Flexible Products Company

Small Company
BIG System
 Flexible Products Company

• Largest Independent Polyurethane Systems

House in North America
• Revenue 100+ Million- Growing 15%/yr
• Sell Similar Products Into Different Markets
– Consumer, Construction, Industrial, Packaging
• Multi-Site, Multi-National
– Marietta, GA, Joliet, IL, Austin TX
– Toronto, CAN
– London, UK
 Reasons for Running
Oracle Applications
• Open System- Ability to Use Data With
MS Office Applications
• Enterprise Install
– Centralize IS, G&A, Customer Service, and
Technical Support Functions
• NCA/Internet Architecture
– Minimal WAN bandwidth (56k is OK)
• Future Development (11i and beyond)
Implemented Oracle Modules

• Accounting Applications
– General Ledger
– Accounts Payable
– Accounts Receivable
• Manufacturing/Customer Service Applications
– Inventory Control
– Order Entry
– Purchasing
– Bills Of Material
– Cost Management
– Engineering
– EDI Gateway
 Ancillary Programs

• Scope (now part of PeopleSoft)

– Forecasting
– MRP
– Capacity Planning
• Gentran
– EDI Translator
• Jetform Central
– Plain Paper Forms Server
Computer Infrastructure
• Dec Alpha 2100 Database Server
– 3 Processor (300mhz), 1Gb Memory
– True64 Unix
• Dec Alpha 2100 Standby/Development Server
– 1 Processor (300mhz), 512Mb Memory
• Dell 6350 NT Middle Tier
– 2 Processor (500mhz), 1Gb Memory
• Dell 6100 NT Backup for Middle Tier
– 2 Processor (Pro 200mhz), 1.5 Gb Memory
• Dell Pentium Workstations 150mhz to 600mhz
 Network Infrastructure
• MCI Frame Relay (512K Marietta & Joliet,
56K Austin, 56k Toronto, 64k England)
• 1Mb Internet
– Domestic Locations-Global Crossing
– International Locations- UUNet
• ISDN/Cable Modem/DSL Backup
• Cisco and Ascend Routers
– SonicWall Routers for VPN
• SMC and DLINK Switches and Hubs
 10.7 Implementation
• Divisional Approach
– Corporate ( Mar-May 1997)
• GL, AP
– Marietta Manufacturing (May-Aug 1997)
• AR, OE, IC, PO, Interface To Cimpro Process Mfg
• FPC Custom Process MFG (Dec 1997)
– Joliet Division (Sept ‘97-Feb 1998)
• BOM, Cost, Eng, EDI, Tank Tracking (FPC App)
– NCA Upgrade (May-June 1998)
– Market Conversion/Centralization/Calendar Year (Nov-Jan 1998)
– London Distribution (Dec 1998)
• OE, IC, Manual Interface to Sage
– Austin Manufacturing (Nov-Dec 1998)
• FPC Process Mfg, BOM, IC
– Toronto Manufacturing (Nov-Dec 1999)
– Chart of Account Conversion (Dec-Jan 1999)
– London Accounting (Feb 2000)
 EDI- Lessons Learned
Bill Drozda- MIS Director
• Twenty Five Major Trading Partners
• Inbound Data
– Purchase Orders (850)
– Freight Invoices (210/980)
– Invoice Discrepancies (864)
– Payment Order / Remittance Advice (820) via Bank
– Functional Acknowledgments (997)
• Outbound Data
– Invoices (810)
– Advanced Shipping Notices (856)
– Functional Acknowledgments (997)
EDI X12 Transactions Currently In Use

• 810 Invoice (Outbound)

• 820 Payment Order / Remittance Advice (Inbound)
• 850 Purchase Order (Inbound)
• 856 Ship Notice / Manifest (Outbound)
• 210 Motor Carrier Freight Details & Inv. (Inbound)
• 864 Text Message (Invoice Discrepancy) (Inbound)
• 997 Functional Acknowledgment (In & Out)
 Future EDI Transactions Required

• 810 Invoice (Out)

• 812 (Debit / Credit Advice) (In & Out)
• 816 Organizational Relationships (In)
• 820 Payment Order / Remittance Advice (Out)
• 830 Planning Schedule with Release Capability (In)
• 832 Item Synchronization (In & Out)
• 850 Purchase Orders (Out)
• 856 Ship Notice / Manifest with SCC 128 Bar Code (In & Out)
• 857 Shipment & Billing Advice (Out)
• 940 Warehouse Shipment Order (Out)
• 945 Warehouse Shipment Advice (In)
 EDI LESSONS LEARNED
Oracle EDI Gateway is Only One Piece of the
EDI Puzzle
• Translating Data - Gentran NT Server
– EDI to Printed Output
– EDI to Flat Files
– Flat Files to EDI
• Communications
– VAN - Sterling Commerce
– Direct Connect - Some Customers
• Oracle EDI Gateway
– Transaction Set Up
– Trading Partner Set Up
– Import & Export of Oracle Application Data
 EDI LESSONS LEARNED
Oracle EDI Gateway is Only One Piece of the
EDI Puzzle
• Customizations
– Programming & Testing Translator Maps Takes Time (Customer\Version
Specific)
– Required Data May Not Be In Oracle Applications (Flexfields)
– Oracle EDI Gateway May Not Extract Required Data (Extension
tables)
– Need to Warehouse Inbound Data or Build XREF for Outbound Data
• Customer Part / Our Part
• Our Part / UPC
• Oracle Address / Customer - Supplier Site Code
– Edit / Update Programs to Ensure EDI Data Integrity
– Print / EDI Routines (Oracle Does Not Support Both)
– Address Maintenance (AR & EDI Gateway Trading Partners)
• Redundant
• Synchronization Problems
 EDI LESSONS LEARNED
Oracle EDI Gateway is Only One Piece of the
EDI Puzzle
• Customizations (Continued)
– Control Reports to Monitor Errors & Data Flow Status
• VAN / Direct to Translator & Vice Versa
• Translator to Oracle & Vice Versa
• VAN / Direct to & from Trading Partner
 Development
Dan Crowley- Director of MIS

• We do not modify Oracle Code

• Use Oracle Interface Tables
• Oracle PL/SQL
• MS Visual Basic Development Tools
– Less expensive
– Easier to use
– ODBC fast enough
 Custom Applications
• Custom Forms (Jetform Central™)
– PO, Invoice, Statement, Check,
– Packing Slip and Bill of Lading
• EDI Edit and Update processing
• Tank Tracking
• Batch Ticket Processing
• Quality Assurance Testing
• Quick Order Entry
 The Future
• WEB Interface to the Data Warehouse
• Internet WAN- VPN
– Eliminate Frame Relay Private Lines
• Lower cost, higher bandwidth, better performance
• Convert VB Apps to Internet Interface
• 11i
• Scanned Attachments
• WEB Procurement
• E-Commerce
• Oracle Front Office Modules