The Al-Futtaim Group operates collectively over 40 companies bearing the Al-Futtaim name, dominates many market segments in the UAE, and has expanded its sphere of operation to include Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman and Egypt.
The Systems
The Al-Futtaim Group had various customized business applications on the IBM S/38 and AS/400 Midrange Server machines. These were used by their different businesses and coordinated by the Management Systems Division (MSD) and Information Management Department (IMD).
The Relationship
Systsoft Systems & Software (Systsoft) began supporting Al-Futtaim MSD in 1987 on the IBM S/38 platform. Initially, this support was on the S/38 and AS/400 platforms through onsite consultants who provided software development and support services. As the relationship between Al-Futtaim and Systsoft matured, Systsoft also began developing complete new applications Offshore from its Mumbai office. The relationship which lasted over 14 years shows Systsoft's commitment to quality and understanding of the customer, that helps in creating strong ties leading to overall benefits for all.
Some Applications Developed
Cargo Handling & Invoicing System
Systsoft worked with Al-Futtaim Cargo & Travel Company to develop a Cargo Booking, Handling and Invoicing System. It was developed using RPG and could be used on both the S/38 as well as the AS/400 platforms. It was used for multiple companies and in multiple locations. The transactions could be processed both online as well as in batch mode and a strong MIS reporting capability was incorporated. For the entry of transactions, auto-recovery features were provided, so that there was no break in the event of a power failure. Online user help and printing facilities were inbuilt in the complete system. This project with over four person years of effort was successfully completed in less than a year.
Purchase Orders & Accounts Payable
Systsoft developed the Purchase Orders and Accounts Payable System for the entire Al-Futtaim Group. The system was developed for use by all the Group companies and hence was designed to be flexible and easy to maintain. The system maintained comprehensive product and vendor information. It had the capability to be used as a multi-company, multi-location application with multiple accounts in multiple currencies. The system provided the facility for tracking of Vendors and analyzing their performance in terms of products and quotations. Purchase Order changes and Approval was also automated, with a parameterized routing of approval levels. The system had a robust security mechanism, including login authorities, audit logging for all transactions and journaling of selective transactions.
The Purchase Order and Accounts Payable system was developed using the Synon/2E CASE tool on the IBM AS/400 platform. The system had over 600 Synon and 80 non-Synon functions (generating more than 300,000 line of RPG code).
Dealer Incentive System
Systsoft developed Dealer Incentive System for the marketing departments of Al-Futtaim Group companies. It was used to compute the incentives that dealers would be eligible for, depending on the sales of the respective dealers. The DIS took into consideration a number of inputs like the sales volume and collections by the dealers, the sales returns and other parameters. Then based on this the incentives would be decided and the system would generate related transactions like Non-stock debit notes, stock adjustment notes, liability reports, gift form register and so on. The system also interfaced to a number of other systems like Sales Invoicing, Inventory, General Ledger and Accounts Receivables.
The DIS was developed using the Synon/2E CASE tool, on the IBM AS/400 Midrange platform. The project had over 350 Synon Functions and 65 non-Synon functions (more than 150,000 lines of RPG code).
