Our editors evaluated the entries based on the following criteria:

• Appropriateness of the solution to the problem
• Innovative use of Lotus software
• Quantifiable business benefit
• Development creativity and ingenuity

Fleetwood Retail Help Desk
Auxilor

Fleetwood Retail Corp. is a subsidiary of Fleetwood Enterprises, Inc., a Fortune 500 company and the leading producer of manufactured housing and recreational vehicles. Fleetwood outsources the support of its Lotus Notes infrastructure to Interliant, an application service provider. Fleetwood was escalating all its Lotus Notes issues directly to Interliant, and it was a full-time job for someone to keep track of all the tickets that were on hold awaiting resolution from Interliant. Often progress was being made on the issues, but the Fleetwood Help desk hadn't been updated and tickets remained open.

Enter Auxilor (http://www.auxilor.com) with Visual Help Desk's TPS (Third-Party Support) database. This product lets applications exchange tickets with each other. Each vendor creates a profile of the information they need to successfully pick up on an issue. After a vendor is set up, it appears as another technician in Visual Help Desk (VHD) that can have tickets assigned to it. After a ticket is assigned, it sends an e-mail containing an XML file that the vendor's support application can pick up. After the vendor has ownership of the ticket, it can work on the ticket in its own system and any updates, changes in status, or resolution is automatically posted in VHD.

By deploying Visual Help Desk and the TPS module, Fleetwood dramatically improved communications with Interliant and reduced the overall costs associated with outsourcing this part of its business by 50 percent.

Coinstar Network Reporting Application
Casahl Technology Inc.

The Coinstar Network consists of self-service coin-counting machines located at the entrances of supermarkets nationwide. The machines count shoppers' accumulated coins and dispense a voucher that can be exchanged in the store for cash or groceries. With a network of more than 10,000 machines available to 145 million consumers in 47 states, the District of Columbia, Canada, and the United Kingdom, Coinstar's success depends on accurate daily reporting of millions of coins. The company needed a way to quickly provide access to accurate accounting information, let them use an existing enterprise infrastructure, and let employees work in their application of choice.

Casahl Replic-Action (http://www.casahl.com) provided the means to transfer information from Coinstar's enterprise system to forms that the entire company can access. This eliminated the need to purchase additional enterprise system licenses and deploy custom applications. Coinstar can see concise summaries of machine reporting data and financial transactions, allowing for faster and more informed decisions. Employees are able to work within an environment they're comfortable using, and the company doesn't have to train users on a new application.

Prior to using Notes and Replic-Action, Coinstar deployed hundreds of SQL Server clients to its employees, and had to train them to use it. The cost of clients, maintenance, training, and support was estimated to be more than US$3,000 per year per employee. Coinstar estimates it has saved approximately US$250,000 from not having to purchase additional enterprise licenses with its Replic-Action solution, and enjoys ongoing savings by not having to train users.

Collaboration System for the Offices of Senator Kennedy
ComputerWorks
The flow of communication is vital to any organization, including Senator Kennedy's offices. It found that InterTrac (http://www.computerworks.com), with low software and support costs, met its requirements: track and manage correspondence with constituents; fit staff roles; manage all internal processes, let them instantly obtain up-to-date summary information via queries, views, and printed reports that fit the organization's unique requirements; fully automate workflow to reduce correspondence turnaround time; integrate document imaging and management to expedite the processing and archiving of documents; integrate with all standard word processing applications used throughout the Senate; and integrate with legacy data. Plus, InterTrac, a cross-platform application, was one of very few that would work on their Apple Macintosh machines.

With the closing of the DC office due to anthrax scares and the delivery of paper documents delayed, having InterTrac at the core of its operations was beneficial in many ways. One InterTrac server was contaminated and had to be destroyed, but the Boston office was unaffected. Staff in the DC office created replica copies of InterTrac on their local machines and continued business as usual. They never lost any data and were able to continue using InterTrac without a glitch.

Both offices now have pooled resources, providing staff with a single point of contact for conducting and collaborating on all business. Streamlining the internal workflow processes has maximized productivity internally and externally. Time spent on the resolution of cases and response time to tour requests have decreased by 75 percent.

The base cost of InterTrac, plus hardware and support, is projected to be 80 percent less expensive than the previous vendor. This will save Senator Kennedy approximately US$350,000 in software and support services during his next term in office. One of the most important but immeasurable benefits is the increase in job satisfaction. In the past, staff members were duplicating efforts, tasks fell through the cracks and needed accounting for, scheduling was a headache—all of this was frustrating. Now that the office has an efficient means to conduct business, the staff is happier and it reflects in the work atmosphere.

California State Department Reporting Application
Cybernet Software Systems Inc.

