Bristol, England based consultancy Avon Information Management Services Ltd (AIMS) has launched AutoFlex, a new business management software application for the auto installation market built on Data Access Worldwide's powerful Visual DataFlex 9 RAD framework for building and deploying Windows and Web database applications.

AutoFlex is designed for use by companies involved in the installation and servicing of in-vehicle equipment, especially mobile telephones and associated ancillary products, multimedia systems, GPS tracking systems, and any other vehicle related services. AIMS' goal is to also assist companies in coping with the predicted increase of installation work due to forthcoming legislation banning the use of mobile phones while driving.

AIMS' AutoFlex application manages installations from initial enquiry through to installation and invoicing and also includes engineer postcode look-ups, diaries, worksite mapping, and electronic data transfer via e-mail, FAX, FTP, and GPRS 3. The system is suitable for all company sizes from the professional sole operator up to large multi-user companies with many engineers/contractors, will streamline administration activities saving key resources and reducing costs whilst increasing efficiency, and is ideally suited to companies that have or are seeking ISO 9000 registration.

AIMS has long experience in providing solutions for service industries using Data Access Worldwide's RAD toolsets for creating and deploying database applications. The release of AutoFlex represents the company's latest offering built on the Visual DataFlex framework, and the company states the software is finding ready acceptance among their existing user base while attracting broader industry interest.

AutoFlex compliments the company's existing product range, which includes GasFlex for use by companies involved in the installation and maintenance of central heating systems into domestic and light commercial premises, and NetworkFlex for use by companies involved in the installation of network-type equipment (i.e. computer networks, telephones, CCTV, etc.) into commercial premises. AIMS also offers general IT consultancy services.

Chris Hibbert of ASCKEY Data Sytems, the DAW U.K. Channel Partner servicing AIMS as the company's preferred supplier, says that Nigel Sedgley, AIMS' managing director and chief developer, "has produced an extraordinarily thorough and extensive set of applications that do everything from identifying installers accredited to handle specific jobs through to costing the job and paying them for doing it."

A look at an AutoFlex (screen shot) demonstrates the attention to detail provided in the application. Quality control for installations (as well as "common survival instincts") require a comprehensive checklist of "before and after" states of all vehicle components that could be affected, from whether the power windows still work to any pre or post installation damage. As well as providing a tick box matrix for permanently recording this data, AutoFlex prints out or faxes a complete paper copy of the job sheet for on-site recording when, as will often be the case, on-the-job PC usage is impractical. Every such job issue is recorded, and the full audit trail that results is a big plus for the whole quality control aspect of service management, and provides a big part of what's needed to qualify for ISO 9000 certification.

The application also provides a linked map of all work sites with full postcode validation, as well as details on the engineer's contact information and qualifications.

The postcode search and location facilities are proving to be a key feature to AutoFlex users. Dawn Oliver, of North Wales based Gemini Tech said her company has recently taken on the system after looking at other service management products. "Currently we are mostly servicing local needs, but with AutoFlex, we can maintain a country wide register of installers. Its now so easy - and quick - to match an installer's qualifications and location to a job anywhere in the country that the whole thought of a geographical limit to our operations disappears," she says.

Where AutoFlex really stands out is in its communications capabilities, and Mr. Sedgley says this is where Visual DataFlex has really shown its strength in building quality applications - any document produced by AutoFlex can be delivered in many ways.

One example is the Install Job Sheet (screen shot), which includes the data from the tick box matrix and can be created as an Excel spreadsheet, then faxed automatically to the install engineer. It could also be e-mailed, sent via postal mail, or even sent via SMS to the engineer's mobile phone, or as a combination of multiple methods. A comprehensive supervisory checking system that can be tailored to user requirements ensures that everything is proper before messages are sent.

Mr. Sedgley says, "A major attraction of Visual DataFlex is that it recognizes the needs of current day development, and provides us with all the classes needed to incorporate all these different forms of communication that people expect today. I'm no expert in any of these, but I don't need to be!"

