Business Tip 19
How to ... Deploy Modules for Specific Users

Specialized Needs

Organization structures have evolved over the years to respond to more specialization in job assignments. This change is reflective of the increasing complexity of today’s modern businesses and the customers that they service. Specialists now exist for data base administration, analytics, presentation development and sales strategies, and customer management.

To accommodate these changes, software applications need to be modular, correlating to the newly specified roles and responsibilities within the organization. Companies do not want to spend money on unnecessary software that will not be used.

However, while separate modules are important, each must be able to pass data and information seamlessly to its counterparts. In addition, the modular componentry must use common terminology and accepted industry standards for naming conventions and processes.

Modular Applications

Interactive Edge’s XP3 Suite is an example of modular componentry for the rapid analysis and presentation of information and insights to customers. There are 4 modular units of the XP3 Suite.

Each of the XP3 Suite modules was designed to reflect the way companies are organized.

• The Dimensional Data Loader and Data Workshop were designed for people such as Database Administrators or IT Analysts responsible for the loading of large amounts of data.

• The Data Integrator module that creates mapping tables to allow the integration of multiple data sources into a single data source was designed for the data knowledgeable expert in the organization who understands the relationship between products and measures in the different data sources.

• The Presentation Builder and Presentation Viewer were designed for end-users whose job it is to create and deliver presentations.

For example, XP3’s Presentation Builder utilizes the data generated by the three data related modules Dimensional Data Loader, Data Workshop and Data Integrator. Standard terminology, such as "item segmentation" and "dimensional hierarchy", is common to all four modules.

Therefore, as personnel change job functions within an organization, this common terminology is part of the knowledge that can be leveraged in new assignments utilizing any one of the modules.

The data, products and accounts depicted in this example are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual data, products or accounts is purely coincidental.