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Hi. My name is Alec Caldwell.
I’m a DSI Product Manager and today I am going to do a brief overview of the dcLINK® application.
dcLINK is an industry-leading application
that enables our customers to deploy robust, full-featured enterprise mobility solutions
with integration to their ERP system.
The latest generation of dcLINK allows our customers to deploy transactions
and enterprise information to Internet, browser-based clients
such as a BlackBerry, an iPhone or other smartphones.
Imagine a warehouse manager or shop floor supervisor
having access to enterprise information and transactions without having to be at their desks.
Or a sales person having real-time access to order status and other customer information
while in the field, simply by accessing a bookmark on their smartphone browser.
dcLINK also allows our customers to deploy feature-rich applications to users in the field,
such as service technicians
field or route sales people
or even delivery drivers.
Applications such as field sales,
route delivery,
field service,
PO management or time and expense reporting—
for these users, are mobile workflows created within the dcLINK toolset.
These applications support the user’s reporting requirements
even when a network connection is not available.
They are typically deployed on a ruggedized PC or mobile handheld computer,
and allow the user to periodically establish connection to the network,
synchronize their data, and update the ERP system in real time.
Let’s take a look at what dcLINK would look like in the hands of various users.
First, we’ll consider a traditional automated data collection transaction,
where the user will report the movement of material from one stocking location
to another in a warehouse with real-time update of the ERP system.
The user will scan a barcode to identify the material to be moved,
and then scan the location of where that material will be moved from.
The user then enters the quantity of material that will be moved, and then finally,
upon arrival at the new stocking location,
the user will scan a barcode to identify that location.
Upon reaching this point in the transaction, all data has been validated
and the user gets a message indicating the transaction is complete
with successful update of the ERP system.
This process eliminates the need for the material handler to write the details
of the material movement down on a piece of paper,
and turn that paper into a clerk for later entry into the ERP system.
Next, consider a purchasing manager who spends a significant amount of time away from their desk,
and maybe even away from the office.
However, this person must review and approve purchase orders and requisitions.
The user can review all items requiring their approval via their smartphone browser.
By selecting an item from the list,
details from that specific purchasing request are retrieved from the ERP system
and presented to that user.
The user now has the capability to accept or reject that request right at that moment.
No need to wait until the person is back at their desk to tend to an approval request.
Finally, let’s look at a field sales agent application
that will allow for entry of customer sales orders in the field
with no available Internet or network connectivity.
The agent can search for the customer name and create a sales order for that customer.
The agent can then add selected items to the order
through the use of customer order template, item search or a combination of the two.
Upon completion of the order,
the data is stored locally on the secure storage media of the device.
When the agent has connectivity to the enterprise network
via cellular connection, wireless LAN or the device dock,
they can upload that sales order to the ERP system.
No need for them to write down the details of that sales order while they’re in the field,
and then come back to the office for later entry,
or even faxing that order information
to an order desk for someone else to enter it into the system.
The three solutions demonstrated here are mere examples of enterprise mobility capabilities
that dcLINK can provide to our customers.
All three of these solutions are developed and deployed from a single platform,
utilizing a single toolset we call TranBuilder™.
Additionally, these three solutions and any others like them can be integrated to any customer ERP
and can be presented in the user’s language of choice.
Speaking of integration, dcLINK provides standard integration to many of the leading ERP systems,
including those from Oracle, SAP and Lawson.
Custom integration can be developed for customers when required.
Those integrations can take advantage of exposed APIs,
Web service connectors or even data file exchange capabilities of the host ERP system.
dcLINK also provides for integration of additional DSI applications,
such as TIMETrac™ and ASSETTrac™,
as well as integration of additional DSI technology solutions,
such as RFIDActivator™ and VOICEActivator™.
As seen in this overview, dcLINK is one platform, with one toolset,
that will provide our customers the capability to mobilize their workforce
regardless of transaction requirements, device form and connectivity, or ERP system.
DSI provides the dcLINK application,
coupled with the professional services to implement the application,
and the expertise to assist with the selection of the appropriate hardware platform
for dcLINK users.
DSI is the one stop for enterprise mobility solutions
that will enable our customers to be the leaders in their industry.