|
List of documents: |
For this reasons the partner in Lisbon asked to the EC offices to have a contractual amendment that enable the project to accomplish the activities within June 2001 instead of December 2000. Anyway, waiting for the official answer from the EC offices, the partners consider that anyway the activities will continue until March 2001, that is the expiration date of the present contract (without amendment). Thus a further cost statement and report of activities will be made anyway, after March 2001 or after June 2001.
This explains why this report is not the conclusive report of activities.
The period has been characterised by
- The process to exchange the orders and fabric availability information between the users, the retailer and the supplier has been simplified and it has been decided to use the XML messages to transmit orders instead of the more heavy and costly EDI communication architecture. The new process has been fully implemented and tested.
- The release of two versions of the system in the shop version, complete with all the modules planned (Catalogue, Backoffice, Order processor, Body Measurement Assistant, Colour Management applets, Texture mapping module, etc).
-
All the modules were well integrated and the testing
process is at 90% completed; the only exception is the Scanfit module that
require a bit more of integration activities. (The Internet Customer and sales
representatives versions will be made available with few specific adaptations in
the next period starting from the Shop version). The test activities resulted
particularly expensive in terms of time and human resources, mainly due to the
complexity of the process implemented in the construction of the
'made-to-measure' order. Three videoconference were organised to debate the
points of the test activities.
The Internet and Sales
Representative have a bit of delay in respect of the shop version because the
process and the interface is substantially the same and it has been considered
more productive first to fix one basic version, than to create the
differentiated versions. A second reason is that in September a difficulty of
communication and relationships there has been with one of the partner involved
in this versions as pilot user (AlFerano and its commercial agreement with
Hitman).
- A first version of the user manuals has been released.
- The loading of the system is almost complete, with data and images that are the test set that will be used also for the trial activities with real customers. The reference garment and fabrics has been already sent to the retailer organisation. A specific evaluation of the quality and sizes of the images has been made to enhance the appearance of the fabrics in the poststamps.
- The first WEB site for the trial activities in store has been set up in the COIN center of Mestre, while AlFerano is setting up its own site.
- The system has been approved by the marketing responsible of Hitman and Coin, while AlFerano will do it in the next period
In the cost statement there are some main aspects that should be pointed out:
- the human resources necessary to outperform the test and correction activities resulted a bit exceeding the planned ones, this affected the activities of Neosis (directly involved in the test) and Enea (involved in the co-ordination activities).
- Also Hitman and Coin were strongly involved in the test activities but, on the other hand, they were not able to deploy all the planned human resources because the trial activities with real customer did not started until the end of the reported period. AlFerano had a minor involvement in the testing activities and so contributed with a very small amount of human resources. It is reasonable that with the start of the trial activities the human resources planned will be completely deployed by the pilot users.
- Hitman moved some of its costs from personnel to third party because decided to rely on the support of third party to realise the adaptations to its internal information management system that, before, were planned with internal resources; the reason is that the internal human resources are engaged in other (urgent) activities of the company and waiting for them should have produced further delay. With the third party CVC Veneto, that makes part of this activity, there are also contacts to enable this company to support Ishtar in its software product (STEALTH).
- The expenses for travels where strongly reduced thank to the large use of Video Conference (three in this period) and e-mail services together with software to remotely control the servers (for example Hitman loads data and images directly on the server of Neosis -initially- and COIN -successively- via Internet, Neosis set up the COIN server via remote control without going to Mestre). This had an effect on the cost statements of all the partners.
-
The costs of equipments and consumables were strongly
reduced in respect of the planned because
a) the cost
of the hardware was reduced in respect of the planning date (1998)
b) all the partners, in parallel with the activity of the
project, performed other activities related with Internet, that made available
equipments and software that were shared with Ishtar
c)
a certain delay of the development activities postponed the necessity to buy
equipments and software (and the depreciation algorithm employed for the
equipment is still based on the dead line of the activities at December
2000).
Two general meetings were organised in Bologna (July) and Lisbon (October) in the ENEA and Neosi structures rispectively; and some videoconferences were organised to speed up the test of the modules of the catalogue and of their integration.
After the meetings, reports (see references A, B) were produced with the decisions and the comments of all the partners.
The WEB site of Ishtar (http://server1.pisa.enea.it/ishtar) has been furthermore updated with new pages and updated information, with a specific section about 'Public Events' and about test of components (http://server1.pisa.enea.it/Ishtar/test/ippsa_Tests.asp).
During the meeting of Lisbon the partners decided to ask to the EC offices for a delay of the dead line of the activities, asking for a contractual amendment, and a new workplan has been produced and sent to the EC offices (see reference C and D).
A document about the 'Learnt Lessons' from the management of the project was produced and sent to the EC offices in September (see reference E).
In the period September – October the co-ordinator made a check of the status of the partnership with one of the partners (AlFerano) because, due to some lacks in communication together with some misunderstanding with Hitman, it was considered necessary to analyse and reinforce the relationship; after a meeting in Bologna all the problems seems solved and the activities restarted (see reference W).
