Object‐oriented software for distributors

Abstract

Distribution companies need and deserve software that has been written with their specific requirements in mind. All too often in the past, distribution companies have had to make do by adapting software originally written for manufacturing companies. This has led to compromises that hinder their productivity. Distribution companies need software functionality that, in certain areas, is more flexible than that required by manufacturing companies if they are to do their work efficiently and respond to the market quickly.All companies need to be aware of the latest software technology when they are considering making a long-term purchasing decision. This can be a difficult task because the computer world is very good at inventing new concepts and giving them "buzz word" names. Some of these concepts fade but others have a major impact on the industry and go on to set the new standards. Object Orientation, or OO, is the way most new software is going to be written in the near future. The major providers of software languages and databases are building into future releases of their products functionality to handle OO. This means that there will be a lot of legacy systems around by the turn of the century, both supported and unsupported.OO Distribution Ltd has been formed to bring both these benefits to UK distributors by introducing Sentai software into the UK on behalf of its Canadian authors. The directors of OO Distribution have experience of both manufacturing software and distribution software and so can contrast the differing requirements of manufacturing companies and distribution companies.