A California State Department (Department of Corporations) requested a Web-based procurement application with messaging and workflow capabilities. It would capture data as required by the state's rules and regulations, and must have the ability to generate reports on-the-fly. Usually, a staff person could spend four to eight weeks gathering and manipulating the data in a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet to create reports. Developing a reporting module would have been too costly in terms of development time. When all options were explored, the department determined that IntelliVIEW (http://www.cybernetsoft.com) was the most cost-effective product for the Department of Corporation's needs. IntelliVIEW is an interactive reporting and data mining solution. With it, users can generate reports and charts on-the-fly, from the Notes client as well as from a Web browser that accesses the Domino application.

A staff person creates Report Formats with the IntelliVIEW Format Designer: It displays a list of fields in the Current View, and all the other fields in that database. The user can select any field as a column header for the report, add computed fields, and customize the report look and feel. The user can save the Report Format for future use.

To view a report, the user selects a saved Format and selects Documents from the Notes database to generate the report. Using IntelliVIEW APIs, a button called "Open in IntelliVIEW" is created in the Domino Procurement application. IntelliVIEW displays the data in the client, which is an interactive spreadsheet. In the spreadsheet, the user can rearrange data (group, sort, filter, etc.), then save and print. The user can further format and preview reports before printing, if required.

In the spreadsheet view, users can group data by any column header. It can be sorted, queried, filtered, summed for ad-hoc analysis. The user can print or e-mail reports from IntelliVIEW, or export to PDF, Excel, or HTML.

The Department has realized savings in staff productivity and dollars. In the past, a staff person spent four to eight weeks gathering and manipulating data in a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet to create reports. A staff person now can generate and complete a report in minutes. In terms of dollar savings, it's at least US$3,000 every month. To develop a reporting module would have taken at least eight man-months for a solution such as IntelliVIEW (development cost of US$100,000).

SoftCoin Help Desk
Eden Communications

Eden Communications helped SoftCoin's team support group improve customer service. SoftCoin is the leading provider of loyalty programs to major consumer products manufacturers such as Kraft Foods, Nestle, Friskies, Dole, Frito-Lay, Tropicana, Boston Market, and Coca-Cola. The company's products include sweepstakes, games, and coupons. In online campaigns, consumers with help requests and questions can send an e-mail to a technical support group, where it was assigned to a representative. The typical campaign generates more than 10,000 e-mails per week. This caused logistical problems, because each e-mail was assigned without a clear preliminary understanding of its contents. Questions weren't routed to specialists in a particular area, so there was no consistency among the answers provided. It was also difficult to produce coherent reports: Reporting couldn't distinguish between campaigns and problems, so it was impossible to assess the effectiveness of a program.

SoftCoin needed to manage and process this incoming volume, and turned to Eden Communications ProjecTrak Help Desk (http://www.eden.com). Beginning with the FritoLay "Summer of Cash" campaign, consumers could enter help requests into a Domino-generated Web page to create tickets in the system. These tickets are automatically assigned and routed to an expert based on the problem criteria, and a confirmation with the ticket number is returned to the consumer. The built-in KnowledgeBase retrieves the appropriate answer, and the technician generates a pre-determined response. Tickets can quickly be escalated in cases where an issue requires additional research.

Because it had to integrate with pre-existing systems, the software can receive inquiries as formatted e-mails. Help requests entered into the legacy systems are compressed into an e-mail and pulled in by the ProjecTrak Help Desk. The software parses the headers and text for codes and keywords and populates a ticket. The ticket is assigned to the correct resource based on problem categories determined from parsing. Consumers can send freeform e-mails, which are processed in a similar fashion.

Based on representatives' product specialties, ProjecTrak Help Desk automatically creates Notes-based roles for efficiency and security. Each ticket is tracked through a client-defined workflow through resolution. The software creates caller profiles for new callers for statistical and promotional purposes.

Extensive reporting lets SoftCoin extract and analyze demographic and psychographic information, as well as purchase and redemption patterns. The software's analytics tools permits changes to program parameters on a real-time basis.

One major benefit was an immediate 40 percent increase in staff productivity. Call volume is reduced because consumers are more likely to receive a correct and consistent response on the first inquiry. SoftCoin has been able to significantly decrease the amount of time required to address customer problems, which has increased customer satisfaction. On a technical level, the integration of the ProjecTrak Help Desk with the existing Domino infrastructure leverages that investment in multiple ways, including optimized communications and synchronization with representatives' Lotus Calendar and To Do lists. In addition, ProjecTrak reduces the time and effort involved in system management and administration because it uses the existing Domino server and administrative tools.

Orange PCS Web Survey and Reporting System
Halogen Software Inc.