- WP 2.1, selection of technologies
- WP 2.2, adapting available technologies
- WP 2.3 customer and market requirements
- WP 2.4, System architecture and design
The systems to process the order have been accomplished in the parts regarding the catalogue and the front-end of the supplier of garments; the modules to manage the order inside the supplier company are not completed.
The activities regarded the revision of the processes of order creation, the management of the XML order messages to exchange information between the supplier organisation and the retailer.
The reason was the necessity to find a better compromise between accuracy of the information to the customers and the performance in terms of reactivity of the user interface. It has been decided to renew the process and to implement differentiated policy in the system (see reference G, H). This added complexity to the supplier and retailer side of the system.
For these and other internal reasons, Hitman declared that until March it should be almost impossible to complete the changes in the internal company information system to process automatically the orders. Other effects were a delay in the development and test processes (see reference I).
The development of all the modules of the catalogue and of the backoffice were accomplished; the first version was released in August 2000 and a second (with several bugs fixed) has been released in November. The loading activies started in parallel with the test activities.
About the catalogue, only the changes specific for the channels based on Internet Customers and Sales Representatives still remain to be realised together with the integration between ScanFit (the body scanner) and the BMA module.
As for the activities described in WP 2.5, the partial redesign of the processes to exchange orders and availability information between retailer and supplier had effects also in this package introducing a bit more of complexity in the catalogue.
The modules to assist the user in the sizing process (BMA) were accomplished, integrated in the system and also updated (see references J, K, L, M ); moreover some little adjustment will be made in the interface between the module and the catalogue that has been redesigned to fully use the same database of the navigator.
The backoffice was completed to support the loading of the databases of the system and to customise it and its interface.
The supplier (Hitman) loaded the main part of the data (see references N) for the trial activities in the system (textual information and images) that are used as test set for the activities of integration (WP 2.7). A new definition of the sizes and the quality of the images to be employed has been defined after the initial tests.
The applets of the Colour management system were accomplished and integrated in the catalogue, all the problems have been solved (see reference O)
A second version of the Texture mapping module was accomplished, but some problem arising from the quality of images still are not totally satisfactory.
A release of the user documentation has been written and used to setup and test the system (see reference s P, Q).
WEB sites of Neosis:
http://neoshop2.neosis.pt/ishshops
http://neoshop2.neosis.pt/ishman
In the reported period the activities of testing and fixing required a large amount of time.
A plan of test and a test set of data were established (see references R, S) and the test were realised with a cyclic approach: release of the system, test, fixing and new release.
Two factors made the test activities extremely time consuming:
- the complexity of the functionalities to be tested required the co-presence of people of different skills (from retailer and supplier companies together) and obliged to check a lot of path that the customer could follow in the interface of the system
- the geographical distance between the partners required a great effort of communication: many messages and documents were exchanged via e-mail or put in the repository (about 21 documents or group of documents were created in the repository), three videonference were organised to discuss the problems (see references T)
At the end of the period the tests were almost accomplished and the system resulted quite stable.
None specific activity was performed in this period.
The web sites of COIN has been completely set-up and a process to keep the software updated as a replica of the development web site of Neosis has been set up (see references U, V).
Presently the sites of Coin and Neosis work with the software updated and aligned, any intervention on the web site of Coin is performed remotely by the personnel of Neosis, while the personnel of Hitman and Coin work to fill it with data and images.
The web sites of Alferano will be accomplished in the next period; AlFerano is preparing the server system, but still it is not running with the Ishtar package.
The whole system has been presented to people responsible of marketing both in Hitman and in Coin, while in AlFerano this will happen as soon as the system will be set up.
Hitman provided to AlFerano and Coin the reference garments and the bunch of fabric samples to support the trial sales activities (both in store and with sales representatives, the reference garments are necessary to support the activities).
WEB sites of Gruppo Coin:
http://www.ishtar.gruppocoin.it/ishshops
http://manager.ishtar.gruppocoin.it/ishman
Participation to a cycle of meetings for the SMEs about technology innovation, organised by Enea and Fondazione Aldini Valeriani, in the framework of the project Outreach. In this framework the Ishtar project has been presented as a case study for the textile sector. Note that the project Outreach is already funded by the EC and thus the costs of this participation were not included in the cost statements of Ishtar.
Hitman and ENEA are being in contact with an Italian software supplier of Information Management Systems in the textile sector (CVC Veneto) to create an agreement that enable the product of this company (STEALTH) to support the supplier side of Ishtar.
Organization of the new meeting in Bologna (July) and of three videoconference (Bologna-Lisbon), participation to the meeting in Lisbon (October); reinforcement of the partnership between the partner facing some problems arised between Alferano and Hitman; monitoring and co-ordination of the testing and integration activities and of the discussion about the user interface with a work about the guidelines for the images to be loaded as post stamps; activity of reporting and problem resolution; maintenance and update of the Ishtar web site supporting the project (http://server1.pisa.enea.it/ishtar); release of the 'Learnt lessons' document required by the EC officer in charge for the project, that required a consistent effort to be accomplished.
With the support of the subcontractor CNR-ITIM, Enea released also the last version of the Colour management System based on the two applets (Calibration and Visualisation) that are fully integrated in the system. The integration with the Navigator module has been completely tested and approved.
