Introduction

Boffin/Open is a large and expanding ORACLE-based Commercial Freight application, designed to support Freight-Forwarders, Transport Companies (Air – Sea – Road), Ports & Container Terminals.

The system is heavily normalised, totally integrated and covers all aspects of the Freight Industry and includes ALL of the infrastructure software that would be needed for any H24/7 continuous running application, including audit trail, management reports and secure accounting.

It is robust, hardware independent and totally scalable; the same single runtime release is running in several countries already, and is about to be installed in several more without change.

Amongst other modules we have the Boffin/Open Customs & Excise System, which enables governments, the Ministries of Finance and their respective Revenue Authorities to improve estate revenue collections and cash flow, while enabling the growth and efficiency of freight forwarding within their national borders and internationally.

THE FAQs

When was Boffin software started?

There have been three versions of the Boffin product. The first version was started in 1975 using the Wang BASIC-2 language. The second version was started in late 1978 using Wang VS ANSI COBOL programming language. The third version – Boffin/Open – was started in June 1988 and is written in Oracle Forms and Reports. Fulltime employees of the company wrote all of these three versions of the Boffin product, providing a clear Copyright trail.

What is Boffin/Open? Boffin/Open is a computer system aimed at providing all sorts of freight, transport and logistics companies with the application software that they will need to carry out their business. The types of companies that will wish to install the software system would be Freight-Forwarders, Transport companies, Customs Brokers, Ports, and with the integration with the Customs & Excise System module, Revenue Authorities.

What are Boffin2/Open new features?

(1) Cargo booking a whole shipment on a single screen image instead of having to complete six or seven screen image designs

(2) The ability to have a main Window running Boffin/Open and then have smaller sub-windows appear automatically with information that is useful for the human operator at that stage of his/her work. Boffin2/Open includes, by definition, all of Boffin/Open. Where Boffin/Open senses that the Client-PC is running at 1600x1200 pixel resolution, and a Boffin2/Open module is available then the Boffin2/Open module is called in place of the traditional Boffin/Open equivalent.

Who owns the Boffin/Open software?

All of the Boffin/Open and Boffin2/Open application software is owned by André-Régis Claeys, the owner and CEO of Bishopstrade Limited, registered in Mauritius.

Are Boffin/Open & Boffin2/Open protected by copyright?

Yes, United Kingdom and International Copyright, under the Berne Convention, covers all of the application software that comprises the two applications. As of writing this datasheet, there is a clear copyright audit trail on all of the Boffin/Open and Boffin2/Open software including all Variations and Derivatives, and all sundry items such as but not limited to documentation, screen designs, formulae and processes. The Copyright holder reserves all Intellectual Property Rights.

What computer language is used?

All of the Boffin/Open application software is written in Oracle Forms and Reports 6i, for Client/Server architecture. The software can be supplied in Oracle Forms and Reports 9i, where required for web-based installations. There is a small amount of J2EE JAVA code that has been used to program some of the ‘trickier’ corners.

Is there any 3GL software in the application?

No, none. One of the first ‘rules’ for the rewriting of the Boffin/VS application into Boffin/Open was that there would be no 3GL; which would jeopardize the ‘machine independence’ attribute. The recent way to overcome software components that are difficult or impossible in Oracle Forms is to use J2EE JAVA catalogued Procedures, which are stored in the Oracle database and made available to all users.

How many programs in Boffin/Open?

There are about 2,000 Oracle Forms, about 800 Oracle Reports and 30 J2EE JAVA programs in the current version of Boffin/Open.

Is the Boffin/Open Source code available?

Bishopstrade will only enter into a Source Code Supply Agreement with either a Revenue Authority or the Ministry of Finance, for use within that country only.

Will Boffin/Open run on my existing computer?

The application has been developed to be machine and operating system independent, preferably with the Intel 32 bit Chipset, but the comparable AMD 32-bit chipset would be equally acceptable. The Oracle database software is 32-bit based, but a 64-bit version is also available. Boffin/Open requires an Application Server and a number of Client-PCs that can be setup as either Thin-Client- PCs or Rich-Client-PCs. Such Client-PCs should be Intel P4 based and have about 1 Gigabyte of free disk space; they will probably be running one of the Microsoft Windows operating system (Windows 95/98/NT/Me/XP/Vista. Boffin/Open runs on Client-PCs setup with 800x600 pixel screen resolution; Boffin2/Open runs on the same Client-PCs but running the screen at 1600x1200 pixel resolution. In terms of printers, there is no practical limit to the number that can be attached to a single Boffin/Open installation. The printers must be Hewlett Packard PCL5e (or later) compliant and have at least two hoppers; one for Company Headed A4 stationery and one for plain A4 80 gms/m2 ‘photocopy’ paper. Printers should all be connected to the Local Area network, from where all Client- PCs will be able to use them.

