Automation slashes Oracle testing times by 98%

Integra uses a single instance of its Oracle ERP platform to process order-to-cash transactions worldwide. As a result, the platform must be available 24x7 with near-zero unplanned business interruption. Maintaining that level of service required Integra to manually run hundreds of application tests to validate system upgrades or patches.

Automating the more than 100 tests of the Oracle platform cut testing time by 98%, which Integra achieved by working with NTT DATA Application Management services.

“We were able to reduce what was normally about a two-week process for four or five people down to a one- or two-day process for one person preserving the quality that goes with that test cycle," says Compton. “Thanks to our automation effort, the system continues to perform at a high rate and is bug-free."

Digitized user access forms cut processing time by 50%

Integra gives select end-users access to modules of its ERP system. Before digital transformation, the company granted access through paper-based forms requiring nearly 250 hours per month to process. The organization identified that combining forms digitization with low- and no-code tools to collect user signatures could significantly reduce the workload of processing user requests.

Compton says, “That transformation cut our processing time by 50%. And there are no lost paper records, no scanning, no online storage of paper forms, so we've saved a ton of hours without losing control of the documentation and the compliance."

Transformed end-user experience

“We have to make sure that our end-users get the data, support and assistance that they need to be effective," says Compton. “So, we've taken a lot of time to enhance platforms accordingly."

Although the company's sales teams had access to a wide range of customer and marketing data, that data was disbursed across multiple sources. Integra deployed NTT DATA's Enterprise Applications services to consolidate the data onto its Salesforce platform. Now Integra's sales teams have everything they need in a single application to prospect, track and close opportunities, including the ability to make quotes in the field.

The company also worked across the Microsoft solutions stack to deploy technologies that power the connection, collaboration and service desk support for Integra colleagues worldwide.

To enhance IT service desk support, Integra integrated NTT DATA's Nucleus Intelligent Assistant solution into Microsoft Teams. The assistant is available 24/7 and uses natural language processing to help employees diagnose support issues, offers self-service resolution or direct employees to technicians for further help. The solution is available company-wide in English, Spanish, French and Japanese with support for other languages anticipated soon.

“That's really going to help improve the satisfaction scores of our end-user service desk," says Compton. “And it frees our IT support team to tackle higher value, more complicated service issues."

The company is looking at robotics process automation (RPA) as another avenue for unlocking value. Compton says, “There's a lot of opportunity with RPA to relieve our colleagues from low value, repetitive tasks so they can be more effective, more innovative. We're evaluating future investments in RPA with that in mind."

Social listening sharpens marketing intelligence

To ensure business agility, an organization not only must optimize its internal processes but also sharpen its focus on its markets. As a result, market leaders harvest rapid insight on customer sentiment about their brands, products and services.

“Although we publish marketing and instructional content for our customers, we didn't have an effective way to measure reactions to it, or to gauge and respond to overall customer sentiment directly," says Compton.

Integra worked with NTT DATA’s Digital Experience designers to implement social listening technologies to actively track, gather and analyze data from the social media and online platforms favoured by doctors and other users.

“The data gives us a better understanding of what our customers are looking for in the moment, helping our sales executives provide the right information at the right time," says Compton. “Social listening makes that market intelligence possible."

Transformation through teamwork

Compton credits his colleagues and partners like NTT DATA as key to the success of Integra's digital transformations and resulting competitive strength. Compton says, “The fact that we work together in such a seamless way, focused on doing the right things for Integra, is what makes this a success and drives value for our company."