Client
This client, a top investment bank, maintains a leadership position in trading, research, equity/fixed income sales, investment banking, private equity and private client services.
Client Business Need
The client needed the ability to share information across multiple global business units using a standard, quick and easy process. They also wanted to provide external clients and partners with on-line, real-time information in a secure environment.
The Challenge / Opportunity
Specific difficulties included writing and delivering reports across the global company. The technology groups were clashing with end users who needed to use company information in various ways but often disrupted the management of that information. In addition the desire to provide external clients and partners with information necessitated an increase in security to tie all global business units together safely.
The “business as usual” approach was not working. Each business unit had developed a “particular” way of writing and delivering reports, using many different applications and methods. This carried with it various vendor licensing procedures that made sharing information between global business units almost impossible. Managing disparate systems and applications within those systems was tedious, time consuming and costly. Writing a single report took days and delivery outside a specific business unit was difficult and rarely occurred.
This client had tried the “new software” approach without realizing any significant improvement or increase in productivity. Software Forces recognized that this client needed “business problem” solutions not “product-oriented” solutions. We saw many product islands but did not see these products working together to solve business problems.
Software Forces Solution
Software Forces:
Instituted a single, web-based infrastructure to integrate global aspects of the company, allowing for enterprise information access
Leveraged legacy systems and LDAP to offer integration of complex report writing and delivery. We enabled the client to manage people and resources easier, faster and with more security using a single sign-on portal tied to their own system
Provided a single comprehensive reports-writing format
Enhanced infrastructure to process reports on servers rather than individual desktop applications, allowing information to be shared between global business units quickly, accurately and securely
Reduced report production and delivery turn-around time so significantly that dozens of new business units and hundreds of reports were quickly added for distribution and increased productivity. Routinely they now run thousands of reports a day
Eliminated surplus software and the associated licensing hardships by introducing a single information management and delivery mechanism for the entire organization
Client Benefits
This client was delighted with the outcome of the project. By leveraging LDAP and the web, we provided them with a single sign-on portal to receive and distribute information globally while addressing all processing and security issues. All internal, external and partner access is available with increased security using this single sign-on portal. By working with Software Forces to understand and create unique solutions geared to their specific business requirements, the client was able to add functionality and produce an instant return on investment.
Key Technologies Utilized
JAVA (J2EE, EJB), COM/COM+, LDAP, DB2, ORACLE, SYBASE, SQL SERVER, TEXT, ACCESS, EXCEL, SINGLE SIGN-ON, PORTAL, PEOPLESOFT, CRYSTAL REPORTS, SEAGATE INFO, CRYSTAL ENTERPRISE 