Further ENEA promotes the made-to-measure concepts and the Ishtar project creating awareness with the participation in specific initiatives toward the SMEs.
Target: implement pilot software platform for testing and training purposes, prepare people and infrastructure runninmg the system
Project coordination work: meeting in Bologna with the Co-ordinator (Enea) for discussion and implementation of next steps. Discussion and exchange with technical project partners with respect to the status of the technical systems.
- Coordination of the activities for the relevant WP
- Check status of Ishtar pilot site
- Write report on the Ishtar catalogue and pilot site
- Communication with partners on the further improvement of the site
- Setting up AlFerano server
- Work on commercial agreement with other partners
- Integrate new people into AlFerano project team.
For the semester in reference, it has been taken the completion of the algorithms and software forms for the applicative BMA. The completion of these forms has taken account of the technical exigencies and observations introduced by the different partners, keeping anyway the structure stood out from the technical analysis. The forms that compose the BMA that has been completed are:
1. Manual introduction of anthropometrical data form: user interface and guide to the body measurements taking (rif § 1.5 and part of 1.3 of doc. ADO-003Block-ben3 (1).doc);
2. Congruence control form for anthropometric measures (rif. § 1.1 of doc. ADO-003Block-ben3(1).doc);
3. Size and Drop search form, “CERCATAGLIA/DROP”, following the anthropometric measures (rif. § 1.2 of doc. ADO-003Block-ben3(1).doc);
4. Form for the local print of the anthropometric schedule.
All these forms has been tested in working, giving positive answers concerning acquisition of measures, in control of themselves and in size identification, and the working of BMA has been integrated with Neosis database. Only some small points of the integration should be faced in the next period.
For what concerns the automatic measures taking using the ScanFit® system and the consequent identification of the anthropometric category belonging the Cad Modelling methodology, that means the develop of the following forms:
1. Automatic measuring and identification form (ScanFit® system; § 0 of doc. ADO-003Block-ben(1).doc);
2. Anthropometric identification form following the methodology and classes of Cad Modelling (ScanFit®; § 0 of doc. ADO-003Block-ben3(1).doc);
it has to be finished the develop of the ScanFit® system capacities for taking some measurement fields that are foreseen for the BMA, that has to be remembered doesn’t go on the control operations, size searching and printing of the personal schedule without the completing of all the fields of the requested measures. The bearing and anthropometric classification system ScanFit® of Cad Modelling, doesn’t need the bearing of all the fields of the BMA to go on with the identification of the conformations class, but to answer the exigencies of the partners that requested the taking of all the measures in case the customers was making himself available, we have proceeded to the develop of an accessory implementation not finished yet.
Actually are in definition phase the architectures of the algorithms for the elaboration of the data that ScanFit® supplies from its bearing session, to obtain the supplement measures requested by BMA.
|
Activity |
Description |
End
date |
|
|
This period was mainly spent in test of Software Products developed by Neosis: - BACK OFFICE -
NAVIGATOR |
|
|
2.4.1 2.4.7 |
Orders (activity in collaboration with Hitman) During this period, newly, the argument “Order” was tuned and refined non only for exchange of information between Retailer and Supplier but, mainly, for information needs regarding the Customer. In details: Fabric availability The Fabric availability verification starts at the beginning of sales day and is inspected during the day at the Garments selection activity, Colours simulation and Order delivery. The availability verification knows different steps: Fabric booking and
un-booking (during Garment selection and Rendering) Fabric block and un-block (during Order sending activity) - Clean-up activities (at the end of day for non completed operations) The accuracy of this information depends from the definition of the amount of fabric that is necessary for “family” of Garments (Jacket – Suit – Trousers – Gilet).
Garment data After some refinements about Garment DB structure and information to be managed, for every Garment we have defined:
-
The typology of Garment models that
materialise the offering to our Customer i.e.: -
3
jackets and suit models with 2 buttons - single brest -
3
jackets and suit models with 3 buttons - single brest -
3
jackets and suit models with 4 buttons - double brest - 2 different trousers models - 2 different gilet models
-
The “Price Policy” between Coin and Hitman i.e.: -
No over price for Adaptations -
No over price for Personalization - No price difference if the jacket is 2 or 3 buttons - single or double brest The Price changes in relation with the type and quality of Fabric -
The Price is shown to Customer and Sales Personnel as
a “reference price” for: -
Jacket -
Suit - Trousers -
Gilet according to the Fabric chosen
-
Every Garment is identified with a specific Code
according to Coin’s coding conventions and rules - Every Garment is identified with a specific EAN 13 Code
- The Code changes only if the Price changes and vice-versa Data flow for Orders Operations. After the definitions and formalisms for the use of FTP Server and Client between Coin and Hitman, we start the activation of Server and SW for this type of data transmission. Definition,
activation and test of Security aspects and Policy necessary
for connections between 3 Company engaged in this: - Coin - Hitman - Neosis The FTP protocol is used for the transmission of data using the XML convention without forgetting all main lines derived from EDI and from EDI transformed for “made to measures” processes. Order Transmission All different types of XML files are tested at the beginning from Neosis and Hitman and now from Coin and Hitman. The in Store
organisation process, requires that before the sending of an Order, the
Sale people requires from Coin’s Host a new order number. This number,
provided from “In Store Order Generation ” process must be
manually inputed into the Order before it’s send to Supplier. Order Printout All we agree that is
important and necessary as a completion of the process, the production of
an “In Store Document” that is: - for the Customer the summarisation of all order elements : -
it’s Identification – all Delivery
aspects -
all Products and their Costs -
for every item are listed all Changed Measures – all
Adaptations – all Personalization - for every item are listed Garment and Fabric codes, prices and images. Order DB: statistical analysis This chapter remains to be tested. All Definitions and samples were defined. .
