The precise usage of information related to numerical value management and more general IT management is no minor task for a company to perform. From the making of an order slip, a cost estimate or other data cost accounting, these duties are often complex because the numerical value management is often not thorough when done on the spot. At Kowa Electric Co., Ltd., with the core electric construction duties performed at the main Sapporo City, Hokkaido office, Inforce wrestled with the challenge of a project to perform the low-cost realization of a full-scale numerical value management system, by using an Upsizing model to SQL Server.

● The transformation of an account book understood by only one person, to an simplified Access account book understood by everyone

“The accounting department dealt with a concentrated accounting management system from the beginning at Kowa Electric Co., Ltd. However, most items were managed by individuals in charge, and were not created in a way that made it possible to grasp the present conditions of the whole company. Understanding and processing client requests for items immediately was also difficult, as there were few programs for managing account bookkeeping among them. There were challenges using a CAD system to manage the functions for approximately four years with basic Microsoft Office Excel, and general spreadsheet formats from Microsoft Office Word. However, the situation did not work effectively because individuals rather than a group maintained the data system.

With this in mind, we began the development of a system to perform consolidated functions, by using Access with its’ flexibility and versatility, so as to be able to manage bookkeeping functions companywide. This was implemented by Mamoru Yoshida, the director of company's IT construction department, who uniformly applied the consolidation plan. We used the system in those days to make account books in Access and Excel experimentally, looking for ways to be able to input the same data in different forms at the same time, so that the repetition factor could be eliminated. I decided that if we shifted the processing functions from a database by using conventional Excel and Word software, the result would be that individuals rather than whole groups would have the exclusive access to perform bookkeeping tasks. However, I thought that I could perform the present bookkeeping system management more effectively if using a more flexible and versatile system like that of Access” (Yoshida).

● Accessibility of information by everyone

Inforce classified the development of the project through the use of specialized software at first, although later recognizing that the development costs would increase dramatically to more than several times the budget after inspection. Considering the use of an Access system companywide, it was realized that the server hardware was old, making it more reasonable to shift the focus to Upsizing to a Microsoft SQL Server; thereby utilizing the assets of Access, without the need to significantly replace existing hardware. Inforce made the suggestion regarding the shift from Access to a SQL Server to Kowa Electric Co. Ltd., and the proposal was accepted.

With an Access system operating, Inforce provided the guidance to import and implement a SQL Server. Although conventional data was available, the purpose of the new system was so that employees could share data in a more effective way. However, the top management also required the guarantee that such a system could be created while no downtime occurred. Inforce was pleased to be able to make this possible.

While, until now there has always been a great time-lag in creating a company-wide information management system, due to the need to compile documents and input them into an account book in Excel and Word individually, and because numerical value management has not been integrated; making top management unable to grasp relevant company-wide information in a timely way. "We always had a hard time managing information when the time came to settle accounts, and we even experienced an erroneous request one year ago, for a bill that was not found in the accounting books”, said company President Kiyoshi Nakamura.

● Prompt Upsizing to SQL Server

The planning to Upsize the Kowa Electric Co. Ltd. system began in earnest in January, 2006, but performing the full-scale shift from standard Access to an Access Upsized SQL Server database was done easily, thanks to the configured techniques of the staff involved in the project.

The system was implemented after several successful trials, and although there is a loss of system operability with conventional Access software, with Upsizing the original Access functions are kept alive with a SQL Server because Access is the primary program integrator. The Kowa Electric Co. Ltd. system was replaced in 2005, with the introduction of a Standard Edition SQL Server, and full-scale operational use began in April, 2006.

The change from Access to a SQL Server was managed smoothly, so that no issues occurred in the process, and the transfer of the database through Upsizing was realized at a lower than expected cost.

● Planned Results were Successfully Realized through Upsizing

The system at Kowa Electric Co. Ltd. was realized without issue, raising the company’s ability to produce better system management in a more timely way. “Thanks to the creation of an integrated bookkeeping management system, the reliability of the system improved, and everyone using the system could have access to, and understand the data when in the situations where the person in charge was absent, or had retired. The usefulness of the ISO-like system, and its’ ability to trace information from past accounts or users, helped the company employees significantly” (Yoshida).

The system created by Inforce allowed for the order payments and requests to be managed under the same identification number, bind all the parts of the transaction within the same system, guaranteeing that no information was overlooked. There were many merits that were born after the introduction of the new information management system, and “even the aspect that were considered problematic were dealt with flexibly by the system, in a timely and linked manner. While no information was omitted from the system, one of the core benefits of this type of arrangement was that any manager can see and understand everything happening, I.E. - budget information, and the order and payment information from the order process immediately”(Nakamura).

Inforce began the promotion and sale of a "construction management system" package using SQL Servers, which were established by the system engineering division. After the introduction of the system in the company, a profound difference in company development was observed. It is the wish of any company to be able to more easily realize modern office information management in a short period of time, working with an IT expert to which is behind the implementation of the new management system. Inforce specializes in making a system by using SQL Server technology, so as to build and improve the customer service support aspects for small and mid-sized companies, as well as for professional IT specialists demanding efficiency. With the creation of a new system, the whole company can realize better performance, due to the improved sharing of information both inside and outside of the company. Additionally, with cost effective methods, Inforce can reduce the initial investment of clients, while also providing an effective ant timely means to introduce a new system.

The Upsizing to Access and a SQL Server was realized thanks to a concerted effort and a shift in thinking at Kowa Electric Co. Ltd. Companies which realized modern numerical value management system creation will be able to see a superior future improvement in effectiveness in task management. It is the introduction of SQL Server technologies that makes this possible.