We are very excited to introduce you to one of our latest technology partner's Dales Marine Services and tell you a little bit about what we are working on with them to improve.

The client

With roots dating back to 1987, Dales Marine Services (DMS's) has been servicing the shipping, oil and gas, chemical, and power generation industries with bespoke engineering services, within the shortest lead time to the highest standard.

Providing specialist shipping solutions in dry dock and steel work, maintenance and ship repair, DMS's is located within major Scottish ports and provides unrivaled access for clients 24/7, 365 days a year.

Well known for its proven ability to produce optimum results and high levels of technical skills, Dales Marine has built up a considerable client base including major industry companies in the UK and internationally.

With extensive shipping knowledge and reputable standards, Dales Marine are able to offer expert advice and complete shipping project solutions for the complicated technical challenges faced by the industry. Leading offshore companies have continued to rely on Dales Marine for multi-disciplined projects that are cost effective and efficient.

With locations now in Aberdeen, Montrose, Leith, Greenock, Grangemouth and Troon, Dales Marine Services are continuing to thrive and the company boast an extensive portfolio of services to accommodate all clients shipping requirements, repairs and engineering needs. With 28 years of experience and expertise under its belt, Dales Marine Services is a highly regarded company renowned for its fast turnaround of precision engineering to tight deadlines. The Dales Marine Services team talked to Intellicore about overhauling its existing operational system in line with a demanding modern workplace.

The brief

An Operational Database is the source of information for the data warehouse. It includes detailed information used to run the day to day operations of the business. The data frequently changes as updates are made and reflect the current value of the last transactions.

Operational Database Management Systems also called as OLTP (Online Transactions Processing Databases), are used to manage dynamic data in real-time.

Data Warehouse Systems serve users or knowledge workers in the purpose of data analysis and decision-making. Such systems can organize and present information in specific formats to accommodate the diverse needs of various users. These systems are called as Online-Analytical Processing (OLAP) Systems.

Data Warehouse and the OLTP database are both relational databases. However, the goals of both these databases are different.

For Dales Marine Services the database would serve as a mission critical hub for collecting purchase orders, time sheets, additional costs and attributing them to jobs. DMS’s ability to continue to maintain and update this database has been identified as a risk to current business operations and migrating to a new supported application has been identified as the preferred solution.

This application must adhere to the following principles:

• Reproduce the functionality of the MSADB, while minimizing disruption to the current workflow
• Reduce duplication of data entry, while improving data quality by validating it during input
• Develop the system to be ready to integrate with Sage 50 Cloud Accounts Professional
  

Along with the benefits of operations management, advanced planning and scheduling software can provide thorough insight within your manufacturing operation. Advanced planning and scheduling is a form of operations management software that can improve the facility with ease.

What we did

After reviewing the existing MSADB and observing the way it is used by DMS, we have developed the solution proposed in this document. This solution would be a cloud-based application, which incorporates the current uses of the MSADB, adds functionality to reduce duplication, and increase data validation.

It was important for Intellicore to develop a dashboard for the DMS's team that can serve as a place to draw attention to important facts and information held in the system. While not in the scope of the currently proposed system, several different dashboards could be created and assigned to different users. A manager could log in and see a dashboard of KPIs, while an admin could be alerted to records which are missing information.

The benefits of completion

• Profitability Management - With proper operations management, executives are able to rely on the activity and find ways to come up with new ideas on how to potentially increase sales. With an experienced operations manager, monitoring revenue and expenses it becomes much easier to dive into statements of income and profitability trends. Overall, profitability management enables you to get a much better understanding of your revenue stream.
• Competitive Advantage - A business that can manage their operations can get a handle on any key internal and external factors. Internal factors can include operating policies, average attrition rate, and intellectual capital. External factors pertain to the state of economy and any rival strategies. When helping a firm understand internal and external factors, operations management improves the competitive standing of the company.
• Regulatory Compliance - Analysing operating activities enables corporate management to rid themselves of the days of considerably large government fines and adverse regulatory decisions. The heads of the department are able to set adequate internal controls to ensure that tasks are performed in a lawful manner.
• Manufacturing Edge - Changing or improving the way an item is produced can save a facility a large sum of money in the long run. With operations management, you are able to change or improve the way a product is made, as well as how to store raw materials more effectively. This extremely advantageous benefit aids the manufacturer through preventing a deterioration in affordability of debt. Overall, this component will aid the facility immensely and will utilise tools such as production software, defect-tracking programs, warehouse management software, and process re-engineering applications.

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