|
End of November
End of September
End of October
Half of July
End of October
End of October
End of November
To be completed
To be completed |
|
2.6 |
Catalogue This aspects is
managed into the Back Office product. We have discussed
and tested different set of images selecting between image quality, image
dimension, and on screen position for: - Garments : thumbs nails images – medium images – zoomed images - Fabric: thumbs nails images – medium images – zoomed images - Details - Sketch
Garments Images During the test
of
Render operations we note that Garment’s images sent back from
Server to Store’s PC where not well contoured. Render tuning
parameters
were not able to produce improvement and we ask to Hitman the
production of
new high quality (no digitalized ) images. We scan these images, we repeated the grid process and some improvements were obtained. Anyway for every
images is
always necessary to resize and recontour and
select
the best quality (number of dot per inch. Fabric Images A part of Fabric’s
Image imported from CNR-MI files were not useful for render activity. Mainly for striped and squared fabrics the received image was not good for apply to Render operations. We bought a new high
quality Scanner an we start to re-scan all fabric’s pieces. We mange every images with different graphic’s SW products for obtain useful images. Every image is applied to a Garment’s image and with many trials we search the best compromise between final result, aspect and dimensional ratio. We have defined groups of Fabric (what is named “part” ) and we have introduced into the Navigator the functionality that help to choose Fabrics according to this selection criteria. New version of Render Product
From our Supplier
DGS we, finally, obtain the new version of the render SW Product. It’s easier to use than before, stable and simple. It produces new type
of files
and than
we was engaged to built a new interface necessary for the launch
from the Navigator. |
Activity in progress Second part of December. Activity in progress Activity in progress Half of December |
|
4.1.16 |
Back Office After the design and the
software develo, we (Coin and Hitman) start the test phase. We have asked and forced
Neosis
to develop tool, functionality and new software parts for improve and make
easier the load of data and their control and the update. It was difficult but now
we have an acceptable product even if some activities (mainly for control) are
heavy and should be better to remake. The amount of data and their relationship, some architectural difficulties was and are very time consuming. Actually this activity is almost completed, thanks to Hitman that is the main actor in this. |
During all this period |
|
4.1.16 |
Navigator The test of this Software
Product was critic and we (Coin and Hitman) were
heavy engaged in activities for test, explain errors and describe
concepts and solutions to Neosis. The slowness
of
connections lines was (and in part is today) a problem. Also the not well managed versioning of software modules and their interaction with the main part was a problem. Last but non least, important was the difficulty for transfer into the Navigator important aspects and details of the sales process and, in deep, for “made to measure” products. The test and the tuning of the Navigator was the most important activity of this period. |
During all this
period and actually in progress |
|
2.4.1 2.4.9 |
Measures and Measurements The Measurement process was
discussed during previous period and when we test it into the Navigator
main parts have to be improved and completed. The interaction
between measures derived from DB and modifications needs, was one of most
important aspect to this process: -
input of variations needed -
their control and verification - their explanation using sketch and showing the range of “standard accepted values” - the “force” functionality that impose measures need even if out of admitted ranges - the immediate logical link to personalization and adaptation Also the
relationship and interface with CadModeling measure (BMA module) were tested. |
From July to September - And from October to November |
|
……… |
Rendering Software We have forced our software Supplier DGS ( a third Party) to develop a new release of the “Portrait” Software and finally, at the beginning of December – with a tremendous delay - we were able to test it with satisfaction. Before we have used
a non stable and not performance version of “Portrait” . We have
developed
different modules for it’s use in web-version. We have developed also a module for it’s use outside of the Navigator just for accelerate the work of tuning the Render Process. (see Fabrics - above) |
From July to December
|
|
. . . . . . . . |
Store Layout
We met our Store Layout Managers for defining the store’s area to be used for our Project in the Store of Milano Piazza 5 Giornate. We define where install the PC and its Printer We have installed
the Internet/Intranet connection line: we choose ADSL We define the furnishings: - a big photo on the wall in this area -
a panel that describes the Project
and the
“this New Service” for our Customers - all appropriate devices for the characterization of this area. |
End of September |
|
. . . . . . . . |
Training and Store Layout
Only few test with
Expertise and functionality verification. None activities for training and
onsite
tests: the reason is the Project’s delay. |
|
|
General Activity |
General Project Activities Intense mailing activity - discussions
– exchange of documents and files. Documents
Preparation for and Participation to: -
Bologna Ishtar Meeting -
Lisbon Ishtar Meeting Videoconferences (18 September – 23 October – 09 November) Meetings with DGS
about Rendering Software Product and annex problems Specialised Meetings
with Hitman for tests about Back Office and Navigator |
During all the period |
NoteDuring this period, we ask to ENEA the necessity to ask , and obtain, to E.C. more time for complete all activities. This period was full of problems about complexity of operations and concepts to be translated into applications and functionality for the Navigator and for the Back Office. The distance, the language, the very fast “distance” concerning concepts and aspects about the world just for Garment Supplier than for Retailer Company, have increased the difficulties for Neosis to release an acceptable product. Meeting, Videoconferences and a lot of communications was the leverage used for obtain a really useful product: for these reasons we spent more time that was estimated. Also the time to
load the Back Office was and is more than estimated. About
this I think that some concepts and solution should be
better and easiest realised. Today it’s necessary to start the installation, to train people, to prepare the store-area lay out and to test in field. |
Activity Descriptions End date
4.2.5 DB Loaded 30/09/2000
Loading of data on the Back Office server Lisbona , for the necessity
Of pilot site COIN
4.2.6 Prepare and send BUNCH and photo and trial garment for COIN shop site and AlFerano
4.2.7 Study of system supplier in Hitman with the system technical people 30/11/2000
And generate the diagram chart.
