RSR, named after Regulatory &
Statistical Returns, is a web-based N-Tier
solution designed and implemented with
the idea of improving the process of gathering,
validating and collating, regulatory data
for centralized Housing corporations. Primarily
introduced to electronically generate and
file complex annual surveys, RSR has proven
to be a major system booster in terms of
providing smooth, error-free, quick and
accurate business process for the central
Housing corporation.
Our customer here is an established
IT company with an impressive track record
for delivering information technology solutions,
especially in the areas of Data Management,
Data Dissemination, Statistical and Analytical
systems. They have extensive expertise in
database management systems along with skills
in application development, statistical
analysis and project management.
The central Housing corporation has
under its jurisdiction a large number of
Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) who have
been assigned the task of providing subsidized
housing shelters. As part of the regulatory
process, each RSL needs to file elaborate
and complex annual surveys called Regulatory
and Statistical Return (RSR). Each survey
consists of 3 different forms, each form
divided into sections and each section further
sub-divided into parts. Each section includes
of a number of fields / tables with Guidance
rules (validations) to help the users fill
in the forms.
The above survey format, coupled with local
form field validations as well as cross-form
field validations made the entire survey
filing process cumbersome, time consuming
and error prone. What this business process
desperately needed is an electronic filing
mechanism that could guarantee accuracy,
efficiency, ease-of-use, security and quick
data operations.
Given the challenging requirements
of the RSR survey filing mechanism, we at
ADI envisaged an electronic system that
would perfectly match all expectations of
the given business process. With a good
amount of research into the design and technology
usage, we presented a 3-Tier solution that
could operate in dual-modes; online as well
as offline. The two operation modes would
facilitate maximum penetration into the
user-base of the RSR survey. The online
mode was targeted at users who had internet
access within their reach and could enter
data directly into a central database while
the offline mode was for users who did not
have convenient internet access and instead,
filed their survey returns using the common
system with the data transfer occurring
through mailed floppy discs.
The offline version is a single user
version. At the beginning of the year, a
CD is created for each RSL. This CD contains
the application and the specific set of
forms for the particular RSL along with
the local and cross validation rules.
On receiving his specific CD, each RSL
installs the RSR software solution and uses
the application to fill in forms over a
period of time. This version is designed
to be used as a single instance, where the
forms after being filled in, are validated
and sent across to the central Housing authority
through post. The administrators at the
central authority, after re-validating the
data integrate it with the central database.
After the data integration process, a unique
submission number is generated which is
sent back to the RSL for his reference.
The online version is a multi user
version. Each year, forms are created and
their fields are loaded into the centralized
database which comprises of a set of tables
used to store form static fields, client
information, client data, and client access
information. For his specific users (home
occupants), each individual RSL defines
access to the various sections of forms.
This access list is a mapping between a
set of user names and the type of access
required for different parts of the forms.
Upon successful authentication of the user
against the user name and password, the
system retrieves the form and parts that
the user has been granted access to. This
is followed by data entry on the form, sections
and parts and after local validations based
on a set of business rules; a list of errors
is generated.
As a last step, cross validations are performed
across all parts of the assigned form with
the creation of an error log. On submission,
another round of local and cross validation
occurs automatically, with the data being
uploaded to the central database and the
system generating a unique submission number,
which is communicated back to the user as
a reference number.
The offline and online clients use
the same code-base due to efficient use
of 3-tier architecture and technologies
like ADO Schema XML. The 3-Tier architecture
ensured that data sent by the RSLs using
offline version was uploaded using the same
code-base that was used in case of the online
clients. This centralization of the modules
resulted in easy maintenance of the product
over a long period of time.
The system has an administrative
module to be used for system administration
activities like data integration, regulation
and validation error recovery. This component
has been seamlessly integrated with the
RSR client, giving the administrators easy
access to data entered by RSLs. This administrative
component significantly reduces the communication
overhead between the RSLs and the system
administrators.
ADI stood as a solid support backbone
for the customer in all phases of execution
right from system design, development, testing
and right through deployment. We offered
our experienced development and testing
engineers for offsite as well as onsite
support, thus enabling effort coordination
which helped the customer meet tight timelines.
Under this support setup, our teams were
very successful in handling last-minute
testing and deployment issues for which
we received special commendations from the
customer.
Crystal Reports served as the form
printing and previewing tool. The offline
clients had no local database, but with
the use of ADO Schema XML format coupled
with an ODBC driver, flat XML files acted
as a local relational database. The Crystal
Reports tool used this ODBC DSN for data
retrieval while displaying forms in the
print version. The forms that were printed
out from the system were identical to the
paper version of the forms being used previously,
thus offering ease of migration and a steep
learning curve for the user.
Under this setup of ADO Schema XML format
and the ODBC driver, the need for a local
client database was avoided thus making
the client operations simple and lightweight.
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Systems grand success translated
to long term contract.
The RSR System proved to be a grand
success - within a short period from
its launch it became a favourite with
the RSLs. ADIs development and support
model was able to match all customer
expectations. Based on this, the customer
managed to bag a second 5-year contract
from the Housing Corporation as a result
of which, ADI’s services are
being used again to develop a newer
and technologically advanced system
for the coming year. |
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System popularity opens new business
prospects
Our customer has indicated that many
organizations in similar business areas
are intrigued by the success and technological
relevance of the system. ADIs robust
system design targeted a wide user base
- individual RSLs to huge corporate
houses, has added to the systems popularity
thus generating future business prospects. |
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