Orange PCS Ltd. is one of the world's most advanced and fast-growing mobile communications company. Halogen helped Orange improve its procedure for gathering information about developing and implementing corporate-wide polices and processes. It had been collecting this information via paper-based surveys, which was time-consuming, had poor response rates, and was expensive. Orange wanted to streamline the process and be able to conduct numerous surveys and have the results within days.

Orange turned to Halogen eSurveyor Domino (http://www.halogensoftware.com), a Web-based survey solution that delivers research capabilities in a secure and configurable format. It makes online surveying simple, interactive, fast, and cost-effective. The first online survey Orange deployed saw a 68 percent response rate, an almost 50 percent increase in response rates over past paper-based survey efforts on similar subjects. A subsequent survey yielded a 100 percent response rate. Three years later, Orange is averaging a 70 percent response rate, with higher rates of 80 percent for "hot topic" subjects and 60 percent for more general topics.

The online reporting process took many in the organization by surprise. Managers can now see interim reports within days of the survey launch and are able to predict final results accurately. They also had instant access to complex cross-tabular reports in graphic form. This excited many managers, who were used to waiting weeks for this information, which typically showed up in huge data tables they had to wade through. Halogen eSurveyor's automated analysis and reporting made it easy to sort the data into valuable decision-making input. The filtering and grouping features let survey administrators further refine information into meaningful online or paper reports.

In less than a year, Orange estimates the return on investment is in the order of ten times what it paid for Halogen eSurveyor. In three years, it estimates a collective cost saving approaching £1,000,000, and this doesn't include the benefits derived as a result of the knowledge provided via the surveys.

Halogen eSurveyor is being used throughout the organization -- from HR and IT to the product Testing Labs -- for such things as corporate-wide climate surveys, brand testing, customer satisfaction studies, product usability studies, performance ratings for trainers -- even the social and sports committees. Orange recently started to use the survey to evaluate product trials, and has been able to significantly reduce the trial period, enabling a speedier decision. It now has an external server, which provides global capability, and it has been able to open up a new dimension of its research work, now reaching staff worldwide.

Sericol CRM Application
iEnterprises Inc.

iEnterprises helped Sericol standardize on a single global CRM solution. Previously, Sericol's U.S. division had successfully deployed iEnterprises' iExtensions for Notes (http://www.ienterprises.com). While this was a factor in considering the product, Sericol believed a successful global implementation was dependent upon which languages it supported. Sericol had the added challenge of supporting specific dialects of Czech and other uncommon languages.

Sericol recognized that each language typically requires its own software installation, separate configuration, and independent administration. Ideally, the company wanted to limit the amount of duplicative effort required at each location. It had hoped, at a minimum, to have an application developed for all its target languages.

iEnterprises believed that with Lotus Domino 6, it could develop iExtensions for Notes so Sericol could have multilingual support for any language and a single consistent code-base. iEnterprises executed this solution by detecting the user's language preference using the @languagepreference formula. When iExtensions determines the user's language, it matches it with the appropriate stored translation of all the text and labels that appear throughout the solution on forms, documents, menus, and prompts. The translated text is cached on the user's system so forms and documents display quickly.

For Sericol, and other multinational organizations, this offers tremendous advantages. First, because the translation is calculated on-the-fly, only a single code-base is required. System administrators only have to install and configure the application on a single server. The configured databases then replicate to other servers. Upgrades can be handled similarly; and by relying on replication to deliver the solution updates, all users are using the same version enterprise-wide. This minimizes conflicts, alleviates incompatibility issues, and facilitates support.

Sericol found the total cost of ownership of the solution is reduced when customizations are required. For example, if a customization is wanted, it need not be developed or maintained independently for each language. Like configuration preferences, the single code base allows customizations to be executed once. As the system matures and is tailored to fit the organization's business processes, modifications are easily managed because there is only one place to make changes.

The introduction of these multilingual features means that every label in the entire solution is now configurable through the configuration database. This can result in greater user acceptance, because the solution can be configured to use the nomenclature employees are already accustomed to using. As such, any field label can be easily configured to use the vernacular that is specific to a particular company or industry. In many cases, this also provides an alternative to costly custom development.

ADP Rideshare Database
Automatic Data Processing Inc.
To be compliant with a Southern California rideshare program, the human resources department at ADP (http://www.adp.com) spent days every month organizing, tabulating, troubleshooting, and mailing paper surveys to all employees involved in the program. ADP used Lotus Notes to automate the survey, and now sends all participants an online survey document they fill out and submit weekly. The HR department still must verify the information on the cards, so the solution includes special views to handle the unusual circumstances required for this project (e.g., if the mode of transportation is carpool, the participant must include the name of his carpool partner, and the HR person must verify it's correct). The solution includes a view to export data to an Excel spreadsheet, where it can be formatted to upload into the company's payroll system for participants who qualify for the monthly Rideshare benefit.

