Challenge
Tailor-made software
It was time to find a new solution for a grain management system as the previously used Synon development tool had reached the end of it’s life cycle. CBH wanted to modernise their “green-screen” based system to Windows and web graphical user interfaces and include new functionalities.
The requirement was to rewrite and upgrade the core business system that encompassed many critical business processes across the entire supply chain, such as production estimates, weighing, storage management, accounting, marketing, billing and transportation.
Not only CBH’s head quarters and receivalpoints, but also the affiliated partners such as growers, marketers, consultants and transporters should be able to use the system. This created a challenge as these partners are located all over Australia, some in remote areas.
Solution
For the corporate office and fixed receival points, an Integrated Business Information System (IBIS) was developed; external parties such as farmers or transporters were given access through a Web solution called LoadNet® which is integrated with IBIS. The solution provides transparency and allows a smooth interaction between CBH Group and its stakeholders in both directions.
The technology used comprised iSeries, Visual LANSA, LANSA for the Web and LANSA Integrator.
LoadNet® functions as an online 24/7 grain management control centre for individual partners across the entire supply chain; for example
- Farmers can enter estimates, optimise revenue by blending various grain qualities online, track deliveries and payments, sell grain online and give authorisation to consultants
- Marketers and consultants can review acquired grain,transfer grain online, use online forms and upload
- Contract information
- Transporters can monitor loads and weights and much more.
No matter which role the user has, LoadNet® provides an informative overview in function-specific dashboards. Users can drill down into as much information as they need; furthermore, they can export
data to other popular software packages.
Result
LoadNet® has been in use since 2004 and IBIS since 2005 without any unplanned downtime. The system has proven to be very robust and has continuously evolved. For example, Lateral supported CBH Group by developing web services to deliver data to the state-of-the-art mobile version of LoadNet®. We also developed interfaces to a control system monitoring a rail tracking transportation system that is integrated in IBIS.
With their bespoke solution, CBH Group is well equipped for future challenges as IBIS and LoadNet® allow CBH Group to quickly react to ever changing market conditions.
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