At the December 31, 2000 the project to generate availability on the server
Hitman is ready , the project to import the XML order files is at 40 percentage
Of the total project for production system.
4.3 System Test 31/12/2000
Beginning from July to December for the Back Office and The Navigator on
Coin’shop continuous test and revision have been made.
In detail:
The Back Office
See documents named “problembackoffice n “ n = from 1 to 10 in the repository (reference T), for the database table, the new data base table , the new function implemented . the data arranged with
New image for suit, new image for sketch , personalizations , adaptations with a range a accepted values and sketch to take a measures.
New police to insert a price of supplier and retailer
New printout of data inserted for control it .
Those points have engaged a lot of time , mainly for explain the error and the our request.
The Navigator
See documents named “problemnavigatorshop n n = from 1 to 16 in the repository (reference T).
In details
The navigation maps
(Where system goes when I click on button ……..)
The project about booking, unbooking block and unblock , in some mode =
Normal
Fast
Training
Off line
The construction XML orders files, to obtain a files for transmission to Host.
The possibility to have a fast choice for garment and fabric .
The new map for measures , with
Sketch for help image to take measures , to have range of accepted values
The new map for BAG and send order
The printout order
The new admitted control for suit , with the measures of jacket and of trouser
The test of BMA modules where is a body measures reported into the map of the measures
Other verification still again in progress.
Mailing activity - translation – documents to prepare it . 31/12/2000
Document preparation to
Bologna meeting
Lisbon meeting
Videoconference
Specialised meetings for tests with Coin about , Back office and navigator
Translation and interpretation of documents and e-mail.
In this period Lectra participated the general activities of the project (like the meetings in Bologna and Lisbon) and supported the activities of Hitman to design the integration of the Fitnet 2 module in their information management system (that should be accomplished within the next peiod).
As it was done in the last report period (1st January – 30th June 2000), so we was done in the current period of time between 1 July and 31 December 2000, in terms of recovering from all the project delays. This purpose was accomplished and Neosis reduced the number of persons working for this project.
However Neosis came across with the need to make some extra developments, which weren’t planned nor budgeted. Those extra developments are of a great importance in order to adjust the project to the real needs of pilot users; adapt and redefine business rules; give the project a universal meaning so that it can be used by others, as well as incorporate the state of art of technology in order to maintain the project technological options as actual as possible. Concerns with the simultaneous languages and currencies support, concerns with the type and quality of the project customers connectivity and the warranty of a quality service even if one of the project pipeline pieces doesn’t work properly, were all taken in consideration and incorporated in this project.
In some modules NEOSIS has made
developments aiming the implementation of new functionality’s and correction of
some of the existing ones, doing this in a record time. To do so, we took
advantage of parallel development and work at weekends and holidays.
Unfortunately, sometimes the recovering of problems has not been very fast and
some of them
were carried out for many releases before
to be completely solved or approved. Therefore some delays happened in which
concerns project timing.
Also at a technological level we have came across some unlikeness among the partners, which forced Neosis to develop some functionality’s or adapt some of the existent ones as way to easier it’s use and storage, being the ISHTAR back office and order and reservation XML module, two perfect examples. NEOSIS has also rendered administrative and system configuration services in order to fill in some of the partners technical difficulties.
Of the above considerations we have to mark that, on one side we have recovered from all the delays, and on the other hand we have introduced more developing hours as a result of new functionality’s and restructuring some existent ones, which caused some delays in the final pilot users test.
In the next points a detailed documentation can be found in form of tables and schedules detailed documentation in form of tables and schedules, etc, that describe the ISHTAR NEOSIS activity during the semester described in this report. Some of this activity will be continued during the first months of 2001, so for information concerning future activities the point 4.7 should be consulted.
