What We Do — Services

Web Development

We've sorted out the paper and plastic from our project files and found all the good technical junk. Enjoy!
Project: Service Department Management System
Duration: 2010-Present Team Size: 1 Type: Outsourced

Technical Environment: SQL Server 2008, Java 1.6, JBoss 5, EJB3, Linux

Brief Description: Our client originally developed a Service Department Management System in the late 1990s. The system had been mothballed until early 2010.

Initial goals of the project included migration of the original database from Oracle to SQL Server and migration of the app server from WebSphere to JBoss. The app server migration also included migration of EJB2 to EJB3.

The technology migrations, coupled with the introduction of Maven for dependency management and build automation, provided the necessary foundation for rapidly extending and evolving the application to support the expectations and demands of modern Web applications.

Architectural refactoring plans include the following:

  • Introduce Hibernate/JPA to improve code quality and simplify development and maintenance.
  • Migrate business rules in the view and database to the EJB service layer to enhance scalability.
  • Introduce a Web Services framework, such as CXF or Axis, to generate client stubs for access to back end systems.
  • Incorporate a JSF based UI framework such as Seam or Spring WebFlow to enable Web 2.0 features, streamline UI code and sharply reduce the amount of handcrafted JavaScript.

Buzzwords: Java, JBoss, SQL Server, Web Services, SOA, Hibernate, JPA, EJB, Eclipse, Seam, CXF, Spring, Maven

Project: ASP.NET Engineering Application
Duration: 1.5 years Team Size: 7 Type: Outsourced

Technical Environment: ASP.NET, .NET 3.5, C#, AJAX, SQL Server, .Net Charting, DynamicPDF

Brief Description: Client had highly technical Windows based C++ engineering application—a workhorse but not a very attractive one. Stout was engaged to completely re-write it as a Web application with a user base ranging from the novice to the R and D scientist.

Stout provided the initial human factors/usability team to analyze the expected user base and provide the initial design concepts and wireframes. From there, a design phase was conducted to provide a prototype application for user review and management buy-in. Concurrently, the technical design and architecture was performed.

During the first implementation phase, Stout converted the calculating engine of the legacy application into a freestanding DLL in a C# wrapper. The calculating engine can be called by any source. A test engine was written to compare tens of thousands of calculated configurations between the legacy engine and the new engine, the verifying accuracy of the new engine.

During the second implementation phase, the presentation layer, the middle tier and the database were implemented, along with an administrative Web application for the performance of maintenance and update functions. The presentation layer required extensive use of AJAX to provide the feel of the desktop application we were replacing. The AJAX work included numerous custom AJAX controls. The application's scientific charts and graphs were recreated. A highly customizable and professional output report in PDF format was created.

Buzzwords: .NET 3.5, ASP.NET, C#, AJAX, Human Factors/Usability, .NET Charting, DynamicPDF, , SQL Server, Legacy application

Project: Content Management-Based Membership Association Site
Duration: 2+ Years Team Size: 1 Type: Outsourced

Technical Environment: DotNetNuke (3.x)

Brief Description: Brief Description: This site hosts a community of over 900 members participating in 35 SIGs.The project was done in partnership with an advertising, design and marketing communications firm. Their expertise in human factors, usability and information architecture was called upon in the design of the site. Stout's expertise in custom content management systems was called upon in the implementation.

Based on the templates provided by our partner, Stout implemented a CMS that included:

  • a browsable catalog showcasing member products
  • members only pages and information
  • discussion forums for SIGs and special member topics
  • public and private calendars
  • order forms for events, services and related items
  • multiple languages
  • custom coded DNN modules
  • custom coded DNN skins

An additional feature of the engagement was the production of semi-annual CDROM catalog from Web catalog. The vendor product catalog contains over 2000 items.

Stout provides ongoing maintenance for the site. Recently, Stout enhanced the site to accommodate two multi-byte language versions of the site: Japanese and Mandarin.

The following additional DotNetNuke modules were used:

  • Links skin object: (custom coded, based on DNN Links module) to handle menu display.
  • Articles/Categories Module : (customized open source, Efficion Consulting) to display articles, press releases and news. Modified to handle multiple languages.
  • MMLinks: (open source, Delisoft) to display multilingual content on pages and to control the display of SIG lists based on user security roles.
  • DSLocaleSelectorPA: (open source, Delisoft) to control the selection of user language.
  • Enterprise Events: (open source, customized) to display calendars, event lists and SIG calendars. Customized to support multiple languages.
  • XMOD, XMODDetailView: (commercial, DNNDev.com) to create and manage catalog listings.
  • SQLGridSelectedView: (open source, TressleWorks.ca) to select, format and display data from the database. Needed to create custom, drill-down catalog listings that XMOD would not handle
  • ActiveForums: (commercial, ActiveForums) to create SIG discussion areas.
  • BulkReg: (commercial, DNNWorks) used to import initial users and assign accounts, passwords and security roles

Buzzwords: .NET, C#, ASP.NET, SQL Server, MS Access, LINQ, Windows Forms, WPF, Web Services, Payflow Pro, DAL, Google Analytics

Project: Sales Performance and Incentive Web Site
Duration: 2008-Present Team Size: 2 Type: Staffing

Technical Environment: Oracle 11g (PL/SQL), Windows 2003 Server, ASP.NET, C#, Visual Studio 2008

Brief Description: This system gathers and warehouses information from disparate data systems and third party sources to analyze trends and calculate sales incentives for a large producer of OEM and aftermarket automotive parts.

Some features:

  • Data visualization of sales, traffic and inventory patterns
  • Trend and data analysis of millions of records weekly
  • Creation of sales targets and incentive payments
  • Recognition and categorization of competitive and non-competitive sales
  • A tool to compare dealer business practices and research invoice line item data

Some challenges:

Erroneous and missing data is very common when gathering information from disparate and disjoined systems especially when collecting information from the end user. We had to build substantial automated error detection and analysis tools to be able to detect and exclude information.

Buzzwords: .NET, C#, ASP.NET, Oracle, ETL

Project: Document Management Web site
Duration: 3 months Team Size: 1 Type: Outsourced

Technical Environment: C#, ASP.NET (Visual Studio 2005), Windows 2003 Server (using Active Directory), Microsoft SQL Server 2005

Brief Description: Document management site for a civil engineering firm that tracked technical drawings, engineering equity, compliance procedures and documentation for its many sites.

Some features:

  • The ability to upload and view version-controlled documents
  • The ability to control access to sites, documents and features based on roles
  • Online compliance and sign-off procedures with workflow management
  • Recognition and categorization of competitive and non-competitive sales
  • Change notifications, including acknowledgement and escalation procedures

Some challenges:

Documents were stored off site. Client wanted to navigate documents like a file system and control access to document types and versions. The solution was to create a virtual file navigator that streams the documents from a secure location. This protects the documents since they are not directly accessible by the Website. It also controls access with a file type and folder access manager.

A notification system was created that was smart enough to nudge just the right amount to compel the appropriate person to acknowledge and handle tasks without becoming overly burdensome. This reduced the need for escalation.

Buzzwords: C#, ASP.NET, Microsoft SQL Server, Active Directory, Document Management