Christie Digital Systems USA, Inc. Improves Inventory Visibility, Reduces Shipping Costs, and Boosts Customer Service with Web-Services Integration
 
 

Christie Digital Systems USA, Inc. Improves Inventory Visibility, Reduces Shipping Costs, and Boosts Customer Service with Web-Services Integration

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Christie Digital Systems USA, Inc. is a global, visual technologies company. The company is continuously first to market with some of the world’s most advanced projectors and complete system displays for Hollywood, business-critical command centers, classrooms, and training centers.

With an exponential increase in its European operations that stretched from the United Kingdom to Hungary and into the Middle East, it became increasingly difficult for Christie to effectively monitor and access its inventory, which was spread across various locations in Europe. Christie began working with a third-party logistics (3PL) partner to optimize its supply chain. To successfully utilize a 3PL partner, however, Christie needed to integrate its JD Edwards EnterpriseOne enterprise resource planning (ERP) system with its 3PL partner’s systems. This integration would enable real-time inventory visibility, which is essential to maintaining optimal operating efficiency and customer service.

Christie worked with Oracle Partner SYSTIME to develop a Web-services interface to link its ERP environment with the 3PL provider’s system using Oracle Fusion Middleware. The implementation standardized and automated business processes between Christie and its 3PL provider to ensure business consistency and enhance inventory visibility. Christie has optimized its supply chain and enabled better product transport, which supports the company’s global growth strategy.

 
 

 
 

Challenges

A word from Christie Digital Systems USA, Inc.

  • “Oracle Fusion Middleware enabled us to integrate data from our logistics partner into our JD Edwards EnterpriseOne system in real-time to ensure comprehensive visibility regarding inventory and shipments. This implementation has reduced the effort needed to fulfill orders in a timely matter, which enables us to better serve our customers and enhances our productivity.” – Jason Perry, Director of Global Applications, Christie Digital Systems USA, Inc.

  • Improve operational consistency to enable Christie to respond rapidly and accurately to orders for its visual technology components—which are business-critical to many organizations, such as transportation and public safety command centers, as well as entertainment venues
  • Reduce cycle times and tax costs associated with shipping visual technology products between Christie’s European locations to better serve customers and improve operational efficiency
  • Allow Christie to effectively leverage the services of a 3PL partner by enabling real-time sharing of order, inventory, and shipping information between the two organizations

Solutions

Oracle Product and Services

  • Worked with Oracle partner SYSTIME to develop a Web-services interface to link Christie’s JD Edwards EnterpriseOne ERP environment with the 3PL provider’s systems using Oracle Fusion Middleware
  • Established real-time visibility of inventory, order statuses, shipment confirmations, and sales order receipts to ensure that Christie can track where its inventory—ranging from large digital components to small replacement parts—and revenue are moving
  • Enabled real-time response capabilities of inventory movement from the 3PL partner’s centralized warehouse to ensure optimal resource allocation, scheduling, and customer satisfaction
  • Enhanced customer service by shipping products faster and gaining the ability to provide accurate and real-time information in response to customer inquiries
  • Improved accuracy of Christie’s demand management and allocation processes, which is essential to the build-to-stock company
  • Leveraged Oracle SOA Suite to address Christie’s multiple, disparate systems and standardize the integration with JD Edwards EnterpriseOne
  • Utilized Oracle BPEL Process Manager to reduce integration cost and complexity
  • Freed management and IT team time to focus on continuous improvement of business processes

Why Oracle

Christie considered using electronic data interchange (EDI) as well as other options to integrate its JD Edwards EntepriseOne environment with its 3PL partner. It found, however, that only a Web-services approach could deliver the real-time updates that are necessary to ensure optimal product visibility. After reviewing various options, Christie selected Oracle Fusion Middleware. It determined that Oracle’s solution provided the greatest flexibility, had proven itself in the market, and required very little maintenance.

Partner

Oracle Partner SYSTIME created the Web-services interface that integrates Christie’s JD Edwards EnterpriseOne environment and its 3PL partner’s systems. During the implementation, SYSTIME leveraged Oracle Fusion Middleware, including Oracle SOA Suite, as well as business services on Oracle Application Server, to establish interoperability with JD Edwards EnterpriseOne while minimizing operational costs and optimizing system integration.