Showcase - SMES in Central England

Redenet Limited, an independent software house situated in Warwickshire, (Central England region) UK has been working with the DBE to design, build and support a range of software packages and systems.

Email: info@redenet.co.uk
Tel: 0044 (0) 870 190 4119.


Overview of Redenet
Engagement background
Client base
High level architecture
Business value for Redenet and its clients

Overview of the Redenet

Redenet Limited is an independent software house situated in Alcester, Warwickshire, UK. They design, build and support a range of software packages and systems.
They rarely advertise, with most of their new business coming through referrals and recommendations.
A key aspect of Redenet’s development process is the GERM development tool kit, which enables the development of very sophisticated systems quickly and efficiently.

Redenet develops one of the UK’s leading Asbestos Management System – CORE.

They are also developing

- A Waste Management system

- A Water Management system

- An Internet based Consultant register

The majority of their software is multi-user Client-Server and web-enabled

They provide a software support service for their clients on both packaged and “bespoke” software. They also provide training where required.

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Engagement background

James Knowles, Redenet’s MD, attended a seminar organised by the UCE where he was introduced to the DBE concepts. Being a strong believer that IT can deliver significant business benefits to SME’s if the technology and its usage are applicable; but can also be a significant threat if not; he was keen to see a project undertaken to evaluate DBE’s strengths and weaknesses.
He has always believed that a technology can only be truly assessed by ‘getting down into the detail’ and implementing it in a live environment.
Having been exposed to other attempts to provide a plug and play application development environment with varying degrees of success, and having spent significant time in developing a tool kit that truly delivers this aspiration, he was keen to assess the DBE.
Obviously, Redenet being a SME, needed to define a project that was finite and could be completed within a reasonable budget, and to this end, it was decided to use one of our web-based application services – Consort.

Consort:

is a proven and commercially available product

its functionality seemed well suited to the DBE:

- Broad applicable usage

- Easily integrated into other web-based

applications at a functionality level.

The project to implement the CONSORT web service under the auspices of DBE was commenced in June 2005.

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Client base

Redenet’s users include British Airways, Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council, Cheltenham Borough Homes, etc.

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High level architecture

First phase
The first phase was to ensure that the project team understood:

The objectives of the DBE

The mechanics of the DBE

The objectives of our project

Responsibilities

Deliverables.

It became apparent for Redenet that the project itself would be the key driver in understanding the detail mechanics of the DBE and this would define the deliverables.
This was due to:

No commercial case study for us to dismember

Our inability to grasp the practical usage of DBE components from theoretical presentations.

Second phase
Using BML to prescribe Redenet and Consort.
This proved problematic owing to our ability to assimilate the BML manual information, this was partly due the fact that the manual seemed to be a translated document which lost some structure and meaning during translation.
Third phase
This was to upgrade the application to allow interfaces with the DBE by making available an Application Programmers Interface (API), which gave the full functionality for retrieving and storing data within Consort.
The API now makes it possible to develop an application which sits within the servENT environment.
Fourth phase
This was the implementation of the web service and DBE interface using DBE Studio. As Consort uses an html front-end it was necessary to create a new basic interface in java to allow consort to be used with the DBE. As there were no tools yet available for creating the interface within DBE Studio, Netbeans (a freely available Java IDE) was used for creating the UI and then imported into DBE studio. Consort itself has an API which accepts commands in XML, the new front end sends commands as WDDX packets to Consort, which returns results in the same form, to be displayed by the Consort DBE interface.

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Business value for Redenet and its clients

Consort is and will be a benefit to users in many business sectors. Currently, it is used in the Insurance Sector, but the next targeted sector will be the e-commerce sector; because:

Potential clients will have the technical infrastructure required (e.g. web sites)

Potential client users will be e-business savvy, else they would not be using an e-commerce site

There is a definite need; e.g. for complaints, suggestions, queries, etc

A DBE type concept is already utilised i.e. e-commerce sites are already an amalgamation of different components; e.g. actinex, paypal, etc.

E-commerce companies will have business partners; including, Purchasers, Couriers & Suppliers.

It is envisaged that e-commerce sites will have a link via the DBE to CONSORT data services, where their clients will enter communication information.
E-commerce personnel will process these communications and will either respond or forward the information. If the information is forwarded (e.g. to a courier, insurer, etc) they will be able to utilise the DBE or consort’s own Web services environment; whichever is applicable. The communication can be passed forwards and backwards as applicable; with case history being retained. See overleaf for business and technical schematics.
Clients using CONSORT via the DBE will have the following functions:

Complaints

Late/non delivery

Wrong product

Damaged goods

Missing items

Over charging

Queries

Expected delivery date

These functions will be supported by pre formatted forms.
These form formats are easily configurable within CONSORT so allowing for the service to evolve easily and quickly.
The benefits all parties will accrue are:

High standard security – non email based and no data moves between users

No special software investment

Quick implementation

Structured data, ensuring accuracy and consistency

Full history of claim available at a glance

Sensitive information is blocked from being viewed by unauthorised parties

Secure from viruses.

Consort Business Schematic Consort Technical Schematic

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©Redenet 2005