2.1.7 Types of Business Applications
There has been an evolution of office roles as technology has enabled companies to extend their core business system out to business partners and customers. For example, business partners may be able to check stock level using client/server applications executing from their own offices. Customers may be able to order products on the Internet. Applications are no longer used solely by the employees of a company.
Following are some general categories of office roles:
Process-driven roles
Process-driven roles often involve a rapid repetition of a single task such as dedicated data entry. For example, a trained employee may be entering orders which were faxed by customers. LANSA's 2.1.3 Universal Model is a good match for process-driven roles.
Customer-driven roles
Customer-driven roles involve a varied office role. There may be frequent telephone interruptions. There is frequent task switching as the user may need to write letters or analyze graphs and reports. The integration of other office tools becomes important. LANSA's 2.1.4 Windows Optimized Model is a good match for customer-driven roles.
Direct customer Internet access
Customers may be directly accessing your applications using the Internet. This may involve very occasional use by a customer who is untrained in your application. The customer may be frequently switching between tasks and may not complete a transaction. In this situation, a 2.1.5 Web Optimized Model is the best solution.
Integration: B2B and A2A
Finally, your applications may evolve into integrated Business-to-Business (B2B) and Application-to-Application (A2A) solutions. In this situation, the 2.1.6 Open Model and LANSA Integrator is used to support business transactions.
Also See