A Publisher Automates its Sales Tracking System

For many of its information delivery products, the client used separate systems for collecting order information, accounting, and tracking royalties owed to information suppliers. The flow of information across the systems was not integrated, thus requiring significant manual data entry. As a result of ambiguous data mapping across the systems and incorrectly entered data, significant accounting errors were leading to a high rate of invoice exception handling and were taxing labor resources. The client called upon West Pole to rationalize and integrate these key systems.

A Solution for Today with Flexibility for Tomorrow

West Pole’s approach included the design of an independent data translation layer that anticipated future systems by ensuring maximum reusability of software and simplified integration efforts as the business evolved. West Pole recommended a generic API to address a) source data translation to multiple destination databases, and b) the integration of future product databases. Source data were first translated to a pre-defined, generic data format and subsequently to the appropriate source format through simple modules residing in the target database. The structure of the code modules was designed to provide easy modification to new product and target databases.

Low-Friction Growth

West Pole provided the client with the means to automate the flow of information between its systems. Consequently, data quality improved significantly and drove a concomitant reduction in resources devoted to exception handling. Moreover, the implemented solution anticipated business growth and the addition of future product databases. These databases will leverage the generic data translation engine for low-friction integration into the organization’s information infrastructure. The implemented architecture also significantly reduced the development effort required by subsequent business process re-engineering initiatives.

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