Build Your Own App - A Framework for Enterprise Apps

Build Your Own Apps
a framework for Enterprise Apps
Luis Garza
Copyright © 2014 CEMEX Research Group AG

• CEMEX internal social network
• Started with 6 global
communities appointed by
CEO around strategic topics
• Open to everyone: more than
2,000 communities grew
organically

Main Platforms in Place
Collaboration Tools Transactional Tools
• Self-Service Approach
• Multiple Communities
• Empowered users
• Open to all employees
• Unstructured
• No technical knowledge
• Maintained by IT
• Specific Apps
• Profile-based Operations
• Specific to departments
• Structured
• Highly technical

What Users Requested
• Be able to create their own applications
• Deploy apps without technical expert knowledge
• Effortless handling of structured data
• Integrate functionalities within institutional tools
• Easy to maintain and customize
• Reduce time and costs

Introducing Shift Forms
• Feature of Shift 3.0
• Based on IBM Forms
Experience Builder
• No major technical
knowledge required
• Open to all Shift users to
support our Global
Network
• Self-service approach
(IT certified launch)
• Support through a
Forms Support
Community in Shift

Main Forms Types
Standalone Integrated
• Independent from other systems
• Not connected with other data
sources
• All information in Forms database
• Examples: simple surveys or data
entry applications
• Interact with other plaforms
• Services and APIs from data sources
• Send or receive back information
from other databases
• Examples: applications that
read/send information from SAP,
Shift...

Forms Environment
• Embedded
• iFrames
• Widgets
• URLs
Gateway
Active Directory
Data
Sources
...Web
Services
We are able to retrieve data or connect directly to different sources
which allows us to have a broader flexibility at the moment of
developing new apps.

Build Your Own App Framework
• Shift Support Community and Forms guidelines for development
• A custom library of web services to help the user on the developing
• Utilities such as Mass Upload from Excel or Active Directory search

Custom Forms
Users of forms can request custom-made functionalities such as
• User Interface Design through drag and drop
• Data Manipulation Functionalities
• Report Generation Capabilities
• Unstructured data handling: images, files, etc
• Workflows, stages and notifications

How to Edit a Form
• Settings
General things like application name, files, JScript before start, overview of services and formulas
• Forms
Edit form with drag and drop, change fields and all different UI objects
• Style
Change default styles or integrate your own css
• Access
Define roles for this application and who is using the role. Give them edit, read or write access
• Stages
Manage stages to go through a process, define accessability of fields depending on stage
• Validation
If you have some errors in the application it is shown here

Data Management
• Built-in graphs and reporting capabilities
• Export of data to spreadsheets and other databases through web
services
• Connection with other analytics/dashboard tools

Initial Pilot: Information System
After
Before
App developed by external ($20K+ USD)
Exported to MS SharePoint
Updated by IT
Months to develop
App developed internally
Custom/flexible interface
Maintained by user group (trained)
Custom Reports
Weeks to develop

Typical Forms Development Plan

Development Guidelines
• No central team of development experts, the user is the developer
• Tutorials on how to create, manage and deploy applications
• Recommendations on most used Forms components
• Library of web services available to deploy
• Custom-developed services can be added by request

The Case for Shift Forms
Traditional Apps Shift Forms
May need external developers Developed in-house
Cost range: $60-$100 per hour In-house development and deployment
Different platforms, resource and
infrastructure required
Forms license included in IBM bundle
More complex testing and training on
the final application and data
The user tests, edits, configures and
deploy as needed
Change requests are costly and time
consuming
Change request are performed by the
user
Expert knowledge of development is
required
Average Microsoft Office user can
develop applications
Supported by IT help desk
Self-service approach (support
community and collaboration)
The development of the first few applications in Shift Forms have
already paid for the required investment

Internal Support Community
Sample Guides
• How to publish
• Links to launch
• Workflow elements
• Reviewing data
• Main components
• Frequent errors
• Everyone contributes to support Forms
• Internal application sharing
• Experts facilitate for questions and answers
• Training material and webcasts to train and show examples

Cases in the Pipeline
Research
Presentation Project
Presentation-style
Application developed
in Forms and
embedded in Shift to
support a specific
project community
Decision-Tree
Playbook
A playbook to aid in the
decision process to
choose a financial
scheme
Transformation Idea
Project Tracker
A tool designed to
track the progress of a
given idea of the
Transformation
program
Asset Management
System
A repository and
tracker for the main
intangible assets
managed by the
company

Access through Mobile Devices
Most objects
used in Forms
adapt to
mobile use
with no extra
code or work

What Lies Ahead
• Create more web services and libraries
• Improve connectivity with more platforms
• Reinforce Forms User Support community
to help users and create a Q&A archive
• Keep the technology platform up-to-date

Thank You
Luis Garza
@lc_garza
Innovation Manager
CEMEX
Mexico - Switzerland
luiscarlos.garza@cemex.com
http://www.cemex.com

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