Gemini's Ms. Oliver notes that, "Even though we are only using the automatic faxing so far, AutoFlex is already having a big impact on our efficiency. Now, installers get a much better job description, and are starting to fill in all the tick boxes, which they fax back to us. Even though it is still us who are entering these back to the job record, the audit trail this creates means that we will not have to keep masses of paper records in case of a future query.

"It also means that we can easily find out from the system what jobs have not been reported back, so we can much more easily chase up the installer. This in turn improves our cash flow, as we are already getting invoices out much more promptly, and the contractors like it because they then get paid quicker! From every point of view, our efficiency and quality of service aspects are seeing a big improvement."

Visual DataFlex's rich feature set has also allowed Mr. Sedgley to further automate data exchange into AutoFlex. He notes that Visual DataFlex is particularly impressive in its XML capabilities, and as well as allowing interchange with any XML recognising systems, AutoFlex also uses XML to allow a "Lite" form to exchange information with a full version. AutoFlex Lite is designed for both the small "high street" installations business, and also for the engineers themselves, who may be independent businesses. Engineers running the Lite version can easily interchange data with AutoFlex running in the major corporation originating the installation requests, drastically cutting down on "clerking time" needed to keep records and processes up to date.

Mr. Sedgley says about Ms. Oliver and Gemini's experiences, "Dawn's early usage of the system is very encouraging, but we know that there is an awful lot more benefit that will emerge as they get used to the system. The ability to directly inter-communicate with installer-contractors we know from other user's experience is going to have a major impact, allowing them to manage many more installers and therefore many more jobs for the same management effort."

For backend data management, AutoFlex includes the embedded DataFlex database with licensing for up to 10 users out of the box. For higher user-counts, or if the network infrastructure requires it, the company recommends deploying an SQL database. AIMS has experience with deploying and porting to MS-SQL Server, Oracle & MySQL DBMS', and state they are prepared to support any major database that a customer chooses to deploy.

AIMS is currently deploying AutoFlex under VDF revision 9.0, but intend to mimic the Data Access Worldwide VDF licensing and release strategy and deliver new releases on a four to six month cycle that include bug fixes and enhanced functionality as driven by customer requirements. AIMS intends to implement a 25% annual upgrade/support charge, and to upgrade their customer's VDF client engines to the latest revision about 3 months after a new VDF revision is released by DAW.

Mr. Sedgley notes that AutoFlex incorporates a number of third-party software packages and utilities to extend the application's functionality, including "a couple of apps from some little company somewhere on your side of the pond" - Microsoft Word and Excel - that are the preferred means for providing the documentation that the application uses via VDF's built-in FlexCOM technology.

AutoFlex offers integration with several "Postcoding" applications to assist in address entry and to provide links to a U.K. website for displaying a map indicating the location of these addresses. Integration to accounting is also provided; Pegasus, QuickBooks and Sage support is provided in the box, again demonstrating Visual DataFlex's built-in capabilities to easily integrate with other software packages that follow Windows standards.

AutoFlex also makes use of a picturebox .DLL for displaying signatures captured on the PocketPC version of the software, and incorporates "a neat scheduling .OCX" from GravityBox.com (GBSchedule.ocx), which Mr. Sedgley says is, "...very good, and I would be happy to give any other DF developer assistance in making use of this."

The result is a system suitable for all company sizes from the professional one-man band operator, up to large multi-user companies with many engineers/contractors. Mr. Sedgley says that AutoFlex will streamline administration activities, save on key resources, reduce costs while increasing efficiency, and be a key enabler in achieving or supporting ISO 9000 registration.

"AIMS obviously knows this business inside-out," he says, "so smaller companies will be buying into a lot of practical experience, while larger companies will find everything they need to run a large, high volume installation contracting business."

AutoFlex is one of a set of service industry systems based on similar ideas offered by Avon Information Management Services Ltd. Each is customised to the needs of each vertical industry.

Visit Avon Information Management Services, or telephone 07973 440335 for more information.

Learn more about Visual DataFlex.

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