Customer Case Studies
uses SmarteSoft solution to automate data seeding
for critical informational database
Background:
Access to Critical Information: SmarteSoft answered a call from an
international organization providing humanitarian aid to those in need. This
organization faced a challenge: a legacy database existed containing vital
information. However, no data model was available to facilitate migration
to a new database while ensuring data integrity and consistency. The legacy
data was accessed by many different groups within the organization for many
- often disparate - uses. Data needed to be up-to-date and easily accessible.
Initially, the organization staffed a service center to migrate data manually.
This process was slow, timeconsuming and, as a result, expensive. Clearly,
the organization needed to explore alternate methods that would meet data
availability goals, reduce required manpower - and ultimately - reduce cost.
The Challenge:
Taking a New Approach: a search began for alternate solutions.
Quickly the organization focused on a unique solution to automate the seeding
of data.
As the name implies, data seeding is the task of planting (i.e. seeding)
information (i.e. data) into a database. In this case, the application accessing
data uses a serial process for accessing functionality. In other words, to
access Function 2, all the data for Function 1 must already exist. The data
seeding team pre-populates the database with specific data so that their customers
(for instance: training, testing, demonstration, or other groups), could access
data in the area of the application that pertains to their specific function.
Evaluating automation software focused on three key issues:
- Speed and ease of execution
- Flexibility or ease of maintenance in response to configuration changes
- Finding the right fit for the highly specialized needs of the organization
The Result:
The Right Tool for the Job: SmarteSoft's SmartScript.
was the clear choice. The success of the organization's data group is measured
by responsiveness to their customer's needs - which continually evolve. With
SmarteScript, revision to automation scripts is quick, reliable, and easy
to implement. SmarteScript maintenance for script revision can easily be completed
in half a day. Revision maintenance with competitive tools evaluated took
more than a week. SmarteScript helps the data group respond quickly to changes
without interruption of service.
In addition, using SmarteScript meant that no software coding skills are
required; new users ramped-up quickly and were generating executable data
seeding scripts in no time. SmarteScript's easy script creation and revision
methodology and user-friendly interface can be used by team members with a
variety of skill sets.
Quick Start: In order to implement this solution quickly, the organization
engaged the professional
services of a SmarteSoft on-site consultant who worked with the group
to help plan the project scope and develop automation scripts. This interaction
provided a significant jump-start for the initiative. New skill sets were
quickly developed by the data processing team. As a result, acceptance and
deployment of the new method was quick and painless. The group was productive
ahead of schedule as a result.
The end-users of the seeded data have clearly noticed service model improvements.
The team's performance ratings for responsiveness, flexibility, and access
to current data have never been better.
The data group also found SmarteSoft's customer support to be highly responsive,
offering effective solutions for the minor challenges encountered. Assistance
was quick, friendly, and easy to understand and implement.
An Unanticipated Benefit: The organization must meet Section 508 compliance
requirements of the Federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Section 508 requires
access to electronic and information technology to people with disabilities.
SmarteSoft's software solution utilizes MSAA (Microsoft Active Accessibility).
MSAA determines how and if an accessibility aid, like a screen reader, sees
objects in an application. By incorporating MSAA in the software solution,
any inaccessible objects are flagged and documented in the extensive reports
created during data seeding. 508 non-compliance can be addressed and corrected
at the first stage of data seeding before any negative impact occurs.
The SmarteSoft team is proud to have assisted an important humanitarian organization
in meeting data accessibility goals while reducing the cost to achieve that
goal.
SmarteScript and SmarteX or use of SmarteScript and SmarteX is covered by
U.S. Patent No. 7,917,895 B2
