Technical Services
The Force 9 Team have masses of Experience with a wide range of Enterprise Systems including ERP and CRM, but amongst the team we also have a range of technical and business skills that we will apply to solving the wide range of issues that you may have within your organisation.
Our Service Offerings include:-
- Operating Systems and Groupware Support
- Network Support
- Hardware Provision and Commissioning
- Technical Support Contracts
- Systems Integration
- Database Support and Consultancy
- Web Sites and e-Commerce Systems
- Application Development
- Business Intelligence
- Project Management
- Data Audits
- Disaster Recovery
- Supply Chain Integration
In Summary, Force 9 is the one stop shop for all your IT needs, be they business or technical, consultancy or supply.
Operating Systems and Groupware Support
The core of all systems is of course the operating system and Force 9 Consultants are experts in the various versions of Windows, UNIX and Linux as well as Exchange Server and SharePoint servers.
If you are looking to fine tune your existing systems, add more functionality or upgrade to a newer version of your operating system then Force 9 can make the transition as painless as possible.
Network Support
In today’s complex environment with multi tier architectures and with the need to connect to a variety of data sources at a variety of locations efficient network design & management is essential. When you couple this with the greater need for security due to the ever increasing threats from viruses, spyware and hacking it is imperative that your network is running at peak efficiency.
Force 9 can help with all your networking needs - we can provide a health check to make sure everything is optimised, we can help with any network upgrades, configuration of printers, Servers, Firewalls, VPNs - in reality whatever you need.
Hardware Provision and Commissioning
Force 9 can provide a complete hardware solution including the supply, installation and commissioning of Intel based hardware. The hardware that we supply comes with a three year warranty and we can arrange a full support service for these systems with a range of Service Level agreements (SLAs) including a guaranteed four hour response.
Technical Support Contracts
Force 9 offers tailored support contracts for all of your system needs. We provide experienced consultants who can diagnose your problem quickly and efficiently, solving it there and then or arranging a site visit where necessary. We offer detailed Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and will provide you with a dedicated support contact.
Systems Integration
We have a great deal of expertise in reformatting and exporting data to between all of your business systems, but we can also offer much, much more.
We can implement one-off transfers and real-time automated links, so disparate systems operate as one! No longer will people be manually cutting and pasting data or, even worse, re-keying it to make things work. Now this can happen invisibly, eliminating time, effort and, most important, maintaining data integrity.
As well as the usual tools and techniques required for this type of data manipulation, we have detailed experience using a variety of technologies including:-
- XML and XSL
- Microsoft BizTalk
- Batch driver (mx10) and the AOAI
- UNIX and Linux scripting
- Spreadsheet macros for data manipulation
- Database stored procedures
Database Support and Consultancy
In order to maximise the return of your investment in database technology we can help to really boost performance. Force 9 Consultants can help with database design, optimisation, management, and general support of many leading databases including;
- SQL Server
- Informix
- Progress
- Oracle
We also have detailed knowledge of SQL, database views, triggers and stored procedures. This means we can simplify complex tasks significantly and automate repetitive manual tasks. Fundamentally using Force 9 Consultants can dramatically improve the performance of your database.
Web Sites and e-Commerce Systems
The web is one of the largest drivers of information management today, with companies moving way beyond the old “electronic brochure” concept. Today it is essential to integrate business data from your key systems into your web systems, especially your key suppliers and customers. Integrating your entire value chain by creating a partner portal can create significant business benefits.
Force 9 consultants can help with all parts of the process. Our Development and Integration skills means that we can easily integrate your data creating a fully functional web portal. Our Skills include:-
- XML and XSL, HTML and CSS
- MySQL, CGI, Perl, PHP and ASP
- Java and JavaScript
- Adobe / Macromedia Flash Animations
Application Development
Most companies have an application backlog, or at least a list of user requests that have been “put on the backburner”. Overstretched staff and limited resources means that many valuable systems are just not being developed. More often than not all of available resources are focussed on the big ticket items that are strategic to the company but at the expense of the small simple projects that could create real business benefits at little expense.
