Case Study for Integration of TrackAbout with SAP ERP

Case Study for Integration of TrackAbout with SAP ERP

Taiyo Nippon Sanso India (TNSI) has slashed operating expenses and service delivery times by going all-in on SAP ERP with the help of Aeonx, an SAP Gold Partner. With two trans-filling facilities, TNSI is a market leader in India’s helium business. The Taiyo Nippon Sanso India Company Limited (TNSI) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Taiyo Nippon Sanso Corporation, a leading provider of industrial, Medical, Electronic and Specialty gases with headquarters in Japan.

TNSI has been instrumental in ensuring a ready supply of the most common Electronic and Specialty gases for usage in numerous industries, including microelectronics, surface coatings, glasses, and fibre optics, among several others. While Invoice and Delivery Challan are generated in SAP, TNSI uses TrackAbout as their primary cylinder asset management software. The database of TrackAbout stores the scanned data of gas cylinder pickup and delivery. In order to retrieve the cylinder details (serial number, TAG, lot number) for cylinder tracking, documentation, and reporting, the company needed advanced analytics tools and a unified system integrating the main features of its core business processes.

For TNSI, maintaining a clear integration strategy across internal and external communications was an enormously difficult task. Meanwhile, it could not afford to make a drastic technology change to deal with the problem.

With the use of SAP ERP, an enterprise resource planning application, TNSI was able to combine its several asset management platforms into a single one, improving internal communications’ efficiency and coherence. This is how Aeonx implemented its process step by step:

Implementation Process:

  • Obtaining requirements from the TNSI business team.
  • Analysing APIs with the TrackAbout US team.
  • Obtaining API access credentials from TrackAbout.
  • Creation of Z-Tables to store data from the TrackAbout API.
  • Develop a custom SAP program to implement TrackAbout’s REST API GET method.
  • Enhancement in VF03 header to display details about each cylinder.
  • Improvements in print output to display cylinder details.
  • The development of custom reports based on the data received from TrackAbout.

To enable this level of digitization, Aeonx created a custom program in SAP to implement the GET method of REST API using SAP standard class CL_HTTP_CLIENT. Aeonx team implemented REST API calls from SAP ABAP using this class, which makes HTTP communication possible in ABAP. In addition, a background schedule was set up for this program to run every two hours. Using SAP, a table was created to keep track of the last execution time and date.

Additionally, the program is scheduled to execute TrackAbout’s GET function every two hours beginning with the last execution date and time. The API returns order data in JSON format, and this is then converted into an internal table, which is then stored in a Z-Table, with the cylinder serial number and order number as key fields.

A modification to the VF03 header was made to better show cylinder information obtained from TrackAbout by referring to the Z- Table. According to requirements, cylinder details were also added to the output forms. Using the data that TrackAbout provided, unique reports were made to suit the needs of the business.

Within a month of integrating TNSI’s TrackAbout into SAP ERP system, many use cases were ready for production, and TNSI started to reap the rewards fairly quickly.

Through direct and seamless connectivity with TrackAbout and SAP ERP, Aeonx enables TNSI to access, search, share, and analyse all of their organisational data in one location. Once background jobs are planned, TNSI can use Aeonx’s solution to quickly implement a robust and flawless solution without any manual intervention, boosting their agility, efficiency, and digital transformation while also giving them a competitive edge in the energy market.

Migrate-to-Modernize: A Case Study      

Migrate-to-Modernize: A Case Study      

Innovations were brewing at one of the largest automatic plants in India. Gopal Namkeen’s ambitions were stymied by its reliance on traditional hosting, a lack of a barcode reading system, and non-integrated sales systems.

With the help of AWS Advanced Tier Services Partner, Aeonx, and its Greengrass technology solution powered by AWS, Gopal Namkeen automated these critical processes and integrated its disparate legacy systems into a cohesive technology stack. By focusing its resources on business strategy rather than on time-consuming manual processes, Gopal Namkeen has improved key marketplace KPIs and grown nearly 10x in the last year.

Accelerating with a rapid pace

With a reputable and trustworthy market position achieved through quality, reliability, and faith since 1994, Gopal Namkeen has one of the largest automatic plants spread over 75000 Sq.ft. in Rajkot. Gopal Namkeen’s crunchy, mouth-watering Snack Pellets are extremely popular in all age groups. 

Gopal Namkeen faced significant challenges with being able to rapidly accelerate, scale, and improve its packing and dispatch architecture at the start of the pandemic. The problem could be attributed to three factors: traditional hosting, slow, independent systems that did not integrate well, and reliance on a labor-intensive, error-prone, non-integrated sales platform that was difficult to use for packing and despatch.

As Bipin Hadvani, Managing Director at Gopal Namkeen Group described it, “Our system and processes couldn’t maintain pace with our brand, catalog, and product range because we did not have the ability to move as aggressively as we would have liked.”