Competitive advantage, not an overhead?

All extensions of cargo booking data up to and including the calculation of sales charges are or can be automatic; all currency conversions are automatic; less mistakes means more efficiency and less ‘work making work’.

All cargo movements require that cargo shipments must be booked into the system; the system exerts a lot of control, but in a manner where the human operator is still mostly in control: the system ensures that cargo bookings are fully processed in a given sensible sequence; all exports are manifested, all bookings are invoiced etc.

Boffin/Open should not be considered a cost, since it will actually earn money for the user’s company by correctly assessing sales charges, correctly effecting exchange conversions, making sure all bookings are sales invoiced.

One customer in Johannesburg ships overnight to Swaziland for 10:00 latest deliveries. Five nights a week, perhaps 350 bookings are processed; all surface export bookings that leave each day. The sales invoices are all done before the truck leaves so that they can be used as Proofs-of-Delivery (PODs), and are automatically posted to the ledgers.

What is the base application - Boffin/Open?

Boffin/Open provides all the companies in the transport chain with fully integrated systems covering all aspects of operations, accounting and management accounting. It is a valuable attribute of the application that ensures that any action in one part of the system which should cause one or more actions in other parts of the system are effected automatically, without human intervention and without the possible interference of any human operator.

As an example, raising a sales invoice within any of the operational modules, automatically updates the sales ledger, general ledger ‘before the last line of the sales invoice is printed’. The system is capable of producing all operational and accounting documents ‘on demand’ and ‘as required’; automatically archiving each printed document (or set) on the fly.

The system includes all of the usual accounting reports; all of which are re-runable in retrospect. Detailed job costing reports are available on demand, which agree with the user’s Profit/Loss reports. Two types of operational Accrual Accounting are supported.

No limit to the number or location of the users.

No limit to the number or location or mix of printers; which will mainly be HP PCL5e compatible printers. Master Airway Bills (MAWBs) and House Airway Bills (HAWBs) can be printed as double 6 part sets on matrix printers; Neutral MAWBs are supported.

All modes or shipping are supported.

Can I have continuous running H24/7?

Boffin/Open is designed for continuous running; there is no reason why the user should closedown the application from the designers perspective; not even accounting or operational month-ends, year-ends, software upgrades, authorising new users, adding new Client-PCs, Printers etc.

What Computer hardware is needed?

The Boffin/Open application is essentially hardware independent; it will run on any computer chipset for which Oracle offer their product. The main chipset that is in use in live sites is the Intel family(s); but others are undoubtedly available.

There are two main architectures that are supported:

(1) Client-Server using Oracle Forms and Reports 6i

(2) Application server with local and remote Thin-Clients; where the application is run from within a Web-Browser.

What is the Boffin/Open computer language(s)?

The whole of Boffin/Open is written in Oracle Forms and Reports; using Forms and Reports 6i for Client/Server and Forms and Reports 9i for Application Server (Oracle 9iAS and later).

All Boffin/Open Development work is effected under Oracle Forms and Reports 6i first and then the completed software ‘migrated’ to the Oracle 9i environment. Bishopstrade have a ‘compile all’ procedure under which the whole of the Boffin/Open product can be ‘regenerated’ in any supported Oracle environment.

What is the Query language?

All Boffin/Open database tables are created using specialist SQL*scripts; one per table, within the script all of the content and attributes of the table are setup A little training and some practice and the user is able to write and execute SQL Queries that are very fast in operation and powerful in their capabilities. Oracle does have other offerings such as but not limited to Oracle Discovery that can also be supplied.

How does Boffin/Open operate in a LAN environment?

software is Typically, in a LAN there will be one machine (but there could be any number) acting as the data and possible the runtime application software server and any reasonable number of Client-PCs. There can also be any number of other devices, such as but not limited to printers attached directly to the LAN. There are two main LAN architectures that can be adopted, Rich or Thick Client-PCs or Thin Client-PCs, or indeed any mix of the two. Boffin/Open can be run in both architectures and it can also support a mix of the two architectures.

Windows is the main operating system, but Boffin/Open being open can of course run Linux.

