Enterprise
Application Integration (EAI)
Imagine a situation where a customer comes to an electronic retail
shop and finds that the merchandise he wants to buy is not available
at the store. Typically the customer service representative answers,
"Sorry Sir, we currently do not have the product. Would you come
and check next week?" Instead, through integration, the customer
service representative can answer, "Yes Sir, we have the merchandise.
It is not currently in our store but I can have it shipped directly
to your home from our other store".
One of the most rewarding and profitable initiatives in an enterprise
can be a successful EAI implementation.
However it could also put a company to the verge of bankruptcy
if executed incorrectly.
Look at NIKE, according to CIO magazine (Aug 15th, 2002), in the
third quarter of last year, the Beaverton, Ore.-based sneaker maker
saw profits drop by $48 million, year over year, thanks in part
to a major inventory glitch (it overproduced some shoe models and
underproduced others). Nike blamed one piece of its integration
puzzle-its demand and supply chain management software-for the mixup.
("This is what I get for our $400 million?" CEO Phil Knight
famously asked, referring to the total cost of the integration project.)
Why take a chance? Let IMPACT Technology Group assist you in your
integration needs. Our experienced consultants can create an integration
plan for the whole or part of the enterprise, calculate your return
on investment, recommend software, and assist in the execution of
the integration process.
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