Force 9 can help with this process; our consultants will take you through the complete lifecycle of the development from Specification through Coding to Testing, Implementation, Training and then provide ongoing support and enhancement.
Our Consultants use Rapid Application Development (RAD) Techniques where applicable and use a wide range of technologies.
Our Development skills include:-
- Visual Studio.net
- C, C++ and C#
- Visual Basic and Delphi
- And a wide range of popular 4GL’s including Progress, Informix and Access
- UNIX and Linux shell scripts, Windows scripts
Business Intelligence (BI)
You know that the data that you capture in all your systems constitutes incredibly valuable information about your business and the way that your company operates. But do you have access to all of this information in an easy to see, easy to analyse, easy to integrate way? You probably have a range of business metrics that you need to keep under constant review, but how easy is this to achieve? Often metrics you would like to review everyday are only analysed weekly, or even monthly, due to the complexity of gathering the information. Even worse, in some organisations, key business drivers are not reviewed at all due to the complexity of analysing the data. This is where Business Intelligence comes in. Today there are a range of tools that enable the easy analysis of key data as well as the ability to find the answer to questions that you did not even know you wanted to ask!
Force 9 Consultants have a great deal of experience in integrating BI tools with the ERP databases as well as other systems, generating measurable benefits in identifying problem issues and finding new unforeseen opportunities.
Although our consultants are versed with a wide range of BI tools, we are most experienced with the award wining Impromptu and PowerPlay from Cognos as well as various Microsoft tools. We also have experiences with tools from Business Objects, Corvu and Crystal Reports.
Project Management
We have MAX consultants experienced in project management, delivering many successful projects for customers over the years, on time and on budget. Our team includes qualified PRINCE 2 practitioners when required.
Data Audits
There are a wide range of reasons to audit your data to ensure data integrity and quality. This is especially if you are considering systems migration or starting a new project such as Business Intelligence. In these situations:-
- Data inconsistencies can stop the data warehouse build process, wasting precious time and causing missed targets
- Whenever data is summarised, consolidated or aggregated, underlying errors can be masked, leading to inaccurate metrics.
Force 9 can perform data audits, advice on the best way to correct things and put in place routines to catch future errors as they occur.
Disaster Recovery
When did you last test your disaster recover plans? We can advise the best way to ensure your system will stay up and running and, when disaster strikes, get it back again with minimum fuss. You can even have 100% resilience, with automatic switchover if resources allow. We can advise on the most cost effective arrangements for your company or test existing disaster recovery plans.
Supply Chain Integration
Only a very few companies have total control their supply chains. The majority are to some extent dependent upon working with their customers and suppliers, integrating with their supply chains. Force 9 has integrated ERP Systems into many supply chains, including Automotive, Aerospace and Defence, Construction, Retail and Stationery Supply. Methods may be driven by formal standards compliance requirements, or be pragmatic, inexpensive solutions. Technologies used include:
- ODETTE
- Microsoft BizTalk
- BASDA XML email document standards
- PDF documents via email
Why Use Force 9?
Firstly and most importantly because we know and understand your business systems, we never get confused between the technology and the impact that it has on your business. We understand your core business system and within the team we can provide the appropriate resource for your specific tasks.
Additionally as you know Force 9 is an organisation that has very low overheads and so offers all of it services at very reasonable rates. We really are exceptional value for money.
Why Get all of your Support from Force 9?
One of the traditional problems associated with support from a variety of suppliers is that the problem often seems to be associated with the boundaries; it falls between the cracks if you like. How often have you been told that it’s a hardware problem, no a software problem, a network problem and your suppliers are all trying to help but not owning the problem – you don’t care whose problem it is – you just want it fixed! By taking out a Force 9 support contract we take ownership of the problem and ensure it’s resolution.
Additionally, by taking all of your support from Force 9 you simplify your supplier base and just have to plan for one invoice per annum, no more raising multiple purchase orders at various times of the year.
Alternatively, a simple monthly standing order can be used to ease your cash requirements and spread the cost over the year - at no extra cost!
Overall you are saving money, improving service quality and simplifying the process, what could be better than that?
Related links: