The following is the full text of a document that was prepared on request by Swan Plant. We would like to acknowledge the generosity of the staff and management of Swan Plant in allowing us to reproduce this here.
We at Swan Plant Hire (Dublin) Ltd. transferred our customer system over from the old COBOL system to Des Cullen's new version of Easi Hire that runs on an Informix Database Platform, in October 1999.
While the old system served its purpose for us in the past, it was only after the changeover that we realised the extent of the advantages we had in the new more up to date system.
Here is a list of the most important of these improvements.
| 1 |
The new version of Easi-Hire is far more developed and user friendly than the old. |
| 2 |
Access to data is more strategically placed, replacing the laborious task of stepping through menu's to find the information required, e.g. From Customer Enquiry, display invoice, print invoice, credit invoice, print statement etc...this concept is used throughout the whole system, with the simple use of function keys. |
| 3 |
Entering data is basically the same as the old system, except there are a greater variety of data fields, which were altered and made to suit us. The flexibility of the system to suit our own individual needs in Swan was paramount in the changeover, and was handled by Des and his supporting staff who were very efficient and obliging. |
| 4 |
One very big difference between the two systems was the shifting of responsibility for off-hire invoices to the hire office or counter. The operator responsible for off-hiring the contract can see the Invoice generated on screen and can either accept or reject it. Therefore, the person who should be "in the know" about rates, discounts, etc is directly responsible for the Invoice. |
Above are just a few of the advantages of the actual Easi Hire Software, but what about the New Informix Database? And what did it mean for us?
As the person responsible for daily maintenance, and queries about the system, I have found the database platform to be most advantageous. It is accessible through its own easy to understand menu, and can be queried in many ways using “SQL” (Structured Query Language). SQL is nearly as easy to learn as speaking English, and has been invaluable to me, when querying data, troubleshooting or just running off calculations that otherwise would have taken hours.
Another great advantage is being able to access and import our data into external applications such as Excel, Crystal Reports or Word, for further analysis and reporting. We’ve never had such flexibility to manage, design and calculate our own custom reports.
The new system is a very definite step up from the old, easier to use, adapt and maintain and definitely more dedicated to our needs.
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| - Testimony's - |
* Swan Plant <<
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