Java based Archiving tool.
Customer Profile
SGI is a manufacturer of high-performance computing technology, ranging from desktop workstations and servers to the most powerful supercomputers in the world, delivering advanced computing and 3D visualization capabilities to scientific, engineering, and creative professionals and large enterprises. In addition, SGI creates innovative software for design, Internet, and entertainment applications.
Business Challenge
Well known in the industry, SGI has one of the best suites of Intranet applications. The company was looking to supplement some of the Java based business tools with an archiving tool. A tool rather than an application was important to make sure that the newly created tool can be seamlessly integrated with the existing applications.
The tool needed to be generic in nature, so that it can be programmed, using a GUI functionality, to perform the functionality provided (query, archive, purge etc.) in any combination.
MGS solution
As per the client's requirements, MGS put together a strong team, with expertise in object oriented design and programming. As well as strong Java and web programmers were brought together.
MGS studied the existing system at SGI to make sure that the tool set being developed would integrate properly. This was done at technical level, as well as look-and-feel level, to make sure, that front end had similar feel and application flow to it as well. Rapid Application Development (RAD) methodology was deployed to get a design and a prototype up quickly, get user feedback, make corrections, get user sign-off, and then complete development. This approach has proved to be very successful in these kinds of developments, as users are able to see something within 30% of the product cycle, and are able to give constructive feedback.
Currently, deployment is underway, on-site at SGI, with MGS engineers on-site to ensure smooth integration and to solve any post deployment issues.
MGS prides it self in meeting all the time lines set in the project and delivering a successful product in-time and within-budget.
 
B2B web application for Produce industry.
Customer profile
Seattle based Produce trader.
Business Challenge
With time sensitive nature of Produce goods and given current inefficient nature of trading there was a very clear business need to be able to offer Produces to the businesses through a much faster medium. The challenge was to decimate the information like price changes and inventory levels for all the suppliers to businesses on a near real time basis.
MGS solution
MGS recognized that Internet would be the right medium to offer the Produces with time adjusted price and inventory information accessible to businesses round the clock. MGS created an ASP and SQL Server based web application in 2.5 months. The site allowed the buyers to come to one place and compare the latest prices and order from a large supplier base. The solution truly added value for all the parties involved by reducing the inefficiencies in the system.
Business Objects Universe for an ERP system.
Customer profile
The client is a recognized, leading vendor of choice for Accounting and Project management software in the construction industry. The 25% of ENR top 400 is getting benefited by the solutions created using client's ERP software.
Business Challenge
To provide value-add to their Construction Management System (CMS), the company has decided to provide its customer base with Business Intelligence solution. Making it easy for all level of management and business users to access and analyze the data. The challenge for MGS was to understand the CMS environment and create universes in the areas of Human Resources, Payroll and Equipment. In addition, universes were to be designed in a way, so that in future, combination of these universes would be possible and relatively easy.
MGS solution
MGS began by architectural vision in mind, which would allow for an easy integration of these universes. Also, since the final product was going to be shipped to hundreds of customers, many potential variations in the set-up of CMS -like different database names, different flexible fields etc.- needed to be taken into consideration.
End users could be on different versions of RDBMS, supporting different command sets. Hence extra care needed to be taken to make sure that solution was version independent.
There were a large number of objects in each of these universes, and each object contained help text explaining the purpose of the object, as well as the source of the information within CMS. Due to a large amount of free hand text present, an automated process was deployed, to spell check the description in the universe after every export of the universe into the repository.
These being the first set of universes developed for CMS, there were certain formatting and other changes, which came out of the testing phase. To speed-up the process of making these fixes, external programs were written to mass update formats and make other changes. For example, a program was written to mass update all the date objects to a different type of date format.
ERP system for confectionery manufacturers.
Customer profile
The client is one of the leading confectionery marketers ranking among top ten confectionery marketers in India. Their distribution spans to each and every corner of the country supported by five branch offices situated in five different state capitals. Also they are actively earning foreign revenue for the country by exporting their products to various countries. Their products are manufactured in state of the art process plant, which has its own distinguish identity as most modern plant in confectionery Industry in India, under most hygienic condition and modern manufacturing practices.
Business Challenge
As the client has to handle 5 branches, 12 depots and over 3000 customers all over the country, system involved lots of correspondence and standard communication letters with more than 1000 banks. In manual system, keeping customer wise, region wise, city wise track of sales for each item was next to impossible as voluminous and changing data analysis was not feasible. More than 30 modules involving total activity of the company and their complex integration, governmental regulation restrictions and stringent checking requirements at branches were among the top concerns for the company.
MGS solution
Parallel work with manual and computer system was required without getting over burdened was the key issue, as client's firm had established procedures since years and none can be stopped at any point in time during changeover. MGS project team decided to grow the system rather than built it, keeping in mind client's wish to deploy existing manpower to support system requirements.
This integrated software solution consists of various business related modules like, Financial Accounting, Sales, Stock transfer memos, Purchase order and Purchase Billing, Inventory for Raw materials, Semi Finished, Finished and Packing materials, Job work, Completely on-line excise activities, Production Planning, Sales target analysis for customers, sales representatives and sales officers of the branches. Sales Schemes and incentives management, Sales commission management for all the officers and SRs, Automatic generation of nine different types of debit and credit notes for customer's spreaded nationwide, Automatic generation and tracking system of various bank letters for sales transactions done through bank.
