- Data Acquisition (message Import and Web Data entry)
- Supply Chain Event Management
- Information Export/rendering
Data acquisition layer is responsible for bringing information into WorkTrace. It is made up of two agents. Message Import agent and Web agent.
Message import agent
This responsible for bringing logistics data coming from legacy systems, from IT enabled Logistics partners etc. into WorkTrace. The agent acts according to business rules, specifying such parameters as What is the Party from which messages will be coming, which way the messages will be provided (FTP, E*Mail), what messages will be coming via the business rule (PREDES, Cash On Delivery, Manifest Pre advise etc.). Once the message is stored in WorkTrace database, the Message Import agent will map it to WorkTrace information repository and Supply Chain Event management again using business rules from the Business Rules repository.
Web import agent
This responsible for bringing into WorkTrace logistics data coming from logistics operators or specialized data capture equipment (scanners, electronic weighing machines etc.).
The user interface will be presented according to an interface template from Business Rules repository. The template supports all HTML tags, it does validation of input is terms of required values, optional values , numeric data requirement , cross reference to a data base etc.
Once the information is captured the Web Import agent will map it to WorkTrace information repository and Supply Chain Event management again using business rules from Business Rules repository.
Supply Chain Event Management
Logistics are driven by logistics events. “Client makes a shipment of a parcel”, “Consignment is closed” , “Transport arrived”, “Parcel is handed over to receiver” are all examples of logistics events. Once Message Import or Web Import accepts the Messages or Forms, it abstracts logistics events and passes the events to the Supply Chain event management Agent. This Agent will ask Business rules what to do with the event and according to relevant rules, it will process it.
Business Rules
Users can control WorkTrace system actions via its business rules. Business rules for example describe how data in the repository is rendered on a label. How data in repository is mapped to Custom declaration List. How a Consignment Pre advise message is routed within the receiver administration.
How a delivery to Final delivery office event triggers eMails and you can enter the text eMails contain.
These rules are expressed mainly in Industry Standard languages, such as JavaScripts, XSL style sheets, SQL statements, FreemarkerTemplates. Therefore learning ways to manage WorkTrace is fairly easy.
Other rules are simply Administrator menu driven, where administrator chooses options to activate , via Web Menu.
Rules are stored in a database in records linked to WorkTrace objects.
The database storage mechanism allows for dynamic system change, without disruption of operations and without danger of system corruption.
Message export agent, is responsible for exporting WorkTrace logistics data to legacy systems, to Logistics partners. According to business rules , specifying such parameters as What is the Party to who messages will be going, which way the messages will be provided (FTP, E*Mail), what messages will be exported (PREDES, Cash On Delivery, Manifest Pre advise etc.). export Agent will abstract the message from information repository and deliver it to destination.
iPresentation agent, is responsible for rendering information from WorkTrace repository in user readable form, which are labels to be affixed to parcels or receptacles, Customs List in PDF format etc.
The user interface will be presented according to an interface template from Business Rules repository.
WorkTrace Information Repository
Information on Logistics objects such as Events, Items, Consignments Transport, Trace & Track object etc. is stored in a data base. Administrator works with this data via its business view such as Business object, rather than technical representation via as database table or record.
Modular scalable Architecture
WorkTrace Information Repository
Information on Logistics objects such as Events, Items, Consignments Transport, Trace & Track object etc. is stored in a data base. Administrator works with this data via its business view such as Business object, rather than technical representation via as database table or record.
The schema shows the layered architecture used in WorkTrace solutions. WorkTrace uses robust modular technologies, Servlets, JSP, J2EE, FTP, XML-XSLT and Oracle Relational database. WorkTrace is a distributed system. Each building block can run on a separate machine. Actually each building block of each application can run on a separate machine. FTP can send different messages to different machine to translate. The Messaging system can send different messages to a different machine for loading etc. This gives tremendous flexibility and scalability in capacity.
Web Server: It is Jboss and it can run on a machine separate from Applications or database
Messages: Message Import or export agent is comprised of facilities such as FTP, Format Translators, ETC. These processes run independently from each other and converge on database via TCP/IP, which allows processes to be balanced over many physical servers.
Applications: Applications such as supply chain event management, mapping of messages to business repository are independent programs taking their business rules from database and writing results to database. The link to database is via TCP/IP. Further applications run on queue. All this allows us to split the over all workload over unlimited amount of queues and place applications on any number of servers.
Database : Oracle clustering and balance loading capability is well documented.
The schema above shows how WorkTrace bridges the mail tracking systems of user Postal operators and Postal adminstrations via the Internet and the value-added network of GXS.