Customers

The following are some of our customers and associated case studies:

Brookes Bates are a credit management company located in Pangbourne in Berkshire. They specialise in collecting debts owed to their clients.

They identified a need for a database package that:

Immediately made the detail of any client or debtor information available;
Facilitated the management of workflow from one business process to the next;
Provided the means to easily record events such as letters sent, money received, solicitors instructed;
Allowed the user to print batches of letters from the database on command;
Provided management summary reports on the performance of the business.

The result is an easy-to-use, multi-user Microsoft Access database application that is used constantly by seven staff.

The original version was produced in 1996 and has been reviewed and amended regularly since then to reflect changing business circumstances.

Super Books are a small chain of bookshops operating in the west of England.

They identified that quicker and more accurate reporting of sales quantities was required in order to run their business more efficiently. A computer-based system was needed to replace a manual system. In particular the buying department needed to know in more detail what categories of books were selling in what quantities and at which locations. The warehouse department needed to know the precise titles for restocking purposes.

After a thorough analysis of business processes, a detailed requirements specification was produced and agreed. This specified the creation of a database of book titles in the organisation, a goods inward and goods outward procedure, a system of barcode-reading each title sold and a series of daily and monthly reports. It also specified that the warehouse acquires sales information online from each of the shops on a daily basis.

The resultant software application provides the benefits of easy use, frequent management reports and a significant increase in the buying and stocking efficiency.

Dampa are a manufacturer of components and materials for ceilings in offices and shops.

Dampa UK identified a need to be able to construct and print quotations for new business easily and quickly.

The result is a database application that:

Stores details of all ceiling components and materials in a database
Allows the user to construct combinations of components via drop-down lists
Implements calculations regarding the combinations and quantities of components
Calculates prices for the target quotation

Atkins is one of the largest multi-disciplinary engineering consultancies in Europe. At its headquarters in Epsom, Surrey a need was identified to construct a number of software tools to assist both clients of Atkins and the consultancy itself at the departmental level.

Document Registration System

In 1996 Atkins Control and Communications division identified the need for a Windows based Document Registration System to replace an ageing system developed some 5 years earlier. The Registration System was required to support the Quality Assurance system that was accredited to ISO-9001.

Software was developed that provided the capability of registering details of any incoming or outgoing document or correspondence item. This has the benefit of allowing users to:

manage the workflow in closing out actions associated with each item
construct reports showing the number and type of documents received from various sources
retrieve details of outgoing documents for audit purposes
demonstrate that quality procedures were being followed.

Up to 20 administrators and engineers can simultaneously register documents and retrieve associated information

Quality Assurance Audit Management Database

In 1996 Atkins required a Microsoft Access database to assist its own Quality Assurance department in the management and recording of QA audits both within its own organisation and for external clients. The database identifies when audits are due; the results of the audits in terms of corrective actions required and tracks when those corrective actions have been signed off.

Management Information System

In 1995 Atkins commissioned a Management Information System for a high-profile MoD client. The database system was constructed in Microsoft Access and provided the following facilities for the management team:

Capture and tracking of high level project requirements through to acceptance
Identification and tracking of over 1000 requirement changes throughout the project;
Identification and management of funding and invoicing for all the changes.

Document Management System for Government Agency

In 1997 a need was identified for a Microsoft Access database application to assist in the management of controlled safety documents at a confidential government site.. The database tracks the issue and revision of hundreds of documents and can report who in the facility has copies of which issue of document. Historical information was successfully imported into the new database from an existing but ageing database owned by the client.

Psychological Investigation Tool

In 1998 Atkins identified a need to help the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA) on behalf of the Institute of Flight Safety of the Royal Air Force. A database software tool was constructed to assist in the analysis of the causes of military air accidents.

The multi-user database, written in Microsoft Access, captures the psychological causal factors associated with all kinds of aircraft mishaps and accidents. Such causal factors might be, for example, distraction, high task demand, excess zeal or life stress. Mishap details such as location, aircraft type, sortie type, manoeuvre type, etc complete the information captured.

A comprehensive querying facility is provided to allow detailed analysis, by a trained psychologist, of the numbers of mishaps and accidents that correspond to various logical combinations of the parameters entered. Trends and patterns in the mishaps can be explored and identified so that corrective recommendations can be issued.

The database was successfully employed throughout 1999 to analyse all recent mishaps and accidents suffered by the RAF.

A comprehensive financial software package was constructed for the Medical and Pharmaceutical Statistics Department of Reading University.

The software, based on Microsoft Access, records financial transactions such as invoices, purchases, expenses, cheques received and credit notes.