QAD .NET UI – Keeping it Simple

Stacy Elwood, BravePoint(with help from Bart Wardzinski, Lear

Corporation)MWUG March 2010

Agenda

IntroductionTop Business ChallengesProcess MapsBrowses Browse CollectionsSimplified/Configured ScreensQ & ANext Steps

Top Business Challenges

Implementing Common or Standard Processes

The “Need for Speed”

Knowledge Attrition

Maintaining Data Integrity

Staying current

Budget

How Lear and other companies are meeting these challenges with QAD .NET UI

Process Maps

Browses

Browse Collections

Simplified/Configured Screens

Process Maps

What they are:

–Visual process displays –Contain links to necessary screens or

reports–Contain links to training materials

Benefits:

–Reduce training time–Promote common “ways of working”–Promote enforcement of disciplines

• Daily tasks, weekly tasks, monthly tasks

–Ability to share “the big picture”

Example #1: Generic process maps

Sample of a QAD provided “top level” map

Example #2: Lear’s “Roles Based” approach

Roles Based Process Map MAIN MENU

1. This MAIN MENU appears when users sign on

2. OBJECTIVE: Organize the process maps and tasks (daily, weekly, monthly, as-needed) into a Roles based format

3. BENEFIT: Reinforces training and reduces time searching for procedures related to business process

Example #3: Roles for functional areas

Goal is to promote discipline by clearly showing “regular” tasks

– Daily task, weekly tasks , monthly tasks , and “as-needed” tasks

Example #4: Daily tasks for customer service

Objective– List the tasks (left hand column)– Show boxes for each step– Provide links to training materials

….

Task Steps to accomplish each task Training

TOOL Tip function to show brief text describing option

Swimlane objectives

– Show tasks done by multiple people

– Show sequence of tasks– Show “hand-off” to next

person

Example #5: Applying the swimlane concept

Additional Lear objective

– Reduce training time• Links to training materials• Links to potential problems

Links to training materials on Process Maps

Objectives:

–Provide links to short, “task specific” training materials

–Provide training on potential problems to watch for

Browses

Problem: Too many custom reports; too much paper

–Large portion of custom code is for reports–Too many “ream size” reports

Solution: Use Browses in place of reports Benefits for IT

–Single browse can replace multiple reports Benefits for users

–Ability to sort, filter, hide data–Single click dump to Excel or PDF–Higher productivity (less re-typing)

• More efficient to view data in electronic form

–“One Click” to update or correct the data

Browse – sample

Single browse can replace multiple reports (sorts, criteria, etc)

Single click extract to Excel and PDF

More efficient to review data on screen than printed (reduce re-typing)

One click go to update or correct the data

Browse Collections

What they are:

–Browses linked together on one screen

Benefits:

–Shows all the relevant data on the same screen

–Quick ‘drill-down’ to related information–Create one version of the truth

Simplified/Configured Screens

What they are:

–Screens tailored to match your business process

Benefits:

–Fields that are not used can be hidden to save keystrokes

–Fields can be required–Different templates allow sensitive

information to be controlled by user group

Questions?

Next Steps – Keep it Simple (KISS)

Keep everything in one place

IT has fewer “one-off” requests to handle

Share information

Streamline your business

Thank You!Stacy Elwood

selwood@bravepoint.com