Challenge

Marlies | Dekkers management wanted to gain access to more data regarding the delivery process among different parties in their supply chain. Customer Support spent too much time searching the different systems when a customer called for an order status update. These systems included Navision, an excel sheet from TNT, and the UPS website – depending on which part of the supply chain the order had reached. Customers were not satisfied with Customer Support’s ability to track orders, and Customer Support did not have the right tools to acquire this information in a timely manner. Integration with a variety of systems along the supply chain became the primary IT challenge:

1. The orders and customer data from MS Axapta (Microsoft’s ERP system) would be processed in the application.
2. Order data for orders that were still in the warehouse would be exported from TNT into the application.
3. Order tracking data provided by UPS was the final link in the supply chain to be integrated into the application.

Goals

A one-stop application that provides real time order status updates. It had to be easy to use for internal employees, integrated with a variety of systems via web services, and provide customer value by increasing Customer Support effectiveness.

Solution

In only forty days, the Mendix implementation team created a track and trace portal that cleanly integrated data from all of the necessary links in the supply chain. The portal was for internal use only, but greatly increased the effectiveness of customer service representatives. The portal was specifically designed to be as user friendly as possible, providing all the necessary order status information within one view.

This case reiterates the value that can be harnessed from segregated pools of data. When data is integrated and presented in a clear format, knowledge can be gained and acted on accordingly. Without the ability to integrate multiple systems, Marlies | Dekkers would not be able to realize the value in its preexisting systems.