Corporate

IBM i (AS400) Integration with BPA Platform

If you are looking for an IBM i (AS400) integration solution that will automatically perform database extractions via ODBC, transform (e.g. XML to record set or record set to XML) and load data between your IBM i database and other business systems to streamline manual business processes, we can help!

Or is there a requirement to be notified of critical business changes as and when they happen via email or SMS by dynamically monitoring database activity in IBM i?

KFA Connect can provide an IBM i (AS400) automation solution which provides manufacturing, distribution, banking and insurance organisations with the ability to connect IBM i quickly and easily with other business systems to automate the transfer of data and streamline costly, time-consuming data entry tasks.

BPA Platform, from Codeless Platforms, will provide IBM i users with additional business process automation capabilities such as document and report automation, automated alerts and notifications and the ability to enhance workflow approval processes.

KFA Connect are BPA Platform partners and our speciality lies in order management. We can help manufacturing, distribution, banking and insurance companies with seamless integration solutions.

For more information – get in touch today.

Visit our IBM i page here

Sending Goods Post-Brexit… Are Your IT Systems Ready?

We know the negotiations between the UK and the EU resumed last Thursday, after a week-long stand-off. But it’s still not clear what the final outcome might be regarding a ‘No-Deal Brexit’ and how that will affect our trade with Europe from 1st January 2021.

The UK has left the EU and the transition period after Brexit comes to an end at the end on 31st December 2020.

It’s fair to say we’ve all been a bit distracted this year with COVID-19 and this may have led to companies taking their eye off what still needs to be done.

UK companies looking to start trading in Europe and those who are already sending goods from the UK to Europe will most certainly want to be ready for what comes next…

All UK businesses who are involved in international trade will have to make changes, which need to be in place ready for 1st Jan 2021 and will apply to goods sold to EU countries.

At the moment, UK companies can sell goods to anywhere in the EU with no restrictions, and without having to pay additional import taxes and duties.

From January you will be required to use the same import and export processes that are used for the rest of the world for non-EU countries who do not have a trading agreement with the UK or EU.

An export declaration will need to be made in order to remove goods from the EU or UK customs territory and an import declaration will also need to be made to enter goods into either the EU or UK customs territory.

It’s the sender’s responsibility to ensure they are customs compliant and non-compliance will likely result in items being delayed, returned or further charges being levied.

You will need to provide your courier/s with additional information electronically in order to move your goods between these territories. How your IT systems will be able to provide information such as the following, should be urgently considered:

• Information on the sender – including Country of Origin
• Information on the Recipient
• Parcel Contents
• Parcel Weight
• Value of Goods
• Trade Tariff (or HS) Code

This data will be required in addition to a Customs Declaration (CN23) – to meet new customs requirements and ensure no disruption to your shipping after 1st Jan. You can read more here on the GOV.UK website.

In addition to this, if you haven’t already – you should also consider what changes will need to be made regarding transferring personal data.

KFA Connect are well-placed to help businesses ensure that the required information is available electronically from your own internal IT systems and sent to your courier/s with seamless integration and no manual input. In most cases, we can achieve this by utilising BPA Platform – (integration platform) to get your systems talking to one another and also with your third party providers – such as your courier/s.

Want to find out more? Get in touch today.

COVID-19 has completely changed the way customers interact with businesses.

We have been reflecting on what life after lockdown now looks like for many businesses, as the gradual lifting of restrictions continues. 

In particular, the way people shop, both now and into the future will have changed dramatically as retail companies have faced huge challenges across the industry to adapt to the country-wide lockdown. It has also seen the demise of some big bricks and mortar stores.

KFA Connect believes that retail businesses will need to sell and increase their range across as many sales channels as possible in order to improve chances of survival.

With the after-effects of the lockdown and phased return to work, many retail stores will remain closed or sadly go out of business altogether. In addition, the average consumer is still unlikely to go to the shops unless they need to. With social distancing remaining in place indefinitely and shoppers not wishing to join long queues for clothing stores, it’s time to consider the long-term effects.

The likelihood is, that people will continue to buy online from the security of their homes for a long time to come.

Online sales are on an upward trajectory with no sign of slowing down and the lockdown has changed the behaviour of the population with little chance of it reversing. It is imperative that businesses look to sell and increase their range online as soon as possible, as a surge in sales post-lockdown is too risky to rely on. The change in behaviour is evident in the noticeable increase in online ordering for our e-commerce customers, with some seeing a 60% increase in online sales during the lockdown.

Another challenge retailers continue to face is the sudden increase in pressure on deliveries. Additional online ordering means companies must be able to switch between couriers easily and to mitigate this we strongly suggest the use of software systems that integrate with multiple couriers. This will ultimately offer more flexibility to enable a business to run efficiently and eliminate any internal process issues.

There has been a huge variant in the way retail companies have been able to respond to online ordering, from some small businesses opening only 1-2 days per week to large high street chains capping daily order numbers, to the likes of Amazon reportedly reaping an $11,000-a-second during the lockdown. Whichever way you look at it, it is a sink or swim situation and while online order numbers remain high for those with e-commerce options in place, businesses still need to understand the best way to manage them.

