About Randr, Inc.

Our New Resume (2003-5 to 2007)...the New World

Randr Inc is now a single Agile team which knows business, transactions and application integration.

We have been refactoring our semi-custom applications so they are generic and are capable of unassisted installation and support and can be place in the Open Source Community.

Why? As our customers evolved from classical mid range ERP systems into ebusiness. Enterprise solutions were too technically heavy, too expensive and required too much support for our environment. Our customers were looking for solutions that were less expensive, easily modified and maintained which did not require an on site staff to support them. Additionally, they did not want to rip and replace as they have many highly customized applications which they did not want to replace but encapsulate and extend. They are very comfortable with composite solutions from many vendors and prefer this solution to a single vendor solution.

Our Technology Choices: Our eBusiness solutions use Apache, Tomcat, PostgreSQL, and other Open Source technologies. Because the 2^nd Derivative suite of software applications are written in Java using J2EE standards, they are portable to any Linux server environment. We are currently moving most deployments to Ubuntu.

Randr uses Eclipse and Subversion for the development environment. Instantiation for code reviews, JUnit and JMeter with Selenium for testing. Ant for deployment.

Randr Solutions: Randr, Inc. has developed the 2^nd Derivative (2D) family of products to exploit and extend our customer's current investment in their computer systems. They include:

• Order Portal - B to B and B to C web ordering system with easy to use end user controls and administration, Originally written in net.data on Websphere for the IBM iSeries in 2000 because we needed more than a website, we needed serious back end integration with legacy systems to handle complex transactions and multiple distribution channels. It was rewritten to Java in 2003, and had a major refactored in 2006 to handle increased volumes and new functionality. It was released to Open Source in 2007. Due to a mis-ship situation in 2003, Order Portal was ported to Apache/Tomcat which is its preferred deployment option as it is now for all our Portals.

• Information Portal - real time key business indicators presented in a centralized web browser with drill down capabilities, Originally, written in 2000 in net.data for iSeries for executives making regular trips to China and around the country who needed real time information on the financials, inventory and sales. Multiple spreadsheets, and report writers made it difficult to get everyone on the same page as the traveling executive. Rewritten to Java in 2003, has had nearly constant upgrades, and additions over the years. Soon to be release to the Open Source Community, hopefully in early 2008 as soon as we can make it more generic. This is not a report writer and not quite a dashboard and does required significant understanding of the underlying transaction system to install properly. It has become the real time reporting vehicle for all other 2D portals.

• Warehouse Management Portal - inventory and warehouse control through flexible and integrated systems using radio frequency. Originally written in RGPIII for the iSeries because we needed serious warehouse management system without replicating the inventory management systems on the existing legacy system and with real time components for conveyors and reporting. Used in conjunction with RF and Information Portal, it is an effective warehouse management system with receiving, put away, picking and shipping, and physical inventory modules. Many of the components are still in RPGIII and it will have to be rewritten to Java before it can be released to the Open Source Community.

• Sales Portal - pervasive new account sales engine that allows companies to maximize their sales force. Originally written in 2001 in Java to solve the data base syncing problems with multiple remote personnel and a mobile workforce. Sales Portal was written for personnel who needed a simpler way of handling their customer relationships, project management, calendering, document storage, maps, websites, notes and other key information without turning themselves into data base administrators. Additionally, though some nice solutions existed in the marketplace, they also wanted the ability to own and modify the source code. Released to the Open Source Community in 2006. Several nice functionality upgrades have come from input from the Open Source users including better calendering, sales campaign logic, and Cell Phone access which now available.

• Financial Portal - flexible ebusiness financial and accounting portal. Originally written in 2003 in Java to address the need for a real time financial system which had become popular on the desktop but had not yet evolved for the midrange customer. Additionally, we needed browser based remote access. Simple transaction reversal and modification without losing the audit trail were included. Reporting is real time through the Information Portal. It takes awhile for executives to get comfortable with seeing the real time status of the companies if they were used to highly polished monthly statements (often produced later). Finding out at month end became less valuable over time. Up to date information allowed earlier investigative or corrective action much sooner. Every operational transaction with financial impact is immediately posted to the General Ledger. Needs to be made more generic before it can be released to the Open Source Community but we will try for 2008.

• Data Migration Portal - Desperate Application interface for Data Migration and Transformation. Originally written in 2003 to handle remote manufacturers reps sending in flat file orders, and an intermediate EDI interface to Legacy systems. DMP is an effective alternative to more complex systems to handle application data interfacing. Currently being refactored for Open Source EDI, it will be further upgraded for better and standard messaging and hopefully be released to the Open Source Community in 2008. DMP will also replace the existing interfacing between the 2D portals and become their standard interface.

• Failure Data Portal - Originally written in Java in 2003 to address world wide equipment repair and warranty requirements. FDP has evolved into a web base application which handles end user submissions, receipt and verification of equipment, repair, costing, invoicing and warranty claims, equipment and parts inventory, consignment inventory, real time status and email confirmation of key status, interfacing to manufacturing systems, partner systems, and customer systems. Unique and highly customized on the 2D base. Do not know if we can make this Portal Generic enough for release to the Open Source Community though most of the base Portals will be released.

• Industry Specific Solutions - 2nd Derivative (2D) has been design to handle multiple transaction types individually or concurrently for complex transactions. Equipment Rental, Brokerage, Warranty, Work Order and numerous billing schemes are available on a semi-custom basis. 2D is effectively become a very flexible web based ERP system. It will take some effort to make it generic enough for release to the Open Source community but we would like to accomplish this task longer term. Again most of the underlying Portals will be released. Rental Portal is the only industry specific version we are currently looking to take to the Open Source community.

• Commission Portal uses a 2D base to import transactions at the line item detail, and calculates commissions based upon the line item margin, and payment timing by the customer.  Automated imports and easy editing.  Currently has a JD Edwards World version and a 2D version.  Could be modified for other traditional midrange ERP systems.