1 / 32

Bosselman Energy, Inc. Journey To GeneXus

Join the journey of Bosselman Energy, Inc. as they explore the evolution of software development tools and find a game-changer in GeneXus. Discover how this high-level abstraction platform enables agile development methodologies and tackles complex challenges like tracking Renewable Fuel Identification Numbers (RINs) mandated by the EPA.

carlhamilton
Download Presentation

Bosselman Energy, Inc. Journey To GeneXus

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Bosselman Energy, Inc.Journey To GeneXus Harry Galbraith hjgalbraith@bosselmanmail.com

  2. Greetings • hola, me veo como un cerdo y me huele mal.

  3. Bosselman Energy, Inc. • The administrative arm of the Bosselman Family of Companies • Representing eight different industries • 1500+ employees • $1B in revenues • 1 software developer (so far?!)

  4. Journey to GeneXus • 1976 – Harry Galbraith (me) changed from an Art and Music major to Business and Computer Science (what was I thinking???!!!) • Apple BASIC • TRS-80 BASIC, Pascal • PL1, IBM BASIC (Sys 34, 36, DataMaster), RPG (Midrange IBM) • HIPO, Flowcharts, ER Diagrams, Warnier/Orr Diagrams … • There has to be a better way! Ken Orr says “There will be, be patient”

  5. 1980’s Languages • 1980’s dBaseI, II, III and IV • MicroRIM, Microsoft Access • Borland Paradox • Less coding is good • Better integration between code and database in the design phase. • Still not abstract enough. Ken says “Keep Looking”

  6. 1990’s Languages and Tools • CASE tools become more accessible to small businesses (with deep pockets.) • Midrange IBM meant RPG for most of us. • Used an 4GL RPG program generator for most work 1994 to 2005. • Changes to data meant changes to all related programs. • Better abstraction, but still not good enough. “Not yet,” says Ken. “Keep Looking”

  7. San Francisco Project • A turning point for how business software is developed. • Design programs that support modification. • Modifications do not “break” other modules. • Future upgrades are not affected by modifications. • Is this great or what? • Only a few software companies “got it” • No commercially available applications and tools supporting “San Francisco” in the US. • Still searching, but more hopeful now. Ken says “Not yet, but maybe soon.”

  8. Brief Mention for Visual Studio • Attendees enjoying one of the many Visual Studio workshops.

  9. The Web – Java and Eclipse • Great IDE, but long learning curve • Too many vendors and tools to plug in and make things happen. • Spring framework • Hibernate • Faces Console • Symfony framework • Canoo • Ruby On Rails • Hundreds of others • I need to “Get Off The Train” • Ken says “Your getting closer, but no cigar”

  10. The Development Technology Train • New development tools every week • Hundreds of development methodologies • Twenty-five years of research • I needed a life…

  11. Get Off The Train! • GeneXus to the rescue • High level of abstraction for design phase • Lends itself to “Agile” development methodologies. • Includes (painlessly) newer technologies (Ajax, Silverlight, etc.) • Productivity gains can be “Order of Magnitude.”

  12. BossRINs Application • Replaces failed outsourced development • Nearly one developer-year invested. No operational deliverable. • With GeneXus X - basic operational functionality in six weeks. • Will go live by November 1st, 2008 • EPA rules are “fluid” creating chaos in the market. Automation is the only solution. • GeneXus’ “Agility” very well suited to this type of problem. • Augmented programming staff (me) with GeneXus developers.

  13. What is a RIN? Renewable (fuel) Identification Number • 38 character Identifier (not a misprint.) • Status reports required quarterly by the EPA • Each gallon of renewable fuel is tracked from production (or importation) to the blender or disposal point. • Products include Bio-diesel, Ethanol (from corn,) Ethanol (from other sources,) and other, more exotic types of fuel. • Bosselman moves about 5 million RIN gallons per month. Expected to more than double next year.

  14. RINs – Brought to you by the EPA • If you are unable to get more people to buy renewable fuels, what do you do?

  15. Advertising?

  16. Incentives? • Subsidies • Tax credits

  17. Mandate • Make the Renewable Fuel Industry track every renewable gallon!!! • Create regulations that no one can understand, including the EPA. • Require quarterly reports of where every gallon came from and where every gallon went. • Begin enforcement September 1st, 2007 • Begin changing the regulations September 1st, 2007 • Hold “How To” workshops beginning in October of 2007.

  18. The EPA – Guardians of our environment…

  19. Clean, Renewable Fuel Forever

  20. The EPA, Saving The Earth

  21. Inside the EPA…

  22. Other Government Offices • Our tax law and economic policy think tank.

  23. The BossRINs Objectives • Inventory control for each RIN from production/import to blender/final user. • Serialized Identification of each RIN gallon • Allow for callbacks • Credit Re-bills • Bad RINs numbers from suppliers • Allow for selling K2 types of RINs • Like a “Carbon Credit” • Bosselman sells about 1M K2 RINs per month

  24. The BossRINs Objectives (cont) • EPA Reporting • Customer Reporting • BossRINs software sales to producer/importers and fuel marketers.

  25. Expected Benefits • Automate the management of RINs. • Nearly impossible to manage manually. • Provide renewable fuel customers with RINs activity reports. • Customers are drowning in paperwork related to RINs tracking. • Great potential for software sales and related services. • Very few software offerings available. • What is available is too limited for our use.

  26. The GeneXus Value Advantage • Agility • Major changes in the data model are handled quickly. • Easy deployment to multiple platforms. • Prototypes are often production ready. • Shorten the timeline for “Design to Deployment” • Realize benefits earlier in the development cycle • Structured Development • Encourages standardization • Minimizes “learning curve” for new technologies • “Software Factory” • Staff augmentation • Easily exchange KBs with a “Common” intuitive language • Mentoring

  27. What’s Next • ERP upgrade to Oracle E1 • Rewrite all current Point of Sale interfaces • New development for Oracle Transportation Management interface. • Bosselman Fuel Division Sales Management • Manage sales related to various types of fuel. • “Fuzzy” purchase and sale contracts • Optimize product and shipping prices • Shorten the “Order to Cash” cycle • Interface to Oracle OTM and Oracle E1 • Potential software product for selling to other fuel marketers.

  28. Fuel Sales and Purchases Management – The Executive Vision • Bosselman Fuel Division Sales Management • Contract Negotiations

  29. Fuel Sales and Purchases Management – The Reality • Fuel Purchase Contract Negotiations

  30. Fuel Sales and Purchases Management – The Reality (cont) • Fuel Sales Contract Negotiations

  31. Conclusion • Get Off The Train! • Have fun developing software (again) • Focus on solutions instead of “wiring” code together • Create new opportunities • Make GeneXus your partner

  32. Applause (preferably standing) • Harry Galbraith • Software Development Manager • Bosselman Energy, Inc. • hjgalbraith@bosselmanmail.com • Chris Hanke • IT Director • Bosselman Energy, Inc. • chanke@bosselmanmail.com

More Related