ADP HR Management Toolkit
Automatic Data Processing Inc.
Prior to this application, the human resources department at ADP (http://www.adp.com) had no way to effectively communicate management-related information to the management team. ADP created a Toolkit database to provide a repository of data and links pertinent to management team members. It works on the Notes client as well as the corporate intranet. The HR staff can make updates to this dynamic system without developer intervention. Utility forms provide the HR department with complete control over the data, so it can add new data categories, attach documents, connect to Web links, and answer individual questions submitted by the management teams. The result is easy access to corporate policies, guidelines, and procedures; uniform solutions communicated by HR to the management team; process and communication between the management team members and the HR department is streamlined through queues, e-mail messages, and calendar meetings; and HR updates data on command, without the expense of printing new reference manuals.

ADP Client Information Management System (CIMS)
Automatic Data Processing Inc.
CIMS provides all ADP's (http://www.adp.com) payroll regions with current and historical client transaction data on the corporate intranet. Many regions weren't able to access the previous AS/400 system, which resulted in a large volume of calls. CIMS provides task assignment and tracking, increased call history capabilities, e-mail notifications throughout the workflow process, customized queries, enhanced performance measurement, direct-initiated service inquiries, integration with other Lotus Notes databases, an interactive form to request enhancements or report problems, comprehensive views and reporting availability by user segment and status, and archive database accessibility. As a result of CIMS, phone service efficiency increased by 4.3 percent, with a representative availability rate of 84.3 percent. Approximately 16,000 client transactions are created monthly, and there's a four percent increase in transactions with a 24-hour turnaround.

DuPont Engineering Tracking Database
Automation Centre LLC

DuPont Engineering needed greater review of its projects and where staff spent time, so it chose Time Tracker, one of the Automation Centre Tracker Suite applications (http://www.trackersuite.com). It automatically tracks and records hours worked by employees, and lets employees report hours worked on a weekly or daily basis from any Notes client. Time cards are automatically routed to supervisors. It provides simplified review of time spent on projects, and the work remaining. It also automates typical time reporting processes, including posting to projects, notifying payroll, and generating activity reports.

DuPont Engineering is now enjoying better and timelier information. Submission rates for time cards increased from 50 percent to 97 percent. Automation Centre worked to customize Tracker Suite to fit DuPont Engineering's needs. DuPont now offers online availability of project delivery and performance reports, projected and historical demand for research and development, staffing, and engineering services. The cross-charging features let DuPont better articulate and retain the value of its services to customers.

Thomas Engineering CRM System
Clear Technologies Inc.
Clear Technologies Engage helped Thomas Engineering (TEC) set up a customer relationship management system from a consolidated database accessible to any employee requesting customer information. Before using Engage, TEC had no formal process for responding to internal and external sales leads and tracking progress. Its PC-based contact management application created silos between departments and was paper-intensive. With parts of the Clear Technologies Engage product suite (http://www.cleartechnologies.net), TEC was able to implement a true CRM solution. It uses the Relationship Tracking module as a single repository for its customer base; with the Marketing & Communications tool, the sales team can schedule and customize e-mail marketing campaigns that include attachments; Activity Management, an application for tracking sales activities and service calls, managing customer tasks, and creating comprehensive customer activity reports; and Opportunity Management, which tracks events, leads, revenue, margins, and account profitability for customized forecast reports. With Engage, all leads are documented from initial quote to receipt of a purchase order, communication is improved between the inside and outside sales teams, and collaboration between departments has increased, resulting in greater productivity and effectiveness.

Manhattan Associates Expense Tracking System
Eagle Technology Consultants LLC

Eagle Technology WebSTEPS (Staffing Time and Expense Project management System) is a Web-based time and expense tracking system that integrates with a relational back-end system that lets operations deliver ad hoc and parameter-driven Crystal Reports to all levels of management (http://www.eagletc.com). With it, Manhattan Associates, a leader in supply chain execution systems for consumer markets worldwide, has saved time and money while improving customer relationships.

Its accounting department now offloads the responsibility of enforcing the entry of time and expenses into the hands of consultants and project managers, a change which reduced invoicing delays five days and eliminated 20 hours per week of time devoted to non-accounting activities. Better reporting capabilities give customers descriptive invoice detail they request. WebSTEPS provided higher controls over project management and billing to a larger group of project managers. It eliminated the duplicate data entry required to obtain time and expenses from the company's UK offices and remote project teams. All departments can access the information they require to better staff future projects. WebSTEPS aided in Manhattan's transition of revenue generation from license fees to services, and according to its latest quarterly report, the company generated US$27 million in
service revenue.