FAQ

Q. On average how much experience do your Gentran consultants have?

A. On average our consultants have 8 years of experience in Gentran consulting across the various products, and often times much more if you include time worked as an employee in corporate America. We have consultants that have worked with the product(s) since inception and typically our consultants have at least 2 years experience with a given product(s).

Q. What is the scale of your Gentran services?

A. The scale of our services is from Gentran mappers, to EDI business analyst, to EDI coordinators, to EDI administrators, to full spectrum professionals.  Within and across each of these roles we can ramp numbers and combinations of professionals according to client / project needs.

Q. What kind of work do you normally do across Gentran engagements?

A. Approximately 70% EDI mapping / testing / implementation, 10% rapid community on-boarding, 15% Gentran upgrades / conversion, 5% system health checks, project audits, companion product utilization.

Q. How long have you delivered EDI services to clients where the Gentran product is concerned?

A. We have assisted clients with their Gentran professional services needs since 1994, mostly direct to client but also from time to time as an IBM Sterling professional services partner.

Q. Do you have experience with the Gentran Unix Visual and AI mapper?

A. We have extensive experience with both, and have a tool that can convert Gentran UNIX Visual Maps to Application Integrator maps which can cut time and costs up to 75-80%. Many choose to stay with the Gentran Unix tool but want maps to be executed in the AI mapping environment.

Q. Can you come in and troubleshoot problems, review our infrastructure, and make recommendations for improvements?

A. We have done system reviews for many companies over the years. At the direction of the client, some of these were very systematic and others were very problem specific.

Q. Do you have experience with the latest version of Gentran?

A. Yes, we are current with our version experience. Current versions include: Gentran:Server Windows (V5.2J) and UNIX (V6.1), Gentran:Basic iSeries (V3.5) and Mainframe (V6.5), and Gentran:Director Pro (V5.4)

CASE STUDIES

• Gentran:Server Unix – Supply Chain Services
• Gentran:Server Unix – Building Materials Manufacturer

Gentran:Server Conversion Using X-link – Supply Chain Services

PROJECT NAME
Gentran Server Unix v6.1 Visual Map conversion to Sterling Integrator (Gentran Integration Suite) Unix v4.2 Maps – Using X-Link Conversion Engine

CLIENT PROFILE
Client is a supply chain services company providing supply chain solutions to food service and grocery chains of all types throughout the world.

• Industry: Supply Chain Services
• Location: Southwestern United States
• Products: Food and foodservice related procurement, distribution, and sales support
• Technical Environment: Hardware(and OS): Unix, Software(and version): Gentran Server for Unix 6.1, Sterling Integrator (GIS) v4.2
• Relevant to the project: Number of Maps: 127 total maps, 10 vendor and 117 customer maps

BUSINESS CASE

• To get maps converted to fully utilize Sterling Integrator
• To retire the instance of Gentran Unix
• To eliminate the cost of operating the two integration environments

SITUATION

• Client needed to rewrite a block of 127 maps in Sterling Integrator’s mapper
• The source of the maps was Gentran Server UNIX Visual maps
• Sterling Integrator maps tend to take 16 to 24 hours a piece, on average and in most instances, for analysis, mapping, unit testing, and end to end testing
• Client required rapid development of maps, testing, and implementation due to internal objectives

SOLUTION / DELIVERABLES

• REMEDI utilized the X-Link Conversion Engine to perform a proof of concept conversion on 4 maps of varying complexity for client
• Client elected to perform the finalization of the converted maps internally completing map logic for functions in the Visual Mapper not supported in the Sterling Integrator mapper, updating Sterling Integrator code lists, and testing to ensure maps produced similar results as Visual Maps
• Upon successful completion of the proof of concept, client authorized REMEDI to utilize the X-Link Conversion Engine to convert the remaining 123 maps
• Client performed the finalization on the remaining maps

OUTCOME

• Proof of concept completed successfully with client technical resources
• Balance of maps were converted successfully
• Using the automated conversion tool the client delivery, conversion, and return of maps to client took less than one business day
• Maps were finalized by client personnel on their calendar timeline, but with total average finalization time running 2-4 hours per map in most instances

Gentran:Server for UNIX – Building Materials Manufacturer

PROJECT DESCRIPTION
eCommerce / EDI Managed Services and CoSourcing

CLIENT PROFILE
A global producer of residential and commercial building materials and a Fortune 500 company for each of the 15+ years REMEDI has served the client.