Correspondence system for large customer, supplier and bankers database to keep track of various ongoing negotiations and different matters for sent and received letters. Inter office memos (IOM), Sticker and Address label printing modules were also given to speedup daily routine work.
All branches located in different cities of India are connected to Head office. Daily inter-branch and HO-branch automatic data transfers are initiated by HO server at fix time with perfect log of data and information sent/received to each branch office and HO.
All the modules are customizable to fulfill the changing need due to changes in Government policies, Banking sector, Excise and Sales tax department. Leveled security system is given to facilitate restricted entries in various options of the system.
Complete solution for Leasing & Finance Company
Customer profile
The client is a non-banking finance company (NBFC), registered with Reserve bank of India as engaged in Lease finance & Hire Purchase of commercial vehicles like Personal cars, trucks, Industrial machinery and consumer durable. The company has been paying dividend from 1st year of commencement of business since 1985. Rajath Finance Ltd. Is the only NBFC from Saurashtra region to receive RBI certificate that all the 'PRUDENTIAL NORMS & GUIDELINES' prescribed by RBI in the areas of accounting standards, recognition of NPAs & income.
Business Challenge
Being a public limited firm and dealing with huge money transactions, security and their customer's involvement in various areas like Deposit, Hire Purchase, Lease, and Loan were the chief requirements of the company. Solution was demanded as the process involves other specific bodies like RBI, ICRA (credit rating firm), Income Tax and internal/external audit firms.
MGS solution
Simultaneous job with manual and computer system was required. They were using piece meal software which scattered their partial data with many errors due to poor integration and lack of concrete systems analysis. To ensure data integrity, checks and automatic process was written and effectively used to convert part of the data from EMI (equal monthly Installment) to IRR (Internal Rate of Return) method for bifurcation of capital and finance charges for each installment.
Two members of the project team concentrated on old data study, writing of data transfer routines, reporting unacceptable errors in old data with suggestions for correction without disturbing previous year's financial data. Rest of the team was splinted to attack two main parts of the system viz. Deposit and Hire Purchase-Lease-Loan management. Lastly complete system was integrated with Financial Accounting system. Special tools were also given for branch management, duplicate customer checking (to avoid TDS defaults), TDS management, NPA controls etc.
All modules were equipped with vital security and verification checks which restricts any unauthorized and/or invalid transactions.
On-line cash register system for Document Processing Center, Hotels & Restaurants and Departmental Stores
Customer profile
The client has the best document processing set-up in the country and also handling complete document processing and IT presentation department for one of the best refinery company, Reliance India Ltd., India.
Business Challenge
This document processing service industry involves large number of temporary and regular customers together. Everyday critical on-line situation comes at peak hour time for three hours when cash bills/challans/debit memos/work slips etc. is generated concurrently for 13-15 people in 60 seconds. System should also display last five memos printed with amount and time of printing for fast and accurate collection of cash.
Long working hours was covered with shifts of five-six persons at a time. Overlapping shifts, cash on hand tracking for different operator, security problems added the complexity. Client also demanded one screen application, which can handle all working with touch of hotkeys.
MGS solution
Time critical with simplicity in design requirement challenged and forced us to optimize each line of coding in the program, which is not normal part of system design. Each operation of the software was carried out with keeping time and simplicity of design in front. Options consuming more than five seconds were pushed for back ground processing.
Client had a requirement to print 12 different documents depending on type of job and customer profile. Designer at MGS apply their artists and technical skills to design a 4 X 3 inch general form which not only covered printing of all the documents but also eliminate need of stationery changes for different modes.
Specific archive tool was devised to keep unused/processed data in safe place, which can also be reused as and when needed.
Recipe content Management System to publish recipes on external web site
Customer Profile
Williams-Sonoma, Inc. is the premier home-centered specialty retailer in the United States. Our four concepts - Williams-Sonoma professional-style cooking and related dining pieces, Pottery Barn casual home decor, Hold Everything organizational solutions, and Chambers luxury linens - are marketed throughout the nation via direct mail catalogs. We also operate 370 (as of October 29, 2000) Williams-Sonoma, Pottery Barn and Hold Everything stores in 39 states and the District of Columbia. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. is based in San Francisco.
Business Challenge
Williams Sonoma wanted to re-architect their current content management tool to publish recipe's on their external website. The existing application was not sufficient to meet the changing needs of their business and internal processes, which included Workflow management, Image management and creating/editing Recipe's, Lunch/Dinner Menu's, Tips and Techniques for cooking. They also wanted to add new functionality and be able to do better content management.
MGS solution
Globus evaluated the current design of the tool and proposed a solution to re-architect the application using Object methodologies and Object based architecture. Globus used Allaire Spectra to implement the re-architected design and delivered it in 2.5 months. The new implementation took content management to the next level for Williams Sonoma. The Recipe section of their external website is now completely dynamic, displaying recipe's and menus depending on seasons.
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