Under the Rich/Thick Client-PC method, all of the application data is usually retained on the server system and a complete copy of the runtime application retained and used on each of the Rich Client-PCs using the data from the Oracle database of the server. The Boffin/Open application programs run inside the Rich Client; thus freeing up the resources of the server computer so that it can provide a better response service to the whole LAN community. Bishopstrade like this architecture; it has served Boffin/Open very well, especially as Boffin/Open is such a large application.

Under the Thin Client-PC LAN setup, typically the ONLY full set of the Application runtime software (Boffin/Open) resides on the LAN application server. None of the Thin Client-PCs has any of the application programs stored on hard disk, but uses the single copy from the server. In this setup, the actual application programs are run in the server. The advantages are that it is easier for the technical staff to maintain and develop the application software if there is only a single copy to keep up-to-date, and the power (processor speed and amount of memory) of the multiple Client-PCs can be less but the power of the server does become more critical, as it is effecting all of the data processing.

Does Boffin/Open LANs support the Uniform Naming Convention (UNC)?

In this Microsoft LAN environment, it is possible to ‘map’ the various resources in a manner named UNC; where each resource on the LAN can be addressed and/or accessed using the UNC naming convention. Boffin/Open supports this convention, the syntax and an example of which would be:

\\server-name\shared-resource-pathname

\\sosjhb\bmsprint\test.bms

It is also worth highlighting that this UNC convention allows other LAN resources to be addressed by all participating Client-PCs.

What about Printers and Printing?

Amongst other things, Boffin/Open is a document production application and being able to print in a powerful and flexible manner is an important aspect of the application. There is no application software limit to the number, mix or location of physical printers; the application does not need to be closed down to add one or more additional printers.

Boffin/Open includes a single database table within which an index of the authorised printers and their attributes is recorded. Once established, it is usual that a human operator will not have to monitor or manage his/her ‘print queue’. Most printing is on A4 80gms/m2 plain stationary in portrait or landscape, as required per document type; the weight and ‘rag’ quality of the A4 paper is important.

Boffin/Open Printing features:

· Duplex printing (printing on both sides of a sheet of paper in a single pass through the printer)

· Printing to multi-part sets for MAWBs and HAWBs

· Printing self-adhesive labels for identification of parcels and Customer Christmas cards

· Most documents that are printed by the application are automatically ‘archived’ so that perfect copies can be printed locally or remotely and/or attached to emails (as PDFs on the fly) and sent anywhere.

· The system is very clever in the way in which it is able to combine (bit map) a nominated PCL5e form design and the data that the Boffin/Open data-processing system to produce a ‘form’ that can be viewed on any PC and/or sent anywhere for remote printing.

What about Client PCs?

There is no application software limit to the number, mix or location of Client-PCs, nor any limit on what aspect of the Boffin/Open application that any authorised user is running; it is all irrespective of what the other authorised users are doing.

The ‘standard’ Boffin/Open Client-PC will have a True Colour video and be set to 600x800 pixels. A Boffin2/Open (more later) ‘standard’ Boffin/Open Client-PC will have a True Colour video and be set to 1200x1600 pixels. Typically Client-PCs will be running as Thin Clients equipped with any one of the Microsoft Windows operating systems (95/98/XP/2000/2003 etc).

The Thin Clients will be equipped with a single Oracle ‘program’ (jinit.exe), which controls logon sessions. The Boffin/Open application is run by a Thin Client-PC accessing a pre-nominated program stored in the single runtime Boffin/Open application software library stored on the Server from within a Web Browser.

What is the Boffin/Open use of colour in application screen designs?

Boffin/Open uses a common GREY-16 background colour in all screen designs with black print. Colours are steadily being introduced into the application; generally the following convention is being adopted.

· Red - Stop and/or something is not available to be displayed - In accounting money fields, indicates a credit value

· Green - Okay and/or something is available for display

· Black - In accounting money-fields, indicates a debit value

· Blue - Used to highlight important comments on the screens

These colours are hard coded into the application software and are not available for users to change.

Does Boffin/Open have a catalogue of user-company logos?

Bishopstrade have included an Oracle database table where several Versions and Sizes of the authorised user-company’s logos can be stored. Theses logos are increasingly being included on the screen designs of all Boffin/Open application programs for two reasons: they are attractive and make the installations more customer-friendly.