• Industry: Building Materials
• Location: Midwestern United States
• Products: Building materials such as insulation, roofing, noise control, masonry, and asphalt products
• Technical Environment: Hardware(and OS): UNIX Sun Solaris, Software(and version): Gentran Server for UNIX 6.1, ERP: SAP, Communications: CLEO, webMethods, AS2
• Relevant to the project: Number of trading partners: 400+, Number of maps: 200+ new maps developed, map updates and maintenance of 200+ additional, Number of scripts: 25+

BUSINESS CASE

• Client desired to use a blended model of coSourcing and managed services in their eCommerce department for integrations with their business network…suppliers, customers, carriers, banks, and third party administrators (TPAs)
• The approach allowed internal eCommerce personnel to focus on business process competencies and related business analysis for internal business area (user) departments
• The approach also freed client personnel to act as liaison between business network partners and internal business areas, and resulted in the feeding of very specific integration specifications to the eCommerce team which included REMEDI resources
• Client also charged REMEDI with the training and cross-training of resources and with the obligation of ramping team size up or down based on integration demand
• In addition to similar client eCommerce personnel duties, REMEDI was charged with staffing resources that could competently represent the client (communication, support hours, business integration experience) and work with customers (and other business partners) and be aware of client business area processes and requirements

SITUATION

• Client product evolution went from Gentran Mainframe and proprietary business systems, to Gentran Mentor, to Gentran Server UNIX implementation in conjunction with a SAP implementation
• Gentran Server Unix has been upgraded several times since the original installation
• Client has ported EDI and eCommerce infrastructure to several different platforms and data centers
• Client had technical requirements to comply with not only data integration requirements of its customers, but with varying standards and communications requirements
• Client has required outside assistance in a managed services capacity but also assistance with shorter term ecommerce “special projects”

SOLUTION/DELIVERABLES

• Provided from 1-4 FTE consultants as required to perform managed services in the spectrum of environments listed in the Situation section
• Managed services resources performed the following duties; partner contact/coordination, analysis, mapping, testing (unit/end to end), implementation, communications development, production support, problem resolution, progress reporting, and more
• Trading partner types included implementations with customers, suppliers, carriers, banks, insurance administrators (TPAs), and others
• Managed services responsibilities, as related to client infrastructure, included; infrastructure support, Gentran Server UNIX upgrades, UNIX server upgrades/conversions, and disaster recovery tests
• Provided from 1-2 FTE consultants as required to staff “special projects” that would arise with client from time to time…”special projects” included…
  • Vendor community management, an intensive time-bound effort to survey and recruit EDI capable vendors, distribute client specifications, perform testing, certify production readiness, place in production, and provide post-production support
  • Vendor community management, an intensive time-bound effort to implement non-EDI capable vendors on a web-based eCommerce solution where REMEDI distributed system specifications, performed vendor training/testing, certified production readiness, placed in production, and provided post-production support
  • Developed and hosted (on REMEDI servers) a XML translation solution that allowed client to trade documents with partners in XML formats
  • Perform benefits enrollment mapping and implementation with TPAs when client switched service providers

OUTCOME

• A 15+ year relationship with client playing roles from managed services, to “special projects”, to outsourcing service provider
• Developed, documented, and implemented 200+ maps, and maintained over 200 more
• Developed 25+ Gentran server UNIX scripts, and maintained many more
• Participated in 2 Gentran Server upgrades (Gentran Server 5.1 to 5.3, Gentran Server 5.3 to 6.1), by testing all maps and scripts to ensure everything worked in the new environment as in the old environment
• Participated in the conversion from HP UNIX servers to Sun UNIX servers ensuring execution functionality on new servers was the same as on the old servers for scripts and EDI transactions
• Participated in annual disaster recovery testing
• From a client customer perspective we greatly reduced the manual effort required to process inbound purchase orders to the posting of cash
• From a client vendor perspective we greatly reduced the manual effort required in the purchase to pay cycle
• The timely pickup and delivery of products was accomplished with the EDI connectivity established with client motor carriers
• Client was able to accommodate additional customers and associated revenue through the REMEDI developed and hosted XML translation solution
• Client/REMEDI was able to increase the electronic transactions and decrease paper transactions with vendors through the eCommerce deployment initiative which was EDI and web portal based

CUSTOMER QUOTES

IT MANAGER – BUILDING MATERIALS INDUSTRY

“REMEDI’s consultants have been lifesaving in providing solutions to some unusual situations.  Their knowledge and expertise has been invaluable in make our team successful.  Our working relationship has proven to be a win/win.”

CUSTOMER DEPLOYMENT MANAGER – BUILDING MATERIALS INDUSTRY

“REMEDI is definitely a value adding team member to our company’s e-deployment team given the ever-changing customer demands and differing and challenging opportunities.”