Data management in Agenda ETMS system
Database administration
Agenda ETMS is independent from a relational data base
management system. (RDBMS)-
On the client-side, Agenda ETMS
will use the Visual Fox Pro database container with
following benefits:
-
Fast and reliable database management system;
-
Low hardware requirements.
Data stored on workstations can
be encrypted, if customer consider this necessary;
A Microsoft SQL Server Desktop Engine can also be
used on the client-side, but then the system performance
will decrease, and hardware requirements will be
higher.
The following RDBMS can be used
on the server-side:
-
MS SQL Server
-
Postgres SQL
-
Oracle
The database synchronization
server does not require the database admismnistrator’s
(DBA) or system Administrator's interventions.
All administrative tasks are
related to system configuration and database
backup.
All system configuration tasks
are performed using visual interfaces.
Central database recovery
In case of a system crash and in order to fully recover the central database it is enough to restore it from the most recent full back-up; the database will be restored up-to-date after a round of user data synchronization sessions, by retrieving missing data from user stations.
Integrated Agenda ETMS reporting tools
Several
reports are already prepared, based on our experience and
our customer requirements; the basic reports cover
entirely all management and marketing department's needs.
The new reports are easy to be implemented using powerful
tools.
The next output options are
available for the reporting system: Cross Tab reports,
Ms. Excel PivotTable reports, MAP reports, Ms. Excel
worksheet, paper reports. Also, exporting the data to
different file formats is very easy to operate.
Cross Tab report is a solution to
present the data in a tabular form; it offers the
possibility to create a data cube that can be reorganized
after the report creation. The Cross Tab report engine
can drill down from the report data to the application
documents. This means one can easily see what it is
behind one figure or another. In ETMS applications, these
types of reports are very useful, since they offer the
possibility to verify any abnormal figure, in an easy
way.
CrossTab with "drill down" report
example
Agenda ETMS implementation
Most time
consuming activity of an Agenda ETMS
implementation is defining all system parameters together
with the customer, such as desired rating system for
visited physicians or territory segmentation. Entire
process can be done in about one week. All complex tasks
are managed automatically by system components.
There are packaged installation
kits for all Agenda ETMS components, for server-side or
client-side.
Once the analysis is finished, a
server can be installed and configured in less than three
hours. Less than 10 minutes are necessary to install a
workstation.
If customer wants some additional
features, the whole system can be reconfigured to support
new functions in a very short time.
Standard Agenda
ETMS system can be deployed by customer's IT
staff (server and client) or by users themselves (client
only.) No advanced IT skills required. No manual
configuration of system components or editing of *.ini
files are required. Every action is performed using a
visual element (button, drop-down list, checkbox,
etc.)
Minimal and recommended hardware
For data synchronization server:
- Broadband internet connection;
- Minimal hardware requirements: PII / 400Mhz or equivalent, 512 MB RAM, Windows NT 4.0 (Server / Workstation), HDD IDE 5400 RPM;
- Recommended hardware: PIV / 1.4Ghz or equivalent, 1024 MB RAM, Windows 2000 (Server / Workstation) or newer, SCSI RAID5 storage subsystem.
For workstations (PC / Notebook)
- At least Dial-up internet connection (GSM/GPRS or CDMA also works fine);
- Minimal hardware requirements: PII / 400Mhz or equivalent, 32MB RAM, Windows 98 / NT 4.0 Wks or newer;
Several suggested scenarios for data synchronization
According to
customer's needs, there are at least three different ways
to establish a connection between client and
server.
1) Most often used scenario: a
Router separates server from the internet, as in
following picture:
In this scenario, only the port
server listens on is routed to the internal
network.
2) If customer's security
procedures requires, a VPN can be used as well.
3) A Dial-up/RAS server (optional
with call-back) also works fine.
User training
As a result of
user-centric approach conceived during the design and
development process of Agenda ETMS, the time needed for a
user with average PC operating skills to learn to use the
application is very short. Usually, the users start
effectively to use the software after just 4 hours of
training in assisted labs.
Improved usability is given also
by the fact that all complex activities are hidden and
automated. For example, database synchronization process
requires the user to make one click.
Majority of our existing
customers started to use the system after just one day of
training and the system was full operational after a
pilot period of three to four weeks.
Note: If you want more information about Agenda ETMS, please contact us!