Boffin/Open is a multi-company application, where there is no limit to the number of user-companies that can be supported in any given Oracle database. Inclusion of the applicable user-company logo is a pleasant way to remind the human-operator of the user-company selection she is currently running under.

Can there be multiple Oracle databases on a single physical application server?

The normal setup is that, in both local Client/Sever architecture (Oracle 6i Forms/Reports and Oracle 9i database) and in Internet hosted Application Servers (Oracle 9i Standard Edition with Oracle 9iAS and later); there will be a single computer server located somewhere and a number of Client-PCs.

On the server will be a single Oracle database within which all of the Boffin/Open data will be stored; each database has a unique name (e.g. SOSJHB - which can be read as Speedy Over-border Services (Pty) Limited, Johannesburg server).

There is no technical reason, except the available hard disk capacity and the amount of server Random Access Memory (RAM), why more than one Oracle database cannot be supported; although there is an Oracle Licensing issue.

There are three obvious main reasons why a user might wish to have more than one Oracle database available.

· Firstly, a second database might be needed if the Oracle Replication (database mirroring) is to be implemented.

· Secondly, it might be useful to have a completely separate Training Database available that could be ‘truncated (emptied) occasionally and then loaded with a complete copy of the live Boffin/Open application; this would be useful in testing, development and training new staff.

· Thirdly, the user might like to have a ‘secret’ copy of Boffin/Open that only a few people had knowledge of and access to. Bishopstrade have already been asked to setup a multiple Oracle database server and this runs today without problems.

From the Oracle licensing standpoint, Oracle Inc consider each database as a separate installation and so require the user to pay a license fee per named user for those users who will be using each subsequent database instance. Then there would be a setup charge for creating each new database and an additional charge for Boffin/Open application use.

What is Boffin2/Open?

Boffin2/Open is the same as Boffin/Open, but for use by Client-PCs that are capable of and setup with 1200 x 1600 Pixel screens which can then display twice and much data than on a PC screen setup for 1200x1600.

The Boffin/Open designers have taken the opportunity, especially within the cargo booking programs of each operational suite, to reduce the number of screen changes it takes to complete a Boffin/Open task.

For example, in the Surface Export cargo booking program the following happens. The human operator calls in the program from the menu system, the program senses whether the calling terminal is setup for 600x800 or 1200x1600 and then - and without human intervention or interference - calls in the ‘classic’ edition of the cargo booking or the ‘Boffin2/Open’ version. Over time, many more the Boffin/Open ‘Classic’ edition programs will be upgraded to utilise the improved screen definition screens.

What happens to Boffin/Open data?

Boffin/Open data is totally stored within a single Oracle 9i Release 2 (or later) Relational Database. There is no multiple keying of commercial data. Maximum use is made of standing tables of ‘static’ or semi-static’ data contained within the database.

Keyed data is heavily validated and extended before it is allowed into the database; the policy is that if data cannot pass the validation checks carried out on data-input; then it cannot be stored within the database.

There is no limit to the number of sources of data entering the application; whether automatic or manually keyed; all of it is validated to the same standard. Data accepted, extended and validated is never summarised in any way; the full details are retained for future usage.

Data is never discarded without human involvement and any such removal of ‘old’ data can be effected whilst the regular users continue their use of the Boffin/Open application. Technically speaking all data is available to all authorised system users, no matter where they are located and irrespective of what other authorised system users are doing.

Can Boffin/Open work with Excel spreadsheets?

It is technically possible for any/all Boffin/Open Forms (programs) to output data directly to Excel Spreadsheet(s); although this is a chargeable programming activity. It is Bishopstrade policy that ‘normally’ reports will be printed by the application, which means that no one is able to ‘doctor’ any reports before they are presented to management. Where the user has a need for automated Excel spreadsheet generation; Boffin/Open can enable this.

Can we have Automatic SMS support?

Boffin/Open is capable of generating automatic SMS messages, sending these to any mobile phone number n the world. Such SMS messages can be created automatically by any of the Boffin/Open application programs and sent to one of three SMS mobile telephone numbers stored against each customer and supplier master file record (sales and bought ledgers accounts). There are three SMS telephone numbers per account, so that SMS’s of:

(1) an operational nature can go to one recipient,

(2) of an accounting nature can go to the recipient for accounting issues and

(3) of a management nature can go to an applicable recipient.

All outgoing SMS’s are archived and each SMS sent causes a tracking record to be added to the tracking log of the sales/bought edger account in question.

Can we have Automatic Email support?