The following table shows NEOSIS allocate people in the project, the number of work hours of each of those persons and its distribution by months.
|
|
Jul 2000 |
Aug 2000 |
Sep 2000 |
Out 2000 |
Nov2000 |
Dec 2000 |
Total |
|
Project Manager |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Carlos Carvalho |
|
|
2 |
2 |
14 |
10 |
28 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Technical Manager |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Fernando Milhano |
50 |
|
57 |
40 |
40 |
80 |
267 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Technical People |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Joviano Silva |
86 |
65 |
94 |
65 |
117 |
95 |
522 |
|
Nuno Fonseca |
65 |
38 |
65 |
135 |
117 |
65 |
485 |
|
Alexandre Yip |
86 |
|
65 |
117 |
117 |
68 |
453 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1755 |
Table I - hour/man/month project allocation
The following table shows the allocation hour/man per work package.
|
|
Total Hours planned and budgeted |
Hours used in this period |
Additional Hours spent in this period in extra
development not planned and budgeted |
% of total hours budgeted and executed / % of conclusion |
WP 2.6 |
|
|
|
|
|
- Catalogue Sw development |
1800 |
109 |
230 |
100 % / 100% |
|
- Construction of Customer db |
300 |
140 |
120 |
100 % / 100% |
|
- Packaging of the application and documentation |
750 |
277 |
|
100 % / 100% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
WP 2.7 |
|
|
|
|
|
- Functional tests, measurement assistance ,cm, texture mapping, order system, supplier internal system |
375 |
65 |
92 |
100% / 100% |
|
- Integration of the e-catalogue and cm/as/re n modules |
225 |
25 |
|
100% / 100% |
|
- Integration test of the retailer side sub system |
150 |
35 |
240 |
100% / 100% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
WP 3.1 |
|
|
|
|
|
-IPR- Analysis of cost/benefits about the copy right, protection of the software and hardware. |
14 |
14 |
|
100% / 100% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
WP 4.2 |
|
|
|
|
|
- Ada – Adaptation of the electronic catalogue, customer db to the pilot site Alferano |
75 |
58 |
200 |
100% / 100% |
|
- Adc – Adaptation of the electronic catalogue and customer db to the pilot site COIN |
75 |
60 |
90 |
100% / 100% |
|
TOTAL |
|
783 |
972 |
1755 hours |
Table III - Total hours spend in this period/ Percentage of conclusion per package and extra work hours
WP 2.6.1 – Catalogue software development
During the period of time described in this report several developments were made in this work package in order to give the system multi language and multi currency capacities. Those functionality’s will allow pilot users to save time and efforts because once they are in the data insert process the system allows them to introduce descriptions in other languages. Other functionality’s as the catalogue replication are also allowed. It is only necessary for the local retailer to change, if it wishes so, the default language and the default currency by making small adjustments. In the original proposal, made in the last period report, the possibility to develop two back offices was considered. Meanwhile as the obtained results were superior to those planned last semester we have decided to use one back office only with all the functionality’s, because it allows more procedures equitativity and a much more friendly user. Consult the project final literature for better understand the amplitude of these features.
The system also allows the retailer to select the default collection with a possibility to upload all the graphic elements that are more suitable to the new collection, allowing the front office to trade graphic elements according to which collection the user is seeing.
At the procedures level the system allows that the order is also made by size, drop and stature doing by pass to the getting exact measures “scanfit” module. Therefore if the user knows it’s exact size, drop and stature it only needs to make some few adjustments in order to personalize it’s clothing. The system automatically suggests the closest measure in case the size, drop and stature of the user don’t exist in the database. In the back office system several new developments are made in order to reflect this new measures approach and better controlling details and availabilities in this entire module. This changes, had required a lot of extra developments in all of the modules. Therefore all the “prêt à porter” approaches are also now supported by the system.
Much more developments had as a purpose making the retailer as independent as possible, and allow the system to be more dynamic. The retailer can insert images, make it’s own help and introduce management advices, etc…
At the XML level there were made several developments, and some of them demand a great amount of developing time, because the data model initially proposed had to be revised several times in order to support all the pilot users solicitations. Some of those changes have repercussions in all of the developing process, because they implied changes in all the system from the back office to the front office.
Some of this constrains result directly from the necessity to introduce and adapt some business rules in ISHTAR in order to turned it better compliant with the Technology and procedures present in each pilot users. Some of these business rules were lived inside the mind of some persons. Fortunately, now in ISHTAR, we were able to produce a firm version that mapping this business rules inside a web software system, we suppose for the first time.
The database design and all things related to the customer data store were already implemented. For the presentation and the manipulation of this data the retailer can use any of the specific application for analysis that are available in the market or simply connect an excel application to it. However all information related to clients is stored and can support analytical single information views as well as crossed information views. It’s also prepared for accommodate well, links to any CRM (Customer Relationship Management) System. For future propose the retailers easily implement, based in this information, new sell strategies like cross selling; up selling; direct, permissive and channel engagement mailing with CRM support.
Inside this work package NEOSIS developed several packaging in CDROM format and Internet format. Neosis also developed several manuals for implementation of the system: manual COM+ for component registration, XML manual, installation manual, back office manual (3rd revision) and at the last the sales representatives setup manual. We try to develop easy package and easy manuals but we work with the state of the art in technology and because this we recommend a presence of someone with minimum requirements of technology knowledge in Internet and network operating systems for setup some of these components.