From day one, Gopal Namkeen made it clear that it wanted a complete picture of its systems, not views of different silos. They also required that the data be in JSON format for it to be imported into the portal.

Stepping into Integration and Automation

The project had to be done entirely remotely due to Covid-19 restrictions. In spite of this, the team managed to complete it in just two months. This is how Aeonx approached the task and completed it in such a short amount of time-

Network Setting Operations Of AWS

•Built a system that can read barcodes

•Developed a dispatching system that integrates sales orders

•Hosting of the solution within a development environment

•Testing by AeonX and Gopal Snacks team for end-to-end portal functionalities.

•DNS update for domain authentication and CName records.

•Provide live setup + support for 1 month after going live

AWS Green Grass Technology

We proposed AWS Greengrass technology to store the barcode data, which allows data to be stored locally in the event of an internet outage. This data can then be uploaded to the cloud once the internet is back up. Also, we created functionality in the portal to modify the time when packing vouchers are generated, which exports the data further to SAP through the REST API. Further, only approved sales order data is imported from SAP to the portal. In order to begin loading, the sales order is further matched against the dispatch line. If a different item that was not in the sales order is dispatched, the system is set up to automatically modify the order in SAP. Order status changes once the material is successfully loaded into the vehicle. Furthermore, the closed order data is sent to SAP using a REST API.

The barcode integration with the packing and dispatch system enables dealers the flexibility of ordering products and sharing information with the management, no matter where they are. With AWS, they can now automate key processes of their daily operations while tracking real-time data on SAP. “We are already seeing a 10-percent performance improvement and we are only halfway through implementation,” stated Bipin Hadvani, Managing Director, Gopal Namkeen.

Implementation Of AWS technology

How Gopal Namkeen improved the dealer experience by modernizing the order processing system.

How Gopal Namkeen improved the dealer experience by modernizing the order processing system.

With the laying of the foundation stone, Gopal Namkeen was established in 1994. The company sells snacks and Namkeen both domestically and internationally and is one of the oldest and most well-known Indian brands. The headquarters of Gopal Namkeen is located in Rajkot, Gujarat, India.

Gopal Namkeen has a large dealer network, and on a busy day, this means processing a large number of orders and integrating backend ERP systems. To collect orders from their dealers, Gopal Namkeen relied on a legacy system. As most dealers buy wholesale products, these transactions involve bulk purchases as well. Traditional hosting was used for the underlying dealer portal application architecture, which was not well suited for speed. As the number of transactions increased, it became sluggish, and the user interface was difficult to manage.

Our team worked remotely on this project due to the pandemic, and it only took us two months to complete. They also needed the data to be in JSON format, which they could feed into the dealer portal.

Here’s how AeonX went about delivering a high-quality end solution:

  • Detailed Requirement Gathering from Gopal Snacks
  • Finalize solution design and database for Dealer Portal.
  • Dealer Portal development as per the scope.
  • Hosting of Solution in Development Environment
  • Testing by AeonX and Gopal Namkeen team for end-to-end portal

functionalities.

  • Solution Improvement as per the findings during testing.
  • DNS update for Domain Authentication using DKIM and CName records.
  • Go Live + 1 Month Go-Live Support

After gaining a thorough grasp of their needs, AeonX devised the following architecture to ensure that they don’t run into problems again:

The following are the advantages of the new dealer portal we created for Gopal Namkeen:

  1. Dealers can order products based on their needs – the dealer portal allows them to be more flexible when it comes to ordering things. They can now put an order size that corresponds to their requirement.
  2. Some of their items are produced in various locales. When a dealer places an order in this situation, the order is sent directly to the factory where the product is made.
  3. If a dealer orders many products, not all of them are manufactured in the same place. In this situation, the order is sent to the appropriate factory, which subsequently delivers it to the dealer.
  4. It’s possible that certain products will spoil while in transit. In that instance, the dealers are prohibited from purchasing the merchandise since the food may spoil before it reaches them.
  5. Potato chips, for example, are created in all factories. When a dealer places an order for certain products, it is sent straight to the facility closest to them.
  6. Gopal Snacks can limit order values based on a Dealer’s credit limit in the system — certain dealers were bringing in more sales for Gopal Namkeen than others. As a result, we created a gateway where they can allocate a higher-order value to their top dealers. This guarantees that companies are maximizing earnings and properly allocating their products.
  7. Dealers may now access their credit limit on the dealer portal — Dealers can now easily view their credit limit on the order screen. This saves both parties a lot of time because they don’t have to engage on a frequent basis to verify how much credit they have.
  8. With the help of live integration, once the vendor has paid, the system will automatically release the credit block – We designed a solution to automate their process once the money from the vendor is received.
  9. Dealers can check on the status of their orders.
  10. Through the portal, the dealer can obtain an account statement.

We assisted them in taking a stride forward and digitally transforming by having one of Gujarat’s largest automated plans. Their most important day-to-day operations have been automated. With the support of AWS, they can keep track of real-time SAP data. They may now study a wide range of data and make decisions based on analytics to maximize their earnings because they have access to a large amount of data.

