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NNG Genero Presentation

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Other projects have included developments under Windows using Visual Basic and SQL Server ... We considered Visual Basic and Visual C as development tools. A ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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Title: NNG Genero Presentation


1
Case Study 2 A Genero Migration Northcliffe
Newspaper Group Graham McLaughlin Salvador Dali
Museum London 30th November 2005
2
Northcliffe Newspapers Group (NNG)
  • A subsidiary of the Daily Mail Group
  • Dedicated to delivering local news to local
    communities
  • Core business is production and printing of
    newspaper titles
  • Currently have 47 paid-for publications and 62
    free national titles
  • Other key business functions include
  • Electronic Publishing
  • Retail News Division
  • Contract Printing
  • Leaflet Distribution Division
  • Classified Advertising

http//www.thisisnorthcliffe.co.uk/home/
Page 2
Customer Presentation Northcliffe Newspaper
Group
3
About NNG IT
  • NNG IT departmentalised into various functions
  • Mercury IT based in Leicester, currently
    employing 30 staff
  • Focussed on providing IT services for publishing
    and financial functions
  • Core systems providing publishing and financial
    services
  • Core systems have been continually developed over
    the last 13 years with
  • Informix 4GL, Informix Dynamic Server v9.3,
    Unixware 7.1.3 platform
  • 850 users spread across 22 sites
  • Other projects have included developments under
    Windows using Visual Basic and SQL Server

Page 3
Customer Presentation Northcliffe Newspaper
Group
4
The NewsCore Project
  • The Northcliffe Retail NewsCore Project
    (September 2003)
  • To deliver a replacement news management system
    for retail newsagents
  • Must be completely autonomous to the local shop
  • Must have the ability to collate sales and
    financial data centrally
  • Finding a tool to complete the NewCore Project
  • We considered Visual Basic and Visual C as
    development tools
  • A Proof of Concept
  • FourJs undertook a Genero conversion of a
    subset of the core system

Page 4
Customer Presentation Northcliffe Newspaper
Group
5
The NewsCore Project
  • Why we chose Genero
  • Able to deliver a true standalone Windows
    application
  • Able to run against SQL Server database
  • Able to re-use existing I-4GL code
  • Minimal developer training required
  • Cost effective and quick to develop

Page 5
Customer Presentation Northcliffe Newspaper
Group
11/21/2009
6
Scoping the Project
  • We set out a 12 month timescale based on
    lifespan of existing system
  • 3 months database, software design and authoring
  • 6 months development
  • 2 months User Acceptance Testing (UAT)
  • 1 month pilot
  • 12-18 month rollout
  • One system per shop running autonomously
  • One central system to maintain parameters and
    data standards
  • Each shop system replicating their data to a
    central system
  • Three developers were assigned to the project

Page 6
Customer Presentation Northcliffe Newspaper
Group
7
Defining the User Interface
  • Beginning the Genero Development phase
  • Biggest challenge was designing the user
    interface
  • Extended design stage by 6 weeks to test
    prototypes

Page 7
Customer Presentation Northcliffe Newspaper
Group
8
Genero Overview
  • To reduce time we converted our Debt Management
    software from I-4GL
  • It took 4 days to convert and redesign the
    interface

Original I-4GL application
Genero equivalent
Page 8
Customer Presentation Northcliffe Newspaper
Group
9
Genero Functionality
  • The system included functionality to use
    Wordpad for a letter editor
  • Also included various file interfaces using
    channels

Page 9
Customer Presentation Northcliffe Newspaper
Group
10
Project Timings
  • Development Summary
  • In total, 178 .4gls and 120 .pers complete the
    system
  • Developers responded quickly to Genero language
  • Using SQL Server instead of Informix posed no
    issues
  • Actual development of software was within planned
    6 month timescale
  • UAT
  • 2 months of testing was originally planned
  • An extra month of testing was required to
    complete
  • Response from pilot implementation was favourable
  • Simplicity of use was a key factor

Page 10
Customer Presentation Northcliffe Newspaper
Group
11
Genero Overview
  • Rollout
  • Total number of shops to be implemented rose
    from 63 to 75
  • 40 installed and running successfully
  • Install at a rate of one or two shops per week
  • Only 2 days of training per user
  • Minor glitches have been solved with later
    versions of the client
  • Minor issues with replication under SQL Server
    solved by SP4
  • Feedback
  • Shop managers find increased functionality
    assists them greatly
  • Northcliffe Retail are delighted with the
    success of the project
  • Northcliffe management have also been impressed
    with the timescales
  • The future of NewsCore
  • Minor feature enhancements and functionality are
    being added
  • Once the rollout is complete, a 2nd phase of
    development will be analysed
  • Could include features such as customer web
    interface

Page 11
Customer Presentation Northcliffe Newspaper
Group
12
NNG Genero The Future
  • The future for Genero in our organisation
  • Northcliffe has committed to the redesign of our
    core systems in Genero
  • Starting with the finance system as the first of
    our four core systems
  • Using Genero to take advantage of Windows
    functionality
  • We will re-design 70 of the system and convert
    30 of existing I-4GL
  • Plan expects 12 months to completion using 6
    dedicated staff
  • Complete re-design of database, using Informix
    Dynamic Server but we plan to re-evaluate this
    once all four systems are re-developed under
    Genero.

Page 12
Customer Presentation Northcliffe Newspaper
Group
13
NNG Genero The Future
  • Future Plans
  • Considering Genero for any additional
    developments for our business
  • Continuing development of the Retail Project

Page 13
Customer Presentation Northcliffe Newspaper
Group
11/21/2009
14
QA
Intelligent Business Application Infrastructure
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