The Integration Engineer
When it just has to work.

If you are tracking inventory, or transactions, you need to get data about the whereabouts of the things you are tracking.  In this instance, more data is better.  I found this video on YouTube where Sanjay Sarma from MIT gives a lecture on Supply Chain Management and using RFID technology.

Whether we are integrating the data gathered from RFID tracking, or using the techniques in our tracking of data transactions, the benefit is the same; A more robust, and flexible set of data and better issue resolution work flow. (more…)

What is an Element?

In the context of delimited data files, an element is the contents between two delimiters.  Like in a spreadsheet, the element is the contents of a cell.  In EDI, we have delimited segments, and just like a delimited file, the contents between the delimiters is the element.

So in this segment “PO1*1*8*EA*10**SW*H11510.REF*CT*089480-00-B-0336~”, the 5th element or PO1_04 is “10″, while the 6th element or PO1_05 is empty.

Empty elements are not necessarily null.  Calling something null when the data type is know like an empty element can cause some data theory debates.  I don’t want to start one here, but may write about that philosophical discussion at a later time.

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What is a flat file?

Files are called “Flat Files” when they contain a single data structure.  Generally this structure is the column and row structure like a spreadsheet or table, but a file in binary or encrypted with a single encryption key could also be called a flat file.  Files that are not flat; marked up files like XML or HTML, EDI files, other formats like HL7 or SEF files and others.  Here I am going to briefly discuss two flat file types; Delimited Files, and Fixed Width Files. (more…)

I found this video on youTube.

Professor Mansour Javidan, Ph.D talks about supply chain considerations using blue jeans as a case study.  This clip is 3 minutes long.

Professor Javidan gives an amusing illustration of some of the challenges that can occur in supply chain integration.  9 different countries, currencies, cultures to get Blue Jeans to your store.  Each of these will have orders and payments that flow between companies, and across boarders. (more…)