The EAWeb Intranet Project

One of Pixata's first projects in 1996/7 was the creation of an intranet (private mini-Internet) for one of the largest industrial companies in Britain. Due to the fact that this intranet is only available on the company's private internal network we cannot offer a live link into it. Furthermore, contractual requirements prevent us from using their name, so this page will merely describe the scope of the project.

The initial purpose of the intranet was to automate some of the more mundane day-to-day administration tasks that form a part of any large company. As the effectiveness of the project was realised, more features were added. Below we list some of the key sections of the intranet.

Electronic Workbooks

As an engineering department, a large amount of time was occupied in repetitive calculations using standard formulas. One of the most effective sections of the EAWeb was the ability to do these calculations electronically. The results could be printed out in the company's standard calculation sheet format. Apart from the obvious benefit of accuracy, this section of the intranet was estimated to save the company many thousands of pounds each year due to the increased speed with which the calculations could be performed.

Material Properties Database

The physical properties of materials, such as density, thermal conductivity, etc play a fundamental role in the building of many computer simulations. It is important that the property values are accurate and quality checked. A complex Java applet was developed that allowed the user to obtain physical properties for a wide range of materials. The applet allowed the properties to graphed, interpolated and so on. Ranges of values could be computed and output in formats suitable for inclusion in the simulation codes used within the department. We have a demonstration version of the database application available. Please note that the page may take a few minutes to load.

Memo System

The original system for producing memos required employees to find the appropriate book (not always easy) and write in the memo details by hand. The reference number obtained from the book would then be used on the memo itself. One of the major features of the EAWeb was that it replaced this system completely with an electronic version whereby the information could be entered from the employee's desk and a number obtained immediately. An electronic versions of the memos could then be uploaded to a central store from where they would be available to all. This feature was estimated to have saved the company large amounts of money in employee's time.

FTP Site

Much of the work within the department centred around complex computer simulations. The codes used to perform these simulations allowed modules to be written to expand the functionality of the code. Employees usually shared these modules via this download site as they could often be reused by others. Also, a large range of useful software was made available via the EAWeb FTP site.

On-Line Manuals

Most of the manuals for the software in use within the department was placed on-line. Previous manual collections had filled many large filing cabinets and cupboards. This electronic resource freed up an enormous amount of valuable office space and also provided instant access to the latest versions of the manuals.

News Server

As with any large organisation, it is important that employees are kept up-to-date with the latest news in the department and within the company as a whole. The news server replaced the old system of memo distribution and helped focus communication meetings on matters that needed to be discussed, as opposed to issues that could simply be publicised.

QA Procedures

As with most large companies, Quality Assurance Procedures specify the manner in which anything is done. The printing and distribution of these QA Procedures is a costly and inefficient business. The whole set was placed on the EAWeb, so that employees could have instant access. Updates were effective immediately and printing costs were instantly removed. This saved a large amount of company money.

Search Engine

Due to the amount of information in the EAWeb, it was important to have some method of cataloguing and sorting. A custom-built search engine allowed employees and visitors to find what they wanted from the intranet.

User Pages

The employees within the department were encouraged to produce their own home pages within the intranet. This allowed people in the rest of the company to see the skill set available within the department. The EAWeb was promoted as an on-line resource for the department, so it was important that visitors could see the wide range of skills and services available. This section included a search engine for identifying employees. A large graphics library was made available to help employees build attractive and interesting sites.

System Information

A live status report that kept users informed as to the current state of the EAWeb and its subsystems.

Guestbook

Visitors to the EAWeb were encouraged to leave feedback. This enabled the developers to ensure that the content and style were both useful and attractive.

Comment Forum

EAWeb users were allowed to discuss pretty much anything they liked in this on-line discussion forum. This was a very effective way of allowing people to air their ideas and get feedback and was the spur for many useful developments within the department.

If you would like to discuss the creation of an intranet for your company, please contact us.