Oniqua Analytic Solutions

A NEW BENCHMARK IN MRO OPTIMIZATION

Let us look at some examples from each of these focus area:

• Great User experience examples

• Use of Work queues to monitor progress towards optimization objectives
• Measures % completion of prioritized work objectives each month against each data set
• Control over permissible data values (drop-down lists, value ranges) in user-defined fields facilitating data enrichment and deeper analysis
• Seamless User Experience across Workbench and web-based OAS components through the use of an embedded web-browser.  For example Metrics Viewer can be displayed without leaving the Workbench. 
• Simpler and faster reporting
• “Moment of need reporting” from within the Workbench which is delivered in context to the functionality in use at the time.
• “Single-click reporting” which provides pre-filled and defaulted parameters. This contains all-new report selection and parameter management sub-system which is much faster and simpler to use
• Single-sign-on
• Automatic authentication based on network user, optionally with no OAS logon window displayed.
• On-line Help and User Manuals rewritten.  Introduction of window-level help. 

• Designed specifically for MRO examples

• Automatically react to changes in equipment risk.  The Business Impact Builder has been made dynamic in that on-going changes in Equipment criticality can directly (or conditionally) change item business impacts codes which in turn change re-order policies every month. This is an example of cross-domain functionality whereby changes in one domain (maintenance) flow directly through to another (inventory).
• Regional Safety Stock capability which shares safety stock across close geographic regions in an optimal way eliminating unnecessary duplicated safety stock. This has the potential to reduce inventories by $million for some OAS clients.
• Demand Profiling has been enhanced to model AND maintain step-changes in inventory demand. Such demand profiles can easily be applied to items or groups of items and updated as required.
• Automated Report generation and distribution is now provided as part of the Periodic Update (PU) process.  The PU can generate all the periodic reports and distributed them in a variety of ways such as by email.
• Newly developed set of pre-configured Procurement Workqueues providing best practice MRO procurement prioritized work objectives (see separate article).
• Many improvements in Maintenance capability including several additions to maintenance best practice configuration arising from a recent OAS Maintenance implementation.

• Enterprise-Ready  

• Deploy-ability and maintainability have all been improved.  It is now easy to apply patches and service packs via Administrator Toolbox utilities Database Upgrade Utility and Database Integrity Checker.  Another important new capability is the Database Merge Utility which reliably extends OAS instances to include data from new sites and turn-on additional modules in a repeatable way. 
• Platform supported has been extended to include MS SQL 2008, Windows 7, Windows Server 2008, Internet Explorer 8, SAP Business Objects Enterprise 3.1.
•  Licensing for OAS Reporting now supports the more flexible concurrent user model in addition to named user model.
• A comprehensive and configurable Audit Log facility covering system usage, key functions and data changes is now provided.

• Scalability

• SAP and Ellipse standard OAS connectors have been made more scalable supporting quick extract of many millions of transactions records.
• Scalable, non-intrusive Periodic Update process allowing Users to continue working during a Periodic Update (PU);  Groups can be refreshed on completion of a PU
• PU runs as a separate service, on a separate database and can even be run on a separate server
• OAS Analytics Online connectivity has been redeveloped better and easier support large number of users

• Responsive

• Addressed a large number (189) Product Change Requests and made applying of service packs very easy.  The combination of these two elements reduces user waiting time for customer requested changes and expedites the availability of enhancements.

These examples cover just a few of the many new functions and 189 product change requests included OAS 6.3 SP3.   This release is now in production use by a number of customers.  Thank you to all the Oniqua customers who contributed ideas and innovations to this important release.  Detailed Release Notes are available in the Members Area of the Oniqua website on the Product Information page, further information is also available from your Oniqua client manager and support@oniqua.com .

For information on the OAS Modules, please click here.