packagex Case Study
Solution
Solution developer company Compuflex International
Description of company Compuflex is the maker of WebAccel® Framework, a toolkit designed specifically for developing full-featured applications using IBM® WebSphere® technology. WebAccel is the fastest way to bring high-powered business applications to the Web. In addition to developing leading software tools, Compuflex provides technology mentoring and consulting services in the Java® and Web environment. The firm has worked with its customers to develop several large-scale applications using the IBM WebSphere platform and its WebAccel Framework, completing complex projects in record time with proven reliability and quality. Compuflex provided the WebAccel Framework to packageX for the development of their flagship Web site, packagex.com.
Solution name packagex.com
Solution category Business Process
Key Technologies
IBM WebSphere, Version 3
IBM DB2® Database, Version 6
IBM HTTP Server
Java
Java Beans
Java Server Pages
WebAccel, Version 1.0
Apache SOAP, Version 2.0
CAD System Integration
Windows NT® Operating System, Version 4
Initial situation
packageX was founded to specifically address the unique problems of the packaging industry. The successful development of product or display packaging (for food items, computers, retail items, etc.) is a complex business process, requiring the coordination of multiple disciplines, vendors and customers. For example, if a retail toy manufacturer needs to develop product packaging for the latest product entry, they must define their requirements, contact multiple vendors for design proposals, review the designs, show them to management, review structural considerations, modify designs, and then finally get the packaging produced. Because the process is highly iterative, requiring input from many sources, it can often take months just to finalize the design, often at great expense and after several revisions.
This $400+ Billion industry was in desperate need of a better way to work that allowed everyone involved in the process to coordinate in an efficient and timely fashion. It was to tackle this exact problem that packageX came into existence.
Solution description
packageX developed its flagship product to meet the challenges of the packaging industry. The product was developed using IBM WebSphere, WebSphere Commerce Suite, and the WebAccel Framework, provided by Compuflex International. Starting with WebSphere Commerce Suite as a basis, packageX developed a completely customized solution to address all facets of the packaging design, development and production process.
The product allows users to develop packaging designs and products in a fraction of the time as compared to traditional methods. The process begins with the packageX Design Library, where users can browse among hundreds of existing packaging designs, to find a “close fit” for their specific requirement. Each design includes several graphical views of the package, as well as a structural CAD diagram. This powerful tool not only allows users to view different packaging designs, it also enables users to dynamically resize a selected design while on-line, changing dimensions as required for their individual requirement.
After one or more template designs have been selected and/or resized, multiple file formats required by all the constituents needed to complete a project are automatically generated. These files can be moved to a collaboration space where all files for the project are centrally stored and managed, or simply downloaded onto the user’s hard drive.
The next phase of the packaging process is the design and development according to the user's specific needs. The initial design is provided to a packaging designer, who can begin to shape the graphics concepts for the packaging. The designer can also consult on-line with structural engineers who provide input into the process, and who later will produce manufacturing specifications. Using packageX, the entire design process takes place on-line. With the sophisticated capabilities offered, users can upload and download documents, CAD files, graphics, etc. They have the ability to revise and edit these documents, hold on-line discussions, and can instantly review the work of vendors and other team members, regardless of physical location.
This portion of the process is supported by sophisticated file upload and download processing, and database-intensive transactions (to record all user activity and modifications), all seamlessly supported by the WebAccel Framework.
To complete the process, packageX provides links into back-end ERP systems to facilitate online ordering, re-ordering and order status lookup in real time.
The integration of the entire packaging development process provided by packageX is truly evolutionary, providing a logical next step in the package development process that takes advantage of new technology as well as legacy systems to deliver both cost and time savings to both users and their customers.
Some of the largest packaging manufacturers in the world have chosen packageX as their package development technology solution.
Quantified business benefits
packageX technology dramatically reduces the “time-to-market” for packaging development. Users spend less time in in-person meetings, and are able to provide better input earlier in the process by utilizing online reviews and approvals. Cost savings are also realized because projects get completed with fewer physical sample iterations, and better universal input from all parties earlier in the process results in making better choices from less expensive options.
Why WebSphere technology was chosen
IBM WebSphere was selected because it provided the best platform for packageX requirements in an overall application server. The robust support of the platform, ease of integration with other technologies, and the “jump start” in features offered by WebSphere Commerce Suite were instrumental in the decision.
Innovations and features
Multi-purpose JSP Pages Using the advanced WebAccel “round-trip pre-processing”, individual JSP pages were used for both reading and writing of database transactions. This made the site far simpler to navigate and use, more efficient from a processing standpoint, and resulted in far fewer application objects to manage.
Apache SOAP The Apache SOAP toolkit was successfully used to call remote servers that provided CAD processing. SOAP was used for interprocess communications, allowing the Web site to operate independently of the CAD software (on separate servers, and if needed, separate operating systems). This was one of the first production uses of SOAP technology at the time.
Multi-part MIME Type Support File uploads and downloads present a particularly challenging problem in the Java Server Pages environment, because processing of Multi-Part MIME Type pages is required. The WebAccel Framework assisted in this, providing seamless detection and handling of multi-part forms (overriding the default JSP communications infrastructure when required).
Development challenges
packageX was under tremendous market pressure to deliver a solid solution, within a very short timeframe. With many “dot-coms” folding due to lack of viable business plans or products, packageX has staked its claim as the leader in browser-based packaging technology because they met extremely aggressive delivery timeframes and delivered a quality product. The WebAccel Framework was instrumental in reducing the number of man-hours required for development, allowing the company to focus on site design and innovation. Using the WebAccel Framework as the basis for the project reduced development requirements by 50% or more throughout various phases of the project. By using the flexible component technology offered by the toolkit, the site required only about 30% of the number of software components that would be needed in a traditional hand-coded Java Server Pages project.
Other advanced features such as CAD integration and file upload/download support were critical, and required equally advanced solutions.
Future plans
The site technology is constantly being enhanced, and packageX is now working on a new version of the product that incorporates packaging displayed in 3D format with actual graphics applied, a library of virtual store environments for retailer reviews and approvals, and overall improved speed to sustain large volume users.
You can visit the packagex site.
WebAccel is a registered trademark of Quovadx, Inc. Compuflex is a registered trademark of CMI Corporate Marketing. IBM, DB2, and WebSphere are trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation in the United States, other countries, or both. Java a