Hub & Spoke Integration / Multi-Site Data Management

INTEGRATOR Hub & Spoke allows a central location to control certain aspects of remote copies of FORMULATOR.  For instance, a central headquarters could maintain the raw materials, equations, QC standards, and other aspects of the operation.  On the remote end, the users would be restricted to only those functions permitted by the hub*.  It is designed to exchange data between FORMULTOR installations for multi-Laboratory clients, for relationships between specifier and custom manufacturer, between laboratories and technical support field representatives, between consultants

The hub-and-spoke INTEGRATOR model works via the exchange of files, like an e-mail attachment, for instance.  Suppose you add and update a series of raw materials on your hub.  INTEGRATOR would then identify the changes (automatically), and then collect them into a file for transfer.  This single file will then be moved to the spoke(s) using e-mail, FTP, Windows share, or some other data transfer mechanism.  When this file arrives at the spoke, FORMULATOR will process it automatically when the next (authorized) user logs in.

During processing at the spoke, whatever information was transferred from the hub is added to the spoke database.  Typically this includes raw materials, formulas, intermediates, and instructions, but may also include set-up items such as physical properties.

 When a client purchases INTEGRATOR Hub and Spoke, there are two pieces that need to be configured.  The first is included with INTEGRATOR Hub and Spoke, and documents what functions will be available at which locations, plus any constraints on data to be transferred (in the case of formula groups).  This allows FORMULATOR's support staff to provide pre-configured databases to your spoke locations.

 Secondly, there must be a mechanism to actually transfer the files themselves.  For informal sporadic data exchange, e-mail attachments may suffice.  Manual transfers will not work in the long run in a production environment - the human element breaks down.  Proper and dependable implementation relies on users’ own internal capabilities and system architecture.   We can engineer an end-to-end solution to distribute your updates and backup your databases, depending on your own configuration and preferences.  Security is usually customized for each client to minimize the chance of the data being intercepted mid-stream.  Ideally, the hub will output encrypted ZIP or RAR files before transmission then de-crypt on the receiving end prior to use.   All automation and data security is developed on a time and materials basis.

 To monitor activity at the remote sites, the entire database is typically backed up to the hub location on a regular basis.  Depending on your communications capabilities, this can be automated via on-line communications or a regular CD/DVD copy mechanism.

 *This restriction does NOT preclude the use of INTEGRATOR Cost Update to pull new costs from a local ERP system.