maintenance and links with Inventory and Purchase order processes. It has activities based Work Planning management capability.
The Client contacted IBC to create a web based version of their server system to retain it's current functionality and while improvising on it. The system is a groupware application for sharing and managing tasks in an organization (task management system). Its main purpose is to allow employers to track of the work that should be done in a specified time interval.

Solutions

After completion of the project the following modules were developed for the Client:

• Set Up Security module (creation of master, users, groups, and passwords, ability to change or reset passwords, access restriction by user or by group, data security-restrict search and access rights, users and groups restrictions by Add, Edit, Delete, View, or None, restriction to any module and/or options within modules, restriction to view any drop down field, or other users' data, restriction on each field level per user, screen customization control by user group);
• Inventory module (Inventory module provides a complete inventory control system for parts, including reorder points, minimum/maximum stocking levels and multiple vendors per part. Links with Work Plan, Work Order Module, Sewer, Water, Signs, Streets and other infrastructure asset related modules from basic system. Can be linked with Purchasing Module);
  Work Request module (Allows user to create a work order request. This request will then change into a work order. The request can be directed to the Master Schedule where Master schedule future work order is created for future scheduling and approval or there is an option to direct work request into issued work orders file to trigger a work order immediately for future processing);
• Work Order module (It is used to create descriptions of the work that needs to be done. The asset (called system/equipment) work that needs to be done on. Who is to do the work (craftsman). What parts or materials to be used (parts - linked to inventory records). Outside labor and materials obtained from vendors or contractors. Miscellaneous costs. And when is the work requested, initiated and completed);
• Security module (this security module controls all the major functions and features of the application. Screen customization feature allows the user to change the way user pages look. The security module divides users by individual user and groups with the ability to set permissions for each individual user as well as a group. Permissions control the ability to view certain fields and screens. They also control the ability to create, edit, review and delete both open and closed work requests. This is a common module for all the others)

Features
The solution consisted of 3 distinct parts: Web-based, Server-side, and SOAP.

Web-Based

• Users, groups and their rights management
• General system setting (regional standards, default values, mailing list setup, labels customization in the context of forms, help customization)
• Creating new orders (requests) for job/service by operators, administrators and users Significant events tracking and generation of reports that could be sent to the user signed for them.
• System interface setting for each user by CSS and ASP.NET themes.
• 3 search types: Simple, Standard and Advanced

Server-side

• Database status control
• System integration with available systems for conversion of all modules to new technologies.
• Ability to automatically send and forward the same Work Request for approval to a second or third default supervisor if there is no response in a set amount of time from the default or first supervisor.
• External machines list generation and receiving commands/data from them

SOAP

• The Web service was intended for data-feedback between the web-application and previous client-server application data synchronization. Authentication is realized via Soap headers.