Agware Solutions for Agribusiness
Agware
Architecture
The Agware product line from Franwell, Inc. is a financial and logistics software system designed specifically for the food industry. Our first product in the Agware line is an enterprise edition for growers, packers, shippers, brokers, and distributors of produce foods. Agware was developed through years of experience helping produce and food industry clients computerize their operations. Along with industry experience, Franwell developed Agware utilizing innovative software design and development practices.
Agware is a fully integrated software system, but was designed and developed using separate components. This development technique is called object-oriented programming. The easiest way to understand this technique is to think of building a house. A house is built with many individual parts and sub-systems. Using this comparison, the following sections will describe the main components of the Agware system:
The data component works with the actual data storage file or database engine. At this level, the user never sees what really goes on with the database. Using the house analogy, this component would be the foundation and framing. It is extremely important to the whole system, but is never really seen by anyone. Franwell designed within this component the ability to use many different database engines in the future. Currently, however, Agware utilizes the Microsoft® SQL Server 2000® database engine.
The business logic component is where all business-specific actions take place. At this level, things are processed and validated according to business rules that pertain to the produce and food industry. This is where the real work gets done. Returning to the house analogy, this component would be like the plumbing or electrical system of a house. The business logic component of Agware is where all the complex processes of a produce company are handled. For example, relieving inventory when an order ships is handled by this component.
The final component is the user-interface. This is the component users see on a daily basis. On a house, this would be the windows, doors, color, finish on the walls, just to name a few things. In essence, it is everything that can be seen. The Agware user-interface consists of seven main areas: Back Office, Card File, Grower Accounting, Purchasing, Sales, System Manager, and Warehouse. These seven areas then lead the user to what we like to call actions. These actions are designed to handle every aspect of your growing, packing, and shipping business.
At Franwell, we realize the importance the Internet to the future of the business world. With this in mind, we developed Agware using the object-oriented approach described above. This approach allows Franwell to offer a traditional Windows-based or a Web-based user interface without having to totally rewrite the software. Unlike traditionally written software, a new user interface can be developed for Agware without having to rewrite the existing business logic and data components. You probably wouldn't want to buy a house that had to be completely rebuilt just because you needed to update the electrical wiring to meet new standards. Why should the software that runs your company be any different?
While the technology involved is important, you do not need to understand it to use Agware. Our software will meet the needs of everyone in your organization from the CEO to the worker on the dock. Every function vital to your success as a company has been thoroughly thought out because our goal is to provide software that is reliable, accurate, efficient, and excellent in every respect.
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