Consultant/Developer, Technical Project Management

A Hamburg private bank wanted to optimize and make more transparent its internal process for closing customer accounts, which was based on Word files. To achieve this, a Notes application was to be created to collect all relevant data from the involved business units and support them with an automated workflow. Many different departments are involved in the complex process, both sequentially and in phases together. In addition, the application should feature a configurable follow-up system and an automatic reminder functionality.

Development of a Notes application that considers the varied requirements of the business units. Implementation of a configurable workflow that supports both serial and parallel process execution. Integration of configurable email templates for follow-ups and three-level escalation management.

Approach:

• Requirements analysis
• Creation of IT concept
• Workflow control implementation
• Notes application development
• Configuration of workflow/reminder/email templates
• Documentation
• Testing

Tools: IBM Domino 9, IBM Notes 9, Lotus Formula Language (@Functions), LotusScript.

Result: The detailed IT concept provided a crucial foundation for aligning the diverse requirements. Thanks to Notes’ RAD (Rapid Application Development) capability, the application with configurable workflow control was developed in about 40 person-days. The workflow control was implemented so it can be quickly integrated into future applications.

The complex billing process of an IBC container rental company was to be replaced by an automatic invoice generation instead of a manual MS Excel solution. Invoices should be sent by email. Optionally, different billing models and delivery methods should be configurable per customer. The invoice format should be PDF, consisting of a cover sheet with summary positions and a detailed multi-page invoice attachment. Depending on customer requirements, the attachment should be sorted and structured differently. A current inventory list should be added if needed. The billing module should support cancellations and partial cancellations.

Implementation of the billing system as a Notes database. Integration into the existing Notes application system. Automatic generation of monthly invoice items from rental transactions. Generation of all PDF invoices at the push of a button, including automated email dispatch. Consideration of rental period changes. Linking of all invoice components into a single PDF attachment.

Approach:

• Analysis of billing types and rental conditions
• Concept design
• Creation of a detailed test concept
• Creation of report templates
• Billing implementation
• Testing and debugging

Tools: Combit List & Label, IBM Domino 9, IBM Notes 9, Lotus Formula Language (@Functions), LotusScript, MS Excel, PDF24.

Result: The outbound invoice creation process was reduced from 14 days to one day. The invoicing can now be handled by one employee instead of two. Electronic invoice dispatch saved paper and postage. The error rate was significantly reduced.

A food manufacturer’s management information system serves as the central database for environmental, occupational health and safety, as well as emergency and energy management. The inflexible single-document solution for risk assessments was to be reprogrammed to meet regulatory and insurance requirements. Risk assessments should allow assignment of hazards, with corresponding risk evaluations via a custom risk matrix. Individual measures should be recorded for each hazard based on the risk evaluation. Various reminder functions, e.g. for timely implementation of measures, should also be implemented.

Creation of a concept to meet the client’s requirements. Reprogramming of the risk assessment module and integration into the existing management system.

Approach:

• System analysis
• Creation of IT concept
• Prototype implementation
• Prototype presentation
• Implementation of remaining requirements
• Testing
• Production rollout

Tools: IBM Lotus Notes 8.5, Lotus Formula Language (@Functions), LotusScript, MS Word, Ytria ScanEZ.

Result: Splitting the risk assessment into a hierarchical data structure of individual hazards and measures achieved high flexibility. Delivering a prototype proved an effective way to illustrate the new structure, allowing early detection and correction of content issues. The hierarchical structure successfully made the risk assessment a central tool for occupational safety.

Support for Lotus Notes development in projects:

• Design and redevelopment of a database for competitor data management. Migration of disparate existing data sets. Design and implementation of a complex value-search function.
• Enhancement of a patent monitoring workflow system.
• Analysis and debugging in a legacy document management system with complex permissions and inheritance.
• Maintenance and enhancement of various product development databases (Stage-Gate process). Generation of PowerPoint, Excel and Word reports.
• Third-level support.

The client uses multiple Lotus Notes workflows based on the Stage-Gate process for international product development from idea to launch. About 15 complex workflow applications exist, plus custom developments. All databases feature a high degree of client-specific customizations.

Tasks and goals:

• Extension and maintenance of ~15 workflow databases across business units.
• Error analysis and performance optimization for global database access.
• Improved maintainability through centralization of new and existing code modules.
• Integration of a cross-database reporting module for strategic project planning.

Result:

• Improved maintainability via a central repository for keywords, design elements and code modules.
• Significant performance gains in agent run times, MS Office reports, memory usage and form loading.
• Successful integration of the strategic project planning module across all systems.
• The variety of implementations posed challenges; central implementation and thorough documentation ensured maintainability and traceability.

Tools: Lotus Formula Language (@Functions), Lotus Notes 6.5, Lotus Notes 8.5, LotusScript, MS Access, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint, MS Word, Teamstudio Analyser, Teamstudio Build Manager, Teamstudio CIAO, Teamstudio Configurator, Ytria ScanEZ, JavaScript, XPages.

