CSC Puts a New Spin on Java Technology for Swiss Post International

The postal service may manage the flow of paper, but in Switzerland it is the last place you’ll find a paper-based process. CSC has created a logistics system that has transformed Swiss Post International (SPI), the postal service of Switzerland, to a paperless office, bringing the monthly number of archived documents from 100,000 down to zero.

Ironically, this new system incorporates technologies that aren’t all that new. To Andreas Leppert, solution architect at CSC, the approach boiled down to common sense.

"We took a popular new technology, Enterprise JavaBeans, and integrated it with proven, existing technologies that are known for their good performance," Leppert said. "It is the best of both worlds."

SPI’s need for speed

What Swiss Post International needed was a faster, more efficient system to manage its operations. In 2000 alone, SPI exchanged more than 220 million letters and 1.3 million parcels with approximately 200 foreign postal organizations. Currently, SPI averages 500 to 600 million transactions per year.

When SPI approached CSC, the agency was looking for a means to improve and standardize the logistic-related processes in all locations, provide direct information access for management and product specialists and optimize customer relationships. And the system needed to complete those tasks within seconds.

In response, CSC created LIPI II. The system, named for an accounting function in SPI’s previous logistics system, is comprised of three tiers, which include thin Java clients, Enterprise JavaBeans and database and operating systems. LIPI II is based on three core modules - a logistics system, data warehouse and EDI links, which enable communication with external systems, such as accounting, back office applications and a customer relationship management system.

A generic, data-oriented approach enabled CSC’s team to put in what they needed when they needed it - an important factor given the customer’s expectations for the system’s response time.

New technology with a twist

Enterprise JavaBeans technology (EJB) is the key to LIPI II’s efficiency. EJB allow software developers to build reusable components that can be assembled to form the basis of enterprise applications.

Despite its ability to simplify coding, the initial work conducted on the large-scale International Postal Logistics Information System (LIPI II) project proved that Java technology on its own would be too slow to support the customer’s needs.

"That can be the problem with a new technology," said Leppert. "It is nicer and there are more possibilities, but it usually slows down the system."

According to Leppert, the combination of new and existing technology sped up the processing.

Close customer collaboration leads to success

As one would expect from a logistics system, LIPI II manages the export, import and transit of letter mail, parcels and express mail in conjunction with international standards. But it also supports the in-house processes of the postal agency, including material flow in the exchange offices, security checks, customs processing, internal transports and the digital imaging of relevant documents. In addition, the system includes links to vendors and international business partners, such as airlines, that use the system to collect freight information, track deliveries and produce custom invoices.

Because LIPI II is complicated and it incorporates internal and external users, the entire design and implementation process required a strong relationship with the SPI.

"Without question, this project would not have been as successful and deadlines would not have been met without this close collaboration," said Ulrich Hurni, director of Swiss Post International. "We had to get this system up and running from day one, and without the transition being noticed by our customers."

Testing was a critical component of this transition, which involved 500 test cases and monthly releases for teams that were spread among a number of locations. CSC’s approach was to use an Internet-based test tool suite that integrated test cases, steps, logs and defects. The test tool allowed data to reset for every single test scenario, which allowed the team to react quickly to problems and trouble ticket reports.

The system has been up and running for nearly nine months, with positive results. The time that it now takes to collect data for strategic management decisions has decreased 66 percent. Fifty times more information is available at any given time and customer inquiries are processed 20 percent faster.

"User acceptance is very high, which is certainly a result of the ongoing assessments made," said Hurni. "Thanks to the system’s enhancement capacities and adaptability, we have the flexibility to respond to our customers’ requirements by simply integrating new processes and products."

The CSC team is presently using a similar technological approach with other governmental agencies in Switzerland, as well as businesses in other industries. Large sections of the LIPI II framework code, standards and development tools have been adopted by the Java Software Development Kit (SDK). This kit offers guidelines for developers, and it accelerates development processes by providing standardization of application development. Presently CSC is using the Java SDK for projects in logistics, agriculture and retail industries.

"The underlying technology can be used in any field," said Leppert. "At the moment, it is state-of-the-art."

Related Information:

Contact Us and Let Our Experience Help You Produce Results.

Explore CSC’s supply chain management solutions.