Moving up the AWS Partner Network ranks, AeonX achieves Advanced Tier Status.

Moving up the AWS Partner Network ranks, AeonX achieves Advanced Tier Status.

AeonX, an SAP and digital solutions consultant, proudly announces its Amazon Web Services (AWS) Advanced Tier Services Partner status achievement in the AWS Partner Network (APN). Just like AeonX, AWS Advanced Tier Services Partners are the organizations known for their prowess in technology and exceptional customer service.

AeonX’s technical proficiency can be estimated by its number of service-specific AWS technical certifications validated by AWS Partner Solutions Architects, including architecture review, customer documentation, and customer case study details to assure they follow only the best AWS practices for their product integration with specific AWS services.

To date, AeonX has 1 AWS Service Validation, 5+ AWS Certifications, 20+ AWS Customer Launches, 74 AWS Partners for our global AWS Competency, AWS Managed Service Provider (MSP), AWS Service Delivery, and AWS Service Ready programs in their portfolio, including “Professional” DevOps (Development plus Operations) Certifications for AWS solutions and services.

“We are excited to highlight these designations span workload, solution, and industry, and help AWS customers identify top AWS Partners that can deliver on core business objectives. AWS Partners are focused on your success, helping customers take full advantage of the business benefits AWS has to offer.” Derek Belt, Sr.Communications Manager, AWS Marketing

Organizations looking to explore or optimize their cloud environment can opt for AeonX as their trusted AWS Partner. AeonX’s proven AWS expertise and capabilities include AWS Advanced Tier Competency, and AWS Systems Manager Delivery, for which the organizations should undergo technical validation and evaluation of their AWS solutions and practices.

AeonX offers the best AWS & DevOps consultation for building solutions and services. We believe in enhancing prospects with empowering ideas and engaging efforts to serve our customers better. We help in making businesses grow, market, and sell by providing valuable technical support. We help companies reduce costs & be efficient using SAP products & solutions. AeonX is an SAP Gold Partner with an interest in SAP Consulting & Resell.

For more information:

Disaster Recovery for Bhilosa Industry Using AWS.

Disaster Recovery for Bhilosa Industry Using AWS.

Bhilosa Industries, headquartered in Mumbai and founded in 1989, has been in the textile business for nearly 100 years. With over 2500 employees, disaster recovery is critical to ensure that work does not halt if their servers fail.

Bhilosa tried a handful of hyperscalers, but they couldn’t help them set up a reliable disaster recovery system, which led to other major issues.

As an AWS select partner, AeonX stepped in to assist them in resolving this issue. Our team met with Bhilosa Industry and demonstrated the value and technical advantages of AWS solutions.

We set up the EC2 servers and ran Lambda scripts for automation using the DR Replication Methodology. It was difficult to migrate the data from their previous server because it was in a remote area with connectivity issues. AWS direct connect was the answer to this problem.

Upon in depth understanding of their requirements, AeonX made the following architecture to ensure they do not face issues again:

Here are the benefits of their new DR that we set up for Bhilosa:  

1) Reliability

Given the past, the team needed to make sure that the present DR did not fail when it was most required. Following the successful completion of the setup, DR drills were conducted to confirm the system’s reliability in the event of an emergency. The system characteristics are checked with Cloud Watch to ensure that everything is working well.

Bhilosa may be confident in its new DR thanks to these testing and monitoring techniques.

2) Minimize downtime and data loss:

Bhilosa’s new elastic disaster recovery, powered by AWS, helped to reduce downtime and data loss. Their new DR is quick, with on-premises and cloud-based apps recovering reliably. All of this was accomplished with low-cost storage, minimum computing power, and point-in-time recovery.

3) Security and Compliance:

Because SAP is a vital business platform that maintains Bhilosa’s critical business data, security was a major worry. AWS services assist in ensuring compliance with internal security standards as well as external regulations in the areas where it operates.

Encryption of data at rest and in transit was a top priority. Bhilosa intelligent threat prevention was made possible because of Amazon GuardDuty.

4) Support at every stage:

AeonX supported Bhilosa at every stage as an AWS select partner and professional consultant. The account manager assisted them in resolving any concerns that arose as well as evaluating new services. Bhilosa addressed various challenges, including security and compliance, bad server connectivity, and, most significantly, establishing a dependable disaster recovery system, thanks to their knowledge and experience in the consulting field.

Customer Feedback:

“It was great working with AeonX! The team was very supportive and did a thorough job when it came to understanding our requirements. It was great to see how they tackled issues that came up such as low connectivity due to a remote location. AWS saved us a lot of money since we did not have to invest in infrastructure, and we thank the AeonX team for their advice and support at every stage.”

                                                                                                                                     -Deepak Jashnani, CIO.

                                                                                                                                      Bhilosa Industries Pvt.Ltd