Boffin/Open is capable of generating automatic emails (with or without attachments) and sending these to any email address in the world. Such emails can be built automatically by any of the Boffin/Open application programs and sent to one of three email addresses stored against each customer and supplier master file record (sales and bought ledgers accounts).

As with SMS, there are three email addresses per account, so that emails of:

(1) an operational nature can go to one recipient

(2) an accounting nature can go to the recipient for accounting issues

(3) a management nature can go to an applicable recipient.

All outgoing emails are archived and each email sent causes a tracking record to be added to the tracking log of the sales/bought ledger account in question.

Can we have Automatic Facsimile support?

Boffin/Open is capable of generating automatic facsimiles and sending these to any facsimile address in the world. Such facsimiles can be built automatically by any of the Boffin/Open application programs and sent to one of three facsimile addresses stored against each customer and supplier master file record.

As with SMS and Email, there are three facsimile addresses per account so that facsimiles of:

(1) an operational nature can go to one recipient

(2) an accounting nature can go to the recipient for accounting issues

(3) a management nature can go to an applicable recipient. All outgoing facsimiles are archived and each facsimile sent causes a tracking record to be added to the tracking log of the sales/bought ledger account in question.

Can we use EDIFACT?

Boffin/Open supports the use of UN EDIFACT for both incoming and outgoing messaging, in turn supporting B2B communications. Boffin/Open uses this facility for submitting and processing Customs Declarations (e.g. CUSDEC, CUSRES etc).

Boffin/Open optionally includes a J2EE JAVA EDIFACT engine that runs in the background of the Boffin/open server. The engine handles the entire complex telecommunications and EDIFACT message packing and unpacking, placing all incoming and outgoing messages in Oracle tables within the Boffin/Open envelope.

From these Oracle tables, Boffin/Open is able to perform fairly standard data processing to complete the EDIFACT support. For those users who want to use EDIFACT, there is a separate small license fee for parts of the EDIFACT engine.

There is no practical limit to the number of incoming and outgoing messages and/or authorised users wishing to process EDIFACT messages. There is no limit to the number and/or mix of EDIFACT message types that can be supported on any given Boffin/Open installation.

Can we have Cell Phone remote access to the Boffin/Open database?

Where the user is running Boffin/Open using Oracle 9iAS to make the application accessible over the Internet, it is possible to setup a facility with the cell phone operators (e.g. Vodacom in South Africa) where modern cell phones are able to access the Boffin/Open database, obtain results and have these results transmitted immediately back to the calling cell phone.

Bishopstrade use J2ME JAVA to create cell phone compatible programs that are compliant with the Boffin/Open Oracle database table designs. These JAVA programs are able to cause SQL scripts to be run against any part of the Boffin/Open database to retrieve and/or deposit information.

Tracking and Tracing data can be submitted, as it is not financial and so cannot corrupt the more important aspects of the Boffin/Open data.

Example - Cell phone remote access to interrogate the status of their sales and /or bought ledger (agents might have one/more sales ledger and bought ledger accounts) accounts and any cargo bookings within which their company was involved (Agent, shipper, consignee).

What is Recursive program calling?

In modern applications, it is common that application programs call one another to allow fairly complex actions to be performed with having to complete and exit the first program. Recursive program calling is the name given to the situation where a program calls itself to perform a similar operation on other data than is currently being used. It could be the case that the original calling program calls several other programs before one of those calls the original program once more.

Boffin/Open includes a great deal of recursive program calling; using the technique to make it possible for an operator to ‘drill-down’ into the data architecture for more detailed information without exiting the original application program he/she was using; all Boffin/Open application software is re-entrant.

This feature makes the Boffin/Open application very rich in available searching facilities.

What is Drilling down through the commercial data layers?

Boffin/Open is designed to run with the powerful Oracle Relational Database. The Boffin/Open data structure has been heavily normalised which means any given piece of the user’s data is only stored in a single location and then made available to all qualified operators.

When any data is displayed to the user, also included are links usually to greater detail on the data than is already being displayed. This technique of digging deeper into the data architecture is now commonly known as drilling down into the data.

Can Boffin cope with our organisation made up of “Multiple user-companies or Sister and Daughter companies”?

Boffin/Open is designed so that the user is able to support the data from a large number of user-companies; which can be any mixture of ‘sister’ and/or ‘daughter’ companies. The system can be set up so that the application programs will function for each authorised user-company in the same manner.