The system test included a final check to ensure that the functional requirements have been properly translated into the system. Pilot users will have the final word about this subject. But at the moment COIN and HITMAN partners are validating the NEOSIS developments. NEOSIS has implemented a lot of new functionalities and was reengineered a lot of others, because we have spent a little bit more time of work force and time project in this process than it was initially planned.
All of the developments related with this point are done and working properly. Perhaps some little tuning in the invocation of the Texture Mapped System will be necessary in the future.
NEOSIS proceeds with internal working simulation of each retailer catalogue using now real data information. But in COIN server all tests are done inside it, except the real tests after the production starting point. For ALFERANO version we have also made a lot of tests using the same data as used in other versions. We consider that 100% of NEOSIS tests in this point are done, but we need to wait for the installation process in ALFERANO to close it. NEOSIS has spent a little bit more time work and time project in this WP than we have planned, because we have experienced some difficulties with the COIN project setup.The Internet connection is so slowly between our countries and service providers (at night less than 2 Kbytes per second). The two companies have resolved the problem by implementing a RAS connection over PSTN line for remotely administrative procedures. This connection problem associate at some initial difficulties in understand what ´s happened in the COIN side in the admin ISHTAR installation procedures done that we have spent a little bit more time than planned. Some extra admin procedures in this retailer server not planned have consumed some extra time work because the retailer technician are not available for all tasks. At moment the NEOSIS development server and COIN production server are working in controlled replication mode. NEOSIS control and manage via Remote controlling application the ISHTAR Coin applicational servers.
NEOSIS postponed the presentation of this final version of the analysis for the end of the project. We have postponed the presentation in order to obtain results of some projects in Europe and in the other side of the Ocean and of course the opinion of some marketing and design fashion specialist. The technology is in permanent evolution and in each new day we found something new. We consider this point 100% completed, because we have previously spent some time listening the opinion of the other partners and we also tried to obtain some agreements. By the way NEOSIS finished this report and will present the final results in the next meeting project.
In the initial definition it’s supposed that the pilot users catalogue is not able to customise the system. To reduce the risk of some problems, related with the integration inside internal Information Management Systems, etc., the system has tools that provide assistance to the customers in creation, management and customisation of the catalogue presented inside the ISHTAR BackOffice catalogue. Interface can be easily adapted because all catalogue interfaces has developed in HTML. The retailer inside the back office turn on or off the presence of some functionalities. The connection to the database is based in open standards as SQL and ODBC and easily adaptable to connections to third party application of the company Information Management System. For each pilot user NEOSIS provides a packaging pre customised compliant with each initial requirements. For this reason some of NEOSIS work in this point is based in building a packaging pre customised and after this, it works in order to help solving installation problems and also as help desk and consultation services.
Based in the initial requirements ALFERANO needs two catalogues with two different needs - Sales Representatives catalogue and Internet Catalogue. All the catalogues work connected to the same central server. The sales representative catalogue need to work in offline mode, because this, is necessary an internal server working inside the notebook. Some special adaptations in each catalogue are made to reflect the initial requirements. ALFERANO needs a server with hosting the Internet catalogue. NEOSIS provides the same catalogue hosting in our office. About the sales representatives, the problem is not so easy than we expected, because we have experienced problems with corruption data between the synchronisation processes. We have made experiences and study all the possibilities using MS Access and MS Sql server 7.0 and MS SQL 2000. Finally after some time we found the best solution, less expensive with quality of service compliant with the requirements of one mobile user. The new solution use MS SQL server 7.0 or 2000 personal edition (require only one central server SQL CAL license) and take advantage of the replication procedures of the database and win2000 professional O.S. With this new implementation the system is independent of the database but need the presence of MS win2000 professional (the new standard in wintel notebooks industry). The results explain the high quality of service we obtain. The sales representatives connect the system to the phone line or to the LAN Ethernet cable. The system discovers what connection is plugged and automatically selects the better items for synchronize in this kind of connection. For example: if connect to LAN cable the system synchronise the database data, big image files, etc. But if connected only a phone line with a 9600-modem or GSM phone, the system synchronise only the database information in order to optimise the connection. Do this without interaction of the user.
Because this problem we have found in the technology initial proposed, we spent a substantial time labour and time project studying new methods and developed new procedures special adapted to this catalogue version. Also we redesigned the database in order to incorporate the new database replication methods.
This version work too with CDROM and DVDROM based platforms.
For the Internet version NEOSIS obtained no response from this pilot user. Especially suggestion changes needed, etc. We already have turned this new version Netscape compliant too.
We plan to spend more 100 to 150 hours if this pilot user and maybe more if the pilot user decides to change a lot of things.
In the Coin site version of the catalogue we have spent a little bit more labour and project time than we have planned and budgeted, because the user require some new functionality’s and some adaptations. Some of them were mentioned in the WP 2.6.1. But adaptations in the printed order, size sub system and BackOffice are the most important. The size subsystem implicates a complete new development of this module.
4.6 – Other NEOSIS activities in the ISHTAR project
- Meeting
o Bologna 07/2000
o Lisbon 09/2000
- Videoconference meetings
o 09/2000
o 10/2000
o 11/2000
- Remote administration and setup
o Coin Server – approximately 65 hours, including preparation and acquisition of software packages updates for the Operating system server.
