Some utilities

We assist clients improve the benefits of online decision analysis systems experience through the deployment of a range of utilities. These include appropriate interfaces (see VCT), barcode and traceability systems and leading edge data security management.

More information ... Capability enhancement ..... find out more about the types of support and training we provide to enhance the capabilities of clients in defininfg requirements, designing and implementing online decision analysis systems or in effective use of systems ... Interfaces ..... find out more about the types of interfaces used in systems built by us for systems users, managers and developers ...

Barcodes ..... Barcoding has a large number of applications in supporting online decision analysis systems and in particular in error free identification of objects such as documents, tagged items in a database and items on a production line. We provide facilities for reading barcodes as well as well-established barcode printing techniques making use of standard printers.

Barcode systems

We have developed effetive barcode systems which produce barcode labels or barcoded documents using conventional printers and we provide various convenient means to input barcodes including the Navatec bar-mouse, an optical PC mouse which reads barcodes. Barcodes assist in item identification and precision of access and inputs leading to less time wasted in correcting data errors.

Tracking & traceability systems

We have considerable experience in designing tracking and traceability systems including agricultural traceability systems from the "field to the plate" to track foodstuff exposures to hazards. We can provide rapid design and implementation of management systems for consignment tracking which can be deployed globally within a short space of time. We can also provide effective design and implementations of internal process control systems ans such specialised applications as point of sale systems, supply chain management, inventory control and document flow management for the management of constituency relations.

Data security management

Data security management has become an important concern for thos consideraing making use of online decision analysis systems and software as a service. There are three aspects to this issue of data security:

• protection of data from access by third parties
• protection of data from corruption and transmission losses
• maintenance of accessibility to data to sustain services

In all three cases we make use of Virtual Client Technology (VCT) which can maintain a very rigorous access control to data through VCT protocols which are user specific as opposed to being standards. In the case of data losses and transmission losses, Virtual Clients (VCs, such as Navatec-Voyager) have a roll-back or commit process where if data has been compromised or corrupted it is not transmitted or saved but the system rolls back to the state before the process began. This takes place within a very short space of time and is usually not noticed by users. The maintenance of accessibility relates to network uptime and bandwidth constraints which can occur in remote sections of the Internet. This can sometimes result in loss of access although usually for short periods of time. In some parts of the world this remains a significant problem. VCs are computer programs which have five core processes which work in a coordinated fashion.

• Interpretation of URI & HTTP and web page content
• Manipulation of the local operating system
• Simulation of central server functions
• Data transfer
• Data access and saving

DFSM - Data Flow Sustainability Management

The first two, the interpretation of web page content and the manipulation of the client operating system have been reviewed under "Interfaces". However, the last three work in conjunction and are activated when communications with the central server/s are compromised or lost. Normal browsers try to operate under such circumstances by presenting cached web pages. However, the configuration of the VC is designed to present pages which are not cached but carried in a strategic back up system (SBus). This is a central part of the VC's data flow sustainability management (DFSM). This continues to operate as if the user was online and even permits the users to save and access data. As soon as communications are restored the VC uploads all data "created" during the sessions which took place whilst off-line and appends this to the central server databases and updates all VCs in the network if need be. This updating takes place in the background and the user might be unaware that this form of DFSM is taking place.

DFSM requires a specialised design task which is related to the applications under consideration. As far as we are aware, our Group are the only online decision analysis system developers to offer this service. DFSM relevance and feasibility varies with the types of application and on the particular locations of user provisions available for access to the Internet. DFSM is very useful where local accessibility to the Internet is variable as a result of service and bandwidth restrictions including high variations in data transmission demand.