ERP customization and enhancement for an education solutions provider

About The Client

Founded in 1926, the client provides high-quality, innovative curriculum solutions to K-12 schools across the United States and internationally. For over 90 years, the client has been a leader in literature and language arts programs for grades 6-12. It is also one of the leading providers of trade books to classrooms across the United States and delivers an unsurpassed selection of novels, nonfiction books, classroom collections, and literature-based teaching support.

  • Industry: Education
  • Headquartered: US
  • Platforms: IBM iSeries (AS/400), VAI S2K ERP System, SQL Server, SAP Concur, ONIX Database
  • Team Size: 6 Developers including RPGLE, SQL, and QA experts
the_client
 

The Challenge

The client is a large provider of educational material, solutions, and online programs for customers across the US. Because of their large customer demand, the client had a need for an extended workforce and system advancements. The challenges faced by the client were:

The existing ERP system was old and did not have the latest functionality that were needed to serve the growing business

The ever-changing demands of customers could no longer be catered to through manual processes

The accounts payable system also needed modifications

Programmers.io. partnered with the client to overcome all their IT challenges. Our team of jumped in and extended the client’s current It capabilities while working closely with its in-house team.

 

Our Solution

With the help of the client’s in-house team, we identified the problem areas suggested modernization techniques.

The Solution

Functional Enhancement

The client sells its educational solutions and items online, the ‘customer order creation’ module required changes. Earlier, whenever the customer ordered a certain item kit and some of the items were out of stock from that kit, the order was not allocated to the customer. Our team changed the kit allocation process by adding the functionality to auto allocate/reserve the item kit and dispatch it later once the kit was completed with the out-of-stock items.

The Solution

Pick Ticket Optimization

Our team eased the shopping process for the customers by removing the digital print items such as softcopies in the form of PDFs etc. from the pick ticket. The customers now do not have to print long pick tickets, they can just get it for physical items such as books, novels etc. This change prevents confusion.

The Solution

Accounts Payable Automation

The client’s account payable system is partly on VAI’s system 2000 and SAP Concur. Our team automated the accounts payable system to transfer the information from the SAP Concur system to VAI’s system 2000 and vice versa.

The Solution

Security and User Onboarding Enhancement

The client wanted to enhance the security functionalities in the system. Our team added functionality that allowed the client to onboard new members easily, quickly, and securely.

The Solution

Data Integration Automation

Our team created a new process to upload all customer and inventory data on the ONIX database from the SQL Server to the ERP system. Earlier this process was done manually by the client’s team.

The Solution

Automated Order Cancellation

The client’s in-house team had to manually cancel the order if the customer asked for a cancellation. Our team automated this process by developing an interface to automatically cancel customer orders based on business rules.

Technologies Used

Our software architects and engineers are experts in using the latest technologies.

 

Business Impact

Our solution added value with surprising results because we were able to deliver a high-quality product on time.

Here’s how we did it

  • Increased Operational Efficiency

    Automation of order processing, kit allocation, and data transfers reduced manual effort and processing time.

  • Improved Accuracy

    Automated data integration and order handling minimized errors in customer orders, inventory updates, and accounts payable.

  • Enhanced Customer Experience

    Customers receive streamlined pick tickets and faster order fulfillment, improving satisfaction.

  • Scalable ERP System

    Upgrades and enhancements to the IBM i-based ERP allow the client to handle a growing customer base and expanding product catalog.

  • Stronger Security

    Enhanced onboarding and security features protect sensitive data while enabling rapid addition of new users.

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