- Presentation of the project
o Madrid/Spain 10/2000 – Portuguese profile month
§ We have presented the project in our stand to several Spain companies and register some opinions about it.
o IDITE-MINHO 11/2000 – Portugal – “Siprofit” technology initiative for the textile industry
§ We have presented the project and study collaboration with other projects. We have registered opinions about the system and the technology state of the art in the textile sector.
NEOSIS plans to spend a little bit more time, perhaps 100 to 150 man/hours, in the adaptation of the Internet catalogue inside the pilot user ALFERANO doing changes and cut functionalities, except if this pilot user decides to change more things than we expect. Implementations of new functionalities are object of discussion, because NEOSIS at the moment is working out of budget. For the sales representative NEOSIS version, we didn’t expect to change anything, but the pilot user has the final word. The time to spend it’s also dependent of the technology knowledge of this partner. Its possible that we will have to spend more hours in the system’s administration activities in the server machines side of this pilot user.
In activities of maintenance is not possible to plan how many hours we need to spend, but the software developed by NEOSIS for this project has a warranty of 6 months (starting from 01/01/2001 until 30/06/2001) covering only corrections of bugs and bad functions. Extra developments in implementation or reengineering functionalities are subject to a previous evaluation.
Since the last two period reports the group of partners have optimised substantially the costs in travel and subsistence. This is a direct result of the good practice management implemented by project coordinator and integrally subscribed by all of us. One of these examples is the promotion of several video and audio conference between NEOSIS, and the pilot users. With this practice, we won several days of work directly used in the recover delays. The better communication, between NEOSIS and pilot users, as resulted in a better project definition and result.
Other good practice is the implementation of remote administration in the server side of the pilot users. Once we have implemented remote administration we will not need to spent time and money in travels. In reality we spent 65 hours of remote administration during 3 weeks. This 65 hours represent approximately 5 to 7 trips to Coin office, perhaps several days in hotels and dozen of hours spent in trips. With remote administration we will obtain better results because in our office we will have access to all tools and technical engineers eventually needed and not present in the server O.S. of the pilot user.
The cost of NEOSIS personnel is subject to some changes because this project was required with a bit more of manual labour activities than initially planned as to be accomplished.
This is due because some new functionalities are introduced in the project with dramatic implication in all of the initial design process and by other hand because we had to simplify the management process of the system, implemented the ISHTAR back office and turned the system, retailer independent. Other activities are directly relation with the process of simplifies the use of the technology and the adaptation of the ISHTAR system with all of the internal systems in each pilot user, minimizing the efforts of these. Some other developments are implemented in order to turn the system up to date with the last technologies and satisfy all future needs of all potential retailers, especially all things like replication, synchronization, selling simultaneous in multi language and in multi currency, collaborative work between different users in the back office and between different companies present in the supply chain pipeline of the made by measure dress sell process, etc. The finally result is higher than was expected too. But for do this NEOSIS has spent until 31 December of 2000 more 972 hours than planned. But in the same time we are not spent the entire budget initially planned in Equipment and Travel and subsistence. We consider that is fair to ask the EC to finance part of our extra labour in this project transferring founds between rubrics initially planned for NEOSIS costs and not spent and, if possible, from other founds initially planned in the project but eventually not spent by the other partners. We remember that all of the pilot users beneficiate directly with this extra labour and perhaps we need to spend a little bit more hours during next months in general maintenance and adapting the pilot site ALFERANO.
a) MG011-012-Report bologna 20-21 july 2000.doc
b) MG011-013-Report of the meeting in Lisbon - October 2-3 2000.doc
c) MG011-015-New workplan of the project.doc
d) MG011-017-Proposal for a new workplan of the project ISHTAR.doc
e) OF011-008-Learnt lessons in the project Ishtar1.doc
f) AD025-007-XML FILES updated version (neosis).doc
g) AD025-008-BOOKING-UNBOOKING NEW PROCESS (Hitman).doc
h) AD025-010-Ish-Draft Order - Printable Module (COIN).doc
i) AD025-011-acquiordishtarmodCSC.doc
j) OF026-001-Features of BMA (Cad Modelling).doc
k) PR026-001-BMA-Sept2000.zip
l) PR026-002-BMA-December 2000.zip
m) PR026-003-BMA-update.zip
n) TS026-001-Struttura sart I00 FLY.xls
o) PR022-006-applets2.zip
p) US026-002-manual_ishtar_versao_ingles(A) .doc
q) US026-001-XML COMPONENT SETUP GUIDE (NEOSIS).doc
r) TS027-016-Plan of the tests.doc
s) TS027-003 Test set of measurements/SPAN>
t) TS027-011-Videoconference of November 9 2000.doc, TS027-006-Report about the videoconference on the tests of the catalogue navigation.doc, TS027-009-Videoconference of October 23 3000.doc
u) TS042-001-Adaptation coin Server.zip
v) US042-001-Ish-Modulo ordine COIN.doc
w) MG011-018-Report of the meeting ENEA-AlFerano in Bologna 18-10-00.doc