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Why did Greggs plc first consider SpaceTec?
Greggs plc had a number of
AS/400’s across the UK.
The initial approach to SpaceTec was made with the
idea of redesigning the existing Shop Order forms
and also improve and modernize the design &
format of i-series reports. The modernization of
reports was performed at the same time that Greggs
plc were looking to web enable legacy applications
to provide end users with better application front
ends and reporting standards.
Has InterForm provided any additional benefits
over and above those required for the original problem?
InterForm/400 has been used
for other applications. These other applications
include:
 Producing
multi-copies of dispatch confirmation reports from
Greggs main savoury manufacturing site.
Automated
fax/email of supplier orders from Greggs distribution
centre in Kettering.
The
ability for users of newly developed systems to
receive reports in either PDF format, which are
automatically e-mailed to them, or printed format.
What did Greggs plc hope to gain by installing
InterForm/400?
Automation of supplier orders
via fax or email. It was hoped that time would be
saved by office staff not having to manually process
orders which involved copying AS/400 printed information
into spreadsheets, before manually faxing the order
sheets to suppliers.
With respect to new applications, it was felt that
by allowing users to receive e-mailed versions of
reports, users would be more selective about printing
only when it was needed. It also helps with reducing
the use of paper as well as providing the additional
flexibility of being able to file reports on the
user’s local server instead of tying up cupboard
space with filed reports.
What other options had Greggs plc considered?
Greggs researched the market
to ensure they deployed the correct solution for
all their needs. They considered other server based
& AS/400 based products, but felt that InterForm/400
provided all the required functionality & enabled
them to use the existing InterForm/400 skills of
some of their IT staff which helped reduce the need
for additional training and support.
Does Greggs plc use any other features of
InterForm/400 such as the PDF email option or Zebra
ZPL Printing?
The PDF e-mail options provided
by the MRGSPLFPDF & SNDMAIL commands within
the InterForm/400 application toolset are used heavily,
as well as the ability to call external user exit
programs from within InterForm/400 itself.
The ability to create new fonts, including barcodes,
is always useful when reformatting dull and unimaginative
reports.
The Zebra ZPL printing options is a feature that
may well be used in the future.
How long did Deployment take?
Deployment of InterForm/400
was very quick as Greggs plc had all the necessary
skills in house.
How much did InterForm/400 save Greggs plc
in terms of cost and time? (against either the original
solution or an alternative competitor solution)?
As far as the Automated Fax/E-mail
Supplier Ordering solution, the main savings were
the time needed by office staff at the distribution
centre in Kettering to process the daily orders
to suppliers. Originally this took about 1 ½
hrs per day, this has been reduced to approximate
30 minutes per day, saving 5 hours a week, and at
the same time reducing errors within the orders
as more time can be spent reviewing each and making
sure it is right before sending it.
Is InterForm/400 used every day and have
you seen any benefits over the original product?
Increased features or production, cost savings etc.?
InterForm/400 is used every
day in different areas of the business.
How did the users react to the change was it seamless?
For the Automated Fax/E-mail solution, the biggest
change for the users was receiving email copies
of all orders that have been transmitted, whether
they were faxed or e-mailed. All those involved
in generating the orders were extremely positive,
as it cut down the amount of time & effort on
their part when processing the orders.
How much training was needed for deployment and
for the users?
Very little training was required as the solution
used the original report from the Supplier Ordering
application and by using InterForm/400 additional
information could be added to the original report
before being reformatted and sent to the relevant
supplier.
Where users receive reports as PDF emails from some
of the more recent applications developed within
the business, the focus of any training is on how
the user opens and reviews the reports from their
Inbox and how to save the files for future reference.
None of the users know or need to know about any
aspect of InterForm/400.
Is it of interest to Greggs plc that SpaceTec is
able to provide constant upgrades to the InterForm
solution & to offer additional features?
Greggs were also in need of a fax and email solution
to run on the AS/400 alongside InterForm/400. SpaceTec
were able to provide the BlueSeries Fax and Email
solution which can be run in conjunction with InterForm400
and provided all the necessary tools.
SpaceTec have provided all the necessary support
as required, particularly when questions have been
raised as to how to do something new within InterForm/400.
Responses to problems have been provided quickly
and effectively.
Greggs plc are always interested in finding out
about new features within InterForm/400 so that
these can be taken advantage of, as required.
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