© RHENUS 2012 Rhenus ICT Services Modernizing a Forms Based Logistics ERP application using Formspider Formspider Ciber, Michiel Arentsen

2 © RHENUS 2012 Formspider Event The Netherlands 13-Sep-2012 Introduction  Rhenus ICT Services, Amsterdam  part of Rhenus Logistics, large International Logistics company (  Provide ICT services for Dutch Rhenus companies  Network and infrastructure services / Communication (EDI) / Project management / Custom software development  Development team of 8 fte

3 © RHENUS 2012 Formspider Event The Netherlands 13-Sep-2012 Current development: Oracle Designer Suite 10g R2  Oracle Forms / Reports / Designer / Headstart / CDM Ruleframe  In-house developed Oracle Forms Logistics ERP system  Developed since 2003  100% Forms are Designer generated  19 applications  1100 forms  350 reports  600 users

4 © RHENUS 2012 Formspider Event The Netherlands 13-Sep-2012 Current development: Oracle Apex 4.1  Oracle Apex  Working with Apex since 2006  Customer facing apps -Online booking -Track & Trace -Warehousing  Internal apps -Asset database -Employee forms

5 © RHENUS 2012 Formspider Event The Netherlands 13-Sep-2012 Our Problem  Designer = dead (and so are Headstart / CDM Ruleframe)  Split development team: only 2 fte able to do Apex  more and more focus on customer facing / self service apps  more web development Future of Forms = Forms?  Oracle and partners say:  upgrade to 11g (Weblogic), but what about Designer shops?  integrate / embed in new technology  new development in JDeveloper/ADF (or Apex) So, just keep Forms running and rebuild in JDeveloper / ADF later? Not my strategy.  Why wait? Wait for the silver bullet?  Waiting will only make it harder later…

6 © RHENUS 2012 Formspider Event The Netherlands 13-Sep-2012 Migrate Forms to …  Oracle JDeveloper / ADF  not a migration  it’s a rebuild  steep learning curve  complex environment  productivity ?  more difficult for small dev team: maintain old/new and synchronize functionality .NET / Java: (almost) same as above  Oracle Apex  option for small forms / relatively simple crud apps  limitations (layout / web-page paradigm / no transaction layer / debugging )  gets complicated when leaving the box (javascript/jquery/css/ajax)  Other development platforms ..  Formspider!

7 © RHENUS 2012 Formspider Event The Netherlands 13-Sep-2012 Why Formspider  Only PL/SQL (with some CSS)  Easy to learn for Forms developers (simple IDE, same application paradigm)  Simple architecture: Event – Condition – Action (ECA) / Solid web UI  Reuse current PL/SQL code!  Single development environment for all applications  more flexible dev team  Easier to train new developers  No split-up development team!  Lower costs Experiences so far  Easy to learn  Great support!  Good tutorials and demos  Great performance  Great potential

8 © RHENUS 2012 Formspider Event The Netherlands 13-Sep-2012 Forms to Formspider migration Low-risk gradual parallel migration possible  deliver new functionality in Formspider  stepwise migration of current Forms functionality to Formspider and keep current Oracle Forms working on same code base  relatively easy keeping both application’s functionality in sync : same logic / same database / only screens to keep in sync Done so far  Downloaded Formspider last February and started playing / learning  Started building a demo framework application in April (not fulltime, but besides regular work)  Decision was made in July to invest more time in Formspider evaluation in order to reach final go / no-go decision in October.  Trained colleague in Formspider and rebuilt / extended framework application (Demo!)

9 © RHENUS 2012 Formspider Event The Netherlands 13-Sep-2012 Demo