More and more we are being asked to develop ‘addons’ to our key products to provide access to the systems for more remote workers and again we have to work hard to clarify the implications for our customers of accessing and possibly amending or creating data externally to the system.
What does external mean?
In simple terms most business software is structured as follows:
- A front end with dual purpose of
- Entering data into the system
- Accessing data within the system
- A back end database
- Quite often Microsoft SQL database or sometimes propriety databases
The software may be installed locally on the network (on-premise solution) or increasingly provided as a cloud software solution – sometimes more confusingly a hybrid of the two. Whichever method of deployment is used end users access the software and either enter or query the information in the back end database.
Extending the functionality of your system
Out of the box software will do what it does – as an end user you have some control over the look and feel via any customisation functionality within the software. However as developers we have the ability to make several modifications that end users cannot make:
- Often we can make more complex changes to screens and even develop new screens
- We can add ‘tables’ to the database to create functionality that didn’t exist before
- We can also automate difficult or tiresome processes via programming in the background
Increasingly we are asked to give/create access environments for ‘non-system’ staff i.e. staff who are required to make occasional use of the system but for technical or cost reasons are not given a ‘licence’ to the software system.
These solutions are often external to the system – here are a couple of examples:
- Sage 200 is an on-premise software solution installed on the network
- Remote access can be given via terminal services/citrix environments
- No standard web access/functionality exists to enter data
- Our client has a remote workforce (India) performing a telesales function with orders being processed in UK.
- We were able to create a web based module – with a live connection to the Sage 200 database that allowed multiple users to work on the system at the same time without effecting the main Sage 200 system.
- The web module was also customised for their telesales function
- This solution is permanently connected to the sage 200 software system and requires 100% internet uptime
- Sage 200 remote app
- As a follow on from the above module we were asked by a client to provide ‘on the road’ information to their sales rep via hand held devices.
- The web solution above technically worked but they were concerned about remote locations with no/poor internet connections
- Their solution would need to be available whilst working ‘offline’
- Eureka Solutions created an app for Windows tablet, iOS and Android that could download Sage 200 data for querying, allow creation of new sales orders and the ability to upload directly to Sage 200.
What’s the difference?
The differences can be obvious but there are some subtle issues that need to be taken into account when discussing a customer’s needs:
- Is the access for viewing/querying information only?
- Technically this is the most straightforward of software solutions
- Do I want to create new entities e.g. sales orders, stock items
- Now we need to start considering the referential integrity of the database i.e. we can’t create two orders with the same order number, we can’t have two stock codes with the same PLU/stock code etc.
- With always on access to the database this is relatively easy to control
- With offline access a process/algorithm has to exist that ensures no duplication occurs i.e. two offline devices create a new account Smith013 when offline and then try and update them when back on line.
- Do I want to amend entities – Sales orders, stock items
- Again when online/connected the system effectively looks after this if the business logic built into the API given to programmers
- When you are ‘editing’ no one else will be allowed to edit -the item is ‘locked’ in the database and this works fine
- If working offline editing is bad news – if you are offline you have no control over who has edited the record
- Anyone who has worked with ACT CRM software and utilised remote databases will testify to the mess synchronisation can create in an otherwise good contact management system!
This article is aimed at highlighting both the possibilities and dangers of working outside your software system – everything is possible in our world – it’s usually down to costs and desirability – just because it’s possible doesn’t mean you want to do it. For me the area of synchronisation is one that from an IT perspective we have a long way to go – connectivity improves this but can also bring its own problems – for those of you working with Office 365 and One Drive for Business – especially on multiple machines and utilising both online and offline access I’m sure you will testify to some major synchronisation issues.
