Our client is a nationwide community-based health organization seeking to port certain business functionality utilized by its field personnel and call centers from a legacy non-relational database framework to a state of the art portal framework. The business applications are used for capturing information about events, resources, staff, offices and health-specific documentation, as well as the delivery and presentation of this information to field personnel and the call center.
Given the importance of the applications to constituents and internal personnel, the architecture needed to deliver a stable and reliable solution immediately, and the migration had to be non-disruptive. The organization was seeking a business partner who could architect, develop, and assist in migrating to the new solution.
Ironworks was engaged to define the architecture and lead the development and migration effort. The project included solution architecture, product selection, design, development, quality assurance, and deployment of five mission critical application modules for the business functionality described in The Challenge section above. The solution enabled the client to move off of numerous Lotus Notes databases that manage and deliver the organization’s core information on to a new solution architecture that better enables integration, improves operational and performance reporting, and better ensures the accuracy of information.
As part of this engagement, Ironworks professionals:
- Defined a scalable, extensible architecture framework to enable the client to migrate to a relational database application environment using SOA practices.
- Designed and developed repeatable SOA pattern WS* compliant services that interacted with diverse technologies and integrated with a variety of services (e.g., Plumtree portal, email, geo coding, portal, process server, and reporting).
- Integrated a .Net application to a java-based workflow process via service-based technology using AquaLogic Process Server
- Integrated the Stellent CMS web-based contribution application into the BEA AquaLogic Integration (ALI) Portal.
The solution provides a best of breed application architecture that makes optimal use of the client’s existing BEA portal framework while supporting the strategic direction of integrating its backend processes and systems. The applications were developed using the Microsoft .NET framework and SQL Server RDBMS, and they are delivered through BEA’s Aqua Logic Interaction (ALI) Portal by way of custom portlets, user access objects, and navigation.
Additionally, the architecture is comprised of SQL Reporting Services 2005, BEA Process Server and Oracle/Stellent Universal Content Management. Stellent is used for creating, collaborating on, managing, versioning and publishing the health information documents used to assist constituents when they contact the organization. The SQL Reporting Services environment is used to deliver dynamic reporting for four core information modules. BEA Process Server is the core workflow management tool behind one of the modules that is used to manage and facilitate the creative development and order management processes of the organization’s information assets that are provided to its constituents.
As a result of this initiative, our client’s field and call center personnel can manage resources, events, documents, office and staff information efficiently, as well as respond to constituents with confidence that what they are providing is timely, single-source, and quality content. Also, the organization’s management can successfully evaluate information fulfillment metrics and monitor performance through accurate data and reporting.
Ironworks mentored our client’s staff in the new technologies that were used, and Ironworks continues to support the organization with additional application architecture projects focused on further improving efficiency by integrating the information fulfillment processes.