It is worth highlighting that for each authorised user-company there is a ‘shadow’ marketing company where details of potential future customers can be stored in the format in which it will be needed when the potential customer ships the first real consignment.

There is also a single training company where the user-staff can use the application software without the worry of damaging the user-company’s live data.

In terms of integrated accounting, the system supports Sales, Bought and General (nominal) Ledgers; where a financial posting to any account is, by definition, a posting to the whole integrated accounting system. There is no double or multiple keying of data.

Each financial posting is COMPLETELY processed at the time of initial data-entry.

There is no practical limit to the number or selection of currencies that can be used simultaneously; all currency conversions are automatic, but with manual override where this is desirable. There is never a requirement for the application to be vacated for accounting month and year-ends; it is designed from for continuous running. Financial data, entered into the system is heavily validated at data-entry time. All data extending is effected at data-entry time and financial detail is never lost or summarised.

Can we have Personal accounts and create new accounts ‘on the fly’?

The design of the system includes full open-item, multi-currency, multi-company personal accounting.

There is no practical limit to the number of personal accounts that can be supported simultaneously; the largest installation that Boffin has been used for, contained about 150,000 personal accounts of which about 54,000 had active balances at any one time.

Creating a new personal account causes the application to compute and allocate the next check-digit account number, automatically. Personal accounts, both sales and bought ledger, can be opened at anytime the application is available; new personal accounts are immediately usable.

The system includes facilities for allocating unique Short Names (nicknames) and/or sort codes to all personal accounts to facilitate alphabetic searching. After determining whether an outside party has an account or not, a new account can be created from within the search software, immediately.

There is no requirement to have list(s) of customers and suppliers and their account numbers; powerful, standardised, quick methods of ‘account lookup’ exist.

Accounts can be logically ‘linked’ together into organisations or groups, so that an overall balance can be readily seen. The system design includes extensive facilities to help monitor and manage partner or agents accounts.

The system supports Alternate Accounts, where financial postings to a given account can be immediately and automatically redirected to another account. All new personal accounts are automatically annotated with details of where, when and who they were created by.

Can we have Automatic Sales Charge calculations?

Boffin/Open has a very interesting facility called Sales Super Rates.

Sales charges are computed in the cargo booking process from the system’s preset sales tariffs by any combination of all of the parameters that are part of a shipment booking; e.g. Gross weight, Gross Cube, Volumetric Kilos, Number of Pieces, Chargeable weight, Loading Meters, Kilometres travelled, freight surcharges etc).

Boffin/Open does not allow the cargo booking clerk to change the recommended sales values. All cargo booking priced by Super Rates are annotated with the unique Super Rate Key that was used ‘to price the booking’, so that an audit trail exists to prove the correct Super Rate was used, and to provide the basis for a ‘Job Costing by Super Rate’ that can show the success or otherwise of the Super Rate.

There is no practical limit to the number of Rate-Rows that can be catalogued in any part of a Super Rate; one Boffin/Open user located in Germany setup the German National Freight Tariff in the Super Rates where there were 1502 rows (rates) in the Super Rate!

Can we have very large financial values?

Boffin/Open has run in Mozambique; where and at the time, the exchange rate was 2200 Metical to one United States Dollar.

Boffin/Open has a maximum internal size of each ‘money field’ of (16,2). The term (13,2) is read as thirteen-digit value, of which two digits are the decimal values (e.g. 13.2 gives 99,999,999,999.99 debit and credit); sounds a lot but at 2,200:1 exchange rate, it only allows the equivalent (of 99,999,999,999.99 / 2,200) or US$45,454,545 - US$45 million and some change.

Does Boffin/Open support for Tracking & Tracing?

Boffin/Open supports Tracking and Tracing throughout the whole application.

Tracking records are injected automatically from application programs and/or manually inspired entries and/or any other source of valuable information (such as but not limited to RFID, bar-code reading and temperature measuring etc).

There is no limit to the number and type of sources of information from which Tracking records can be built and stored.

Does Boffin/Open interrupt Oracle RDBMS?

No – Boffin/Open software communicates with Oracle RDBMS in various ways, all of which are approved and supported by Oracle.

Are ALL Oracle features available in a Boffin/Open installation?

As far as we know the answer is yes. There is no reason that any or all features that the Oracle Corporation offer for use with their Standard Edition that cannot be fully used in a Boffin/Open installation.

The Oracle License(s) that Bishopstrade supply for Boffin/Open installations are supplied under the Oracle ASFU (Application Specific Full Use) Contract Terms.