KFA Connect is advising these businesses not to lose sight of the long-term, and embrace technology more than ever, as you truly never know what is around the corner.

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The International i Power event took on a whole new virtual format this year due to COVID-19; it’s usually a packed two-day event with workshops, seminars, inspiring news from the IBM team about the future and a great chance to chat with other like-minded IBM i professionals.

For us, the event is a great chance to keep our team up to date with the latest IBM i news, but also an opportunity to chat face-to-face with delegates, other sponsors of the event as well as members and organisers of the event from the i-UG (IBM i User Group).

This June, the event was held as a virtual event, where delegates were able to watch webinars and seminars online and the feedback has been amazing. Delegates were able to attend the workshops and webinars that they were most interested in without having to spend time (and money) travelling to the event.

There was even a virtual EXPO hall, where the event sponsors could showcase their IBM i services to the attendees (I must say it’s much kinder on our feet in this format!)

We were sorry to have missed the opportunity to meet with the delegates and i-UG members face-to-face, but hope to have the chance to do so again very soon!

KFA Connect offers IBM i…

• Application Development
• Application Modernisation
• Systems Integration
• Enhanced Reporting & Intelligent BI
• Independent Testing
• 24/7 Support

It’s staggering, the changes that businesses have had to make over the last month.

So to say it’s given digital transformation a kick start is a bit of an understatement…

The outbreak of the Coronavirus has forced the hand of many business owners who may have previously been reluctant to step into the world of digital transformation.

Businesses who now have many employees working remotely will no doubt be struggling to establish how their employees are really doing emotionally as well as physically.

Some are having to juggle a new experience of not just working from home but while also looking after and home-schooling their children.

We’ve all got very good at multitasking!

Being able to function as a business, in a paperless way, communicate effectively as a team and to continue to offer your customers your services or products with an online presence is now more important than ever.

Not a gentle nudge, but a real shove in the right direction for some companies who have been putting off making changes.

An annual report from the Office of National Statistics which was published in Nov 2019 detailing eCommerce and ICT use by UK businesses in 2018 said that 52% of British businesses did not have a website.

The same report also said that only 12.9% of British businesses had made sales through a website and that more than half of larger businesses (with 1,000+ employees) did not make sales via their websites.

The Government have been pushing the move to digital following their 2017 UK Digital Strategy, with businesses being asked to make the move to offer a web presence, sell online, use the cloud and digitise back-end systems including payroll and VAT.

Perhaps it will also pave the way for more permanent changes to the way (or location) in which we work and also how we interact with both our customers and colleagues?

Companies with no facility in place to allow employees to effectively work from home will have also had to invest and make changes in a very short space of time. Investing further on systems, websites and e-commerce development might not be what you want to do right now, but it might have become an absolute necessity.

The initial panic of getting the infrastructure in place will now have been dealt with, and attention may now be turning to what can be done to ensure the survival of the business in general – if there are gaps in your channels to market and what can be done to stay ahead of the competition?

So, businesses who previously shied away from selling online or enhancing their existing offer should be making changes now.

Big-name retail businesses will have an established online presence already, but with literally everyone now ordering everything they need online, those who have always had a ‘customer-focused’ approach will now be taking an even closer look at making sure that your customer experience is as slick as possible. Websites which make the user journey simple and encourages repeat visits are those who will thrive in this current situation.

However, businesses who sell in a B2B (Business to Business) environment might be keen to offer their customers the facility to log in to their account, browse a catalogue, add products to shopping baskets directly from an online brochure. Giving the customer the freedom to shop with your business at any hour of the day to suit them.

Or what about allowing trade customers to customise or build bespoke products from components with an intuitive search and filter facility – and most importantly allow their customers to view a price list specific to them while managing their account online?

Once your customers, regardless of whether they are making consumer or trade-related transactions have experienced a simple, easy online shopping experience they are going to be less likely to shop around!

KFA can support companies with their eCommerce to help businesses get online quickly and effectively in response to the Coronavirus measures, and to ensure companies are well-placed to continue with eCommerce activities moving forward.

Advice and guidance for working from home

In response to the spread of COVID-19 coronavirus, working from home is becoming an essential choice for many businesses – and an overnight requirement for some. If you are a business that’s facing home working for the first time or an employee that hasn’t worked from home before, to follow are some top tips…

The whole team at Ringwood-based KFA Connect has already embraced working from home since last week.

“Many companies, like us have implemented ‘work from home’ arrangements since the outbreak and this could be the very first time you have done anything like this as a business. This has meant companies have faced ensuring their technology infrastructure is working effectively and that employees are well-equipped to work from home”.

Richard Austin – New Business Director, KFA.

Large companies were some of the first to make the switch, building on pre-existing infrastructure and many companies of all sizes will have Office 365 and will be utilising VPN access and the Internet. There may be a lot of companies that are not aware of other solutions such as Microsoft Teams, which creates a group hub and gives team members an excellent platform to group chat, securely edit files and work effectively together from multiple locations. It’s also an effective way to communicate with wider colleagues and clients in an easy and personal way.

