In Agile 9.3 release, we exposed all key PLM functionalities as PLM Web Services. This blog will provides a brief overview of PLM Web Services and UI integration use cases which can be enabled using Web Services. I will discuss each one of these use cases in detail in subsequent posts.
Overview
* Agile Core Web Services is a set of object and data level services:
Business Objects, Collaboration, Meta data, Attachments, Search, Tables, Product Collaboration (PC) and Engineering Collaboration (EC)
* Allows customers to build casual user UI applications in native tools environments such as Microsoft Office, Oracle Web Center (and ADF), Mobile, and SharePoint
* Allows customers to build custom process integration to ERP, CRM and SCM systems
UI Integration using Web Services
Agile Web and Agile Java clients target the power users who use clients on a daily basis to perform assigned tasks. There is also set of casual users who access the Agile PLM to perform lightweight tasks such as document management, importing compliance and price data, or approving ECO and Sales RFQ. The casual users prefer to perform tasks using native tools such as Microsoft Word, Excel, and Adobe Acrobat. They also prefer a simplified Web and Mobile UI for ECO, and RFQ approval tasks..
Here is some of the UI integration which can be enabled using Agile PLM Web Services:
UI Integration - MS Word
This example demonstrates document management capabilities of PLM's Web Services. Currently, when casual users want to view or update a document in Agile PLM, they do so by logging in to the Web Client to retrieve and view the Word document. The steps are:
* Log in to PLM Client
* Search and locate the document
* Check out the document (in Word)
* Modify the documents (in Word)
* Check In the document
* Log out
Using Agile PLM's Web Services, the casual user directly accesses Agile PLM documents from MS Word. This simple UI will encourage and accelerate greater casual user participation.
UI Integration - MS Excel
This is similar to MS - Word integration. In this case, the casual user is one of your partners and suppliers. Using PLM's Web Services, you can provide a simple UI in Excel template for suppliers and partners. Then when necessary, suppliers import information such as compliance and price data directly into PLM system from Excel. Benefits include greater and more convenient supplier participation in the PLM process with no training in Agile PLM Web Client
UI Integration - Portals and Agile Web Client
Before PLM Web Services, the practice was to create custom Web applications using Agile PLM SDK with various tools and technologies. With Web Services, you can build rich Web applications in Oracle WebCenter and ADF by taking advantage of Web 2.0 UI and mobile services.
Once you develop the custom UI Web application for casual users, you can also integrate the custom UI with Agile Web Client using Agile PLM's URL Process Extensions (refer to Agile PLM SDK Developer Guide) and Smart URL features.
UI Integration - Mobile ADF
One of the key demands in Agile PLM installations is mobile access for management and executive personnel. One such example is ECO Approval by the senior or management staff using mobile devices. PLM's Web Services enable developing simple ECO Approval applications for users of mobile devices.
The following illustrations depict a sales RFQ implementation from a sales manager's perspective. Using the mobile device's browser, the sales manager launches the Mobile application built using Agile Web Services. The first screen is the Search RFQ screen. The second is the RFQ Details screen and the third, the Send RFQ screen.
Samples
The sample code for the above use cases can be found at: Agile PLM Samples
