Fabrikam, Inc. is a multinational company with branch sites throughout the world. It has been running a host-based system as its primary internal e-mail system, although some branches have implemented local area network (LAN)-based e-mail in response to user requests.
A reengineering effort has made it apparent to upper management that to reduce administrative, support, training, and custom-development costs, the company will eventually need to standardize on a single e-mail system. E-mail is considered mission-critical because it is relied on heavily by internal users to transfer information.
In addition, users of the company's LAN-based messaging systems frequently send rich-text objects, such as documents and spreadsheets, and are frustrated with the current messaging environment because it does not enable them to share that information with several branches of the company. And, although users have many good ideas for automating processes by using the messaging infrastructure, the IS department often lacks the ability to create them because of the heterogeneous messaging environments, the difficulty in programming applications on their existing messaging system, and a corresponding lack of resources.
The reengineering effort has produced several key recommendations, including:
After conducting a comprehensive review of a variety of products, Fabrikam, Inc. chose Microsoft Exchange Server as its messaging and workgroup platform. In addition to offering strong messaging, connectivity, and administrative capabilities, Microsoft Exchange Server was selected because it includes built-in groupware and supports building additional groupware applications on top of its messaging system, which can handle the mission-critical demands placed upon it.
Microsoft Exchange Server provides the functionality required for the following types of groupware applications used by Fabrikam, Inc.:
Microsoft Exchange Server support for multimaster data replication provides Fabrikam, Inc. the benefits of a distributed information infrastructure. This structure enables users to share ideas and work as a team to reach decisions, even if they are thousands of miles and many time zones apart. Fabrikam, Inc. plans to use this capability to create public folders that contain process discussion plans and enable each functional unit to participate in discussions on the plans, including how they might be improved. In this way, the company will benefit from the involvement of the people who best understand how to reengineer a process.
Another benefit of replicated information is the minimal administrative overhead required to keep multiple versions up-to-date. This overhead has been a problem with the company's current system, because much of the information the company wanted to distribute worldwide first had to be copied manually to local office servers. This meant working with links that may or may not be functioning, that disconnect in the middle of transmissions, and that cause a variety of other administrative problems.
Users at Fabrikam, Inc. can make decisions more easily because they will be able to quickly access the information they need. This functionality is provided by the Microsoft Exchange Client and Microsoft Exchange Server working together. The server moves the information throughout the organization, while the client provides the ability to search through data to find the necessary information. The ability of the Microsoft Exchange Client to group, sort, and filter information creates intelligent agents for handling tasks, support for group scheduling, and the ability for users to develop custom forms and build custom applications without programming. All make it easier for users to communicate.
Fabrikam, Inc. users will also be able to create applications quickly and easily. For example, a user may find a public folder application and want to make a similar application with only a few changes (such as copying the customer-tracking application, including its forms, rules, and permissions). Because the application is provided as a sample application on the Microsoft Exchange Server compact disc, it can be used as a model to create a public folder for tracking contractors and other suppliers, eliminating the need to create a similar application from scratch.
The purpose of each public folder is similar: to provide a centrally accessible location where information on outside organizations can be kept, and to enable users of the folder to enter information as it is gathered. To accomplish these tasks, Fabrikam, Inc. intends to use Microsoft Exchange Forms Designer, and will install Microsoft Exchange Forms Designer on most of the company's desktops running the Microsoft Exchange Client. However, the administrator will retain the sole ability to distribute applications created by users to the rest of the company, typically after the application has been completely tested.
Microsoft Exchange Server provides an e-mail infrastructure that is capable of handling Fabrikam, Inc. employees scattered across the globe, yet can be centrally managed from a single desktop. By providing built-in groupware applications, Microsoft Exchange Server provides users with the ability to work together more efficiently without incurring the additional infrastructure, end-user training, or administrative costs that a separate infrastructure would require. Finally, users can quickly and easily access the information they need and build applications that they feel are most valuable.