Since the changes, Microsoft, Google, Zoom and many others have already made cloud-based subscriptions free or widened their offering to help companies embrace working from home in case it becomes a UK-wide requirement.

“It’s important companies are set up to deliver their business from home but it’s also about getting the balance right and supporting team members to deliver what they can effectively from home and keeping them informed.

Working from home alone can be quite isolating so it’s key for us that we have daily team catch-ups on video and voice chats to keep everyone involved in what’s going on within the business.“

Richard Austin – New Business Director, KFA

It’s no doubt that working from home will be a cultural shift for many team members and KFA Connect has prepared some top tips for how to manage your working life from home too:

• Prepare the working day as if you are getting ready for work – resist the need to stay in your PJ’s all day as this could set you up for an unproductive day.
• Set a schedule for your day and stick to it.
• Try and set up a dedicated workspace with good connectivity, light and a comfortable position that aids good posture.
• Communicate with your colleagues – let them know what you are working on or when you’ve reached the end of a project or if you are on conference calls or virtual meetings.
• Take breaks away from your screen – make yourself a cup of coffee or get some fresh air just like you would during your office working day.
• Avoid distractions like housework or preparing dinner and make clear rules with anyone at home that you are not to be disturbed outside of breaks.
• Try and avoid the biscuit tin and opt for healthy food in the fridge instead of convenience.

The UK has left the European Union and the transition process has begun for a full departure from the EU over the coming months.

But what does this mean for business infrastructure and what do you need to know?

The KFA team have set out some advice for businesses and eCommerce operations: Now that the withdrawal from the EU is underway, there’s several considerations that businesses need to be aware of, specifically around IT systems and the buying and selling of products.

Firstly, if you are a UK-based business buying or selling into Europe you will need to plan for potential changes to VAT.  The reverse charge of VAT may no longer be applicable, so you may need to start paying or charging VAT from businesses that you deal with in Europe.

If you haven’t already got one, you will need an EORI (Economic Operators Registration and Identification) number, which starts with a GB if you want to continue to import or export goods into or out of the UK – without one you risk increased costs and delays with HMRC.

With the details of any post-Brexit trade deal yet to be agreed, it is still unclear what changes are likely to be introduced.  However, we recommend allowing more time for delivery and receipt of goods, as changes to systems at customs will require additional time to clear and be prepared for delays, at least initially.

Different types of goods have different import requirements, so check these carefully.  Things to look out for are; do you need a duty deferment account, who will make the import declarations and is a proof of origin required?

If you’re relying on procuring products from the EU, then ensure that your forecasting is as accurate as possible, and allow for more time to make sure that you can continue to meet production demands. The same applies to selling goods into the EU, delivery charges may increase as clearance through customs will take longer.

If you have an eCommerce arm to your business, you may need to review your pricing, allowing for additional charges from suppliers, customs and logistics providers.  

Companies that decide to relocate offices or accounts from the UK to EU countries will need to make system changes to add additional locations and integrate with other systems. The physical location of a business or where an eCommerce website is actually hosted will become more important to your business…

Companies with websites currently hosted in EU member states may decide to move these back to the UK. It might also be worth considering new language translations, new delivery methods, customs charges, new product pricing in foreign currency or new VAT charging functionality if new trade deals are struck with different countries.

New systems and processes may increase the requirement for purchase orders and invoices to be processed using Electronic Data Interchange (EDI), ensuring that data is transferred securely and within stringent regulations.

Equally, if you are a UK citizen running a business in an EU country, then you need to be aware of different regulatory requirements you may need to comply with.

The security and protection of data will continue to be of paramount importance, once the UK leaves the EU.  The government plans to incorporate the current GDPR legislation, which was introduced in 2018, into UK law after Brexit – with the same restrictions applying.

If you are a UK business or organisation that receives or holds personal data from contacts in the EU, then you will need to take extra steps to ensure that the data continues to flow after Brexit, whilst adhering to GDPR regulations.

As UK businesses head into the transition period for the remainder of 2020, business leaders should focus on planning, to ensure all opportunities are considered and advice sought. A series of sector-based planning notices have been issued by the UK Government and European Commission, to help plan during the transition phase.

Although the government has committed to a ‘business as usual’ phase until the end of this year, now is the time to start thinking about 2021 and beyond and planning for a no-deal. Make sure you seek advice to check that your IT systems are ready for the challenges and opportunities.

Our top planning tips

1. Forecasting – allow longer time for procuring products from EU to ensure you can continue to meet production demand.
2. Pricing – review selling pricing on eCommerce websites, changes may need to be made to place UK transactions into the same category as ROW.
3. VAT – check if your business will need an EORI number.
4. Suppliers and customers – take time to map out your supplier and customer base, so you can consider how changes in the UK-EU trade relationship could affect them.
5. IT systems – get ready for a no-deal, are your IT systems ready for potential changes?