A large German health insurer’s web content needed restructuring. The Lotus Notes-based Web Content Management System (WCMS) comprises about 30 themed databases generating ~30,000 web pages. To reduce editors’ workload, the system was to be extended with helper functions to simplify moving entire content areas between databases. Previously, each document had to be manually updated after copying, and all links to the moved documents in other databases had to be found and corrected, as well as links within the moved documents.

Task: Implement a link checker to verify and correct all link variants within the WCMS. Develop a migration tool to automate all necessary post-moves. Log all actions clearly and persistently.

Approach:

• Analysis of WCMS internal structure
• Implementation of helper functions
• Test concept creation
• Testing
• Documentation
• Rollout planning

Tools: Lotus Domino 8, Lotus Notes 7.0.2, Lotus Notes 8, LotusScript, Teamstudio Configurator, UNIORG SYNTAGS ContentBase, Ytria ScanEZ.

Result: Using the helper functions, restructuring was completed very quickly. Manual post-processing by editors regarding status, permissions and broken links was minimized. Color-coded logs clearly highlighted inconsistencies. Errors from earlier content moves were also detected and corrected.

In vehicle quality assurance, a large number of component and vehicle tests are performed. Regular inspections of vehicles and parts must be scheduled based on mileage or a set time interval. Engineers managed inspection dates manually.

Task: Design and implement an inspection calendar in the existing complex Lotus Notes testing system. The calendar should support scheduling manual and automatically generated dates, with continuous automatic recalculation of future dates when current dates change. A filter mechanism was added to limit displayed dates based on user-defined selections.

Approach:

• Analysis of the testing application
• Inspection calendar design
• Inspection calendar development
• Testing
• Technical documentation

Tools: Lotus Formula Language (@Functions), Lotus Notes 7.0.2, LotusScript, Teamstudio Configurator.

Result: The inspection calendar was successfully integrated into the existing testing system. Engineers’ control over their own and others’ inspection dates was greatly improved, as was the detection of due and overdue dates.

A logistics company planned to introduce an ERP system. The new system was to consolidate parts of the existing heterogeneous data in Lotus Notes, Navision and MS SQL databases.

Implementation of an export function for address data.

Approach:

• Analysis of migration options
• Analysis of Lotus Notes CRM data structure
• Creation of interface specification
• Programming of address data export function in Lotus Notes

Tools: Lotus Formula Language (@Functions), Lotus Notes and Domino 6.5, LotusScript, Ytria ScanEZ.

An IT service provider for a construction group uses a complex Lotus Notes and Domino system for project management. Extensive Excel files with numerous worksheets are used for reporting in building and civil engineering, covering reporting periods of 10 years or more. Report creation and maintenance is time-consuming and error-prone, and not integrated with project management.

Project goal: Integrate reporting as a standalone Lotus Notes database within the project management solution. Centrally store extensive data from MS Excel monthly reports. Implement a bidirectional interface for data transfer to and from MS Excel.

Requirements:

• Data capture via MS Excel and storage in Lotus Notes
• Export of data from Lotus Notes to MS Excel for monthly report generation
• Object-oriented implementation using the Model-View-Controller (MVC) pattern

Approach:

• Analysis of Excel reports
• Familiarization with the project management system
• Analysis of existing interfaces
• Bidirectional interface design
• Interface programming
• Interface testing
• Technical documentation

Tools: Lotus Domino 6.5, Lotus Formula Language (@Functions), Lotus Notes 6.5, LotusScript, MS Excel 2000/2007, MVC pattern, Subversion, Teamstudio CIAO, Teamstudio Configurator, VBA, XML, Ytria ScanEZ.

Result: Excel templates with defined dynamic data ranges maintained complex calculations. Interface configuration was implemented as XML code, enabling highly flexible control for data exchange between Lotus Notes and MS Excel.

We have been very successfully supported by this consultant in various projects over recent years. In projects concerning Lotus Domino application development, SQL databases/reporting and interface development, the consultant has repeatedly made a decisive contribution to rapid project success with excellent personal and technical qualifications. Even in difficult project phases, the consultant often provided critical contributions to ensure all project goals were met. We can recommend the consultant without reservation and will certainly collaborate with him again on future projects.

The client uses a Lotus Notes CMS to provide intranet information to employees. Editorial work is done in the Notes client; consumption is via the web. Originally developed by IBM, the system evolved into a complex Notes database with dozens of script libraries and design elements. The CMS was to be integrated into the corporate intranet portal on an IBM WebSphere Portlet Server.

Tasks: Integrate the CMS into the intranet portal; improve performance; fix JavaScript navigation and sitemap issues; redesign the sitemap; create an effort estimate.

Approach:

• System analysis
• Effort estimation
• Implementation
• Testing
• Documentation update

Tools: CSS, HTML, JavaScript, Lotus Notes/Domino 6.5, Macromedia Dreamweaver, MS Visio, Teamstudio Analyser, Teamstudio Configurator.

Result: Detailed analysis of complex recursive script structures avoided side effects and enabled realistic effort estimates. For portal integration, HTML modules were developed for the portlet server. All tasks were completed within the estimated timeframe.