Company Overview
Bosch USA is a regional branch of the Bosch Group, one of the world’s largest private industrial corporations. The
company is divided into three corporate divisions: Automotive Technology, Consumer Goods and Building Technology,
and Industrial Technology. Bosch USA has annual sales of $6.8 billion and has 25,000 employees.
Synopsis
For years, Bosch USA’s various business units collected customer data from marketing campaigns, information requests,
its various web sites, and warranty forms, in both electronic and paper forms. Data collection varied from simple
marketing questionnaires to complex warranty registrations and in-depth marketing surveys. The forms used to collect
data had some shared elements and many form-specific questions.
For years, the company used isolated products, databases, and vendors for data collection and analysis. By 2003, as
its data collection increased in complexity, Bosch determined that it needed to upgrade its data collection and
database capabilities. Bosch also understood the need to create a centrally organized system to remove the various
niche solutions for data collection.
Triton-Tek’s goal was to develop a database and meta-data system that would aggregate and store data from a multitude
of business units, provide each unit the flexibility to act autonomously when determining how to gathering data, and
create a secure web interface to provide access to third party analytics providers in a secure environment.
Solution
Triton-Tek technologists determined that the situation required the creation of a centralized user end database,
meta-data system and secure web interface. This solution would allow each business unit to design its own data
collection forms while providing a secure web interface to access customer data.
A meta-data system was created to describe each form stored within the database. The system allowed each business
unit the flexibility to create their own forms either from a list of standard questions or create their own
open-ended questions. This provided each business unit the ability to custom design their data collection forms,
and allowing them to gather specific information unique to each business unit.
Microsoft SQL Server was chosen as a database solution for:
- Enhanced security, including database encryption.
- Reliability and manageability.
- SQL Server Reporting Service and advanced data mining capability.
- In-house experience managing and maintaining Microsoft SQL Server.
The interface into the database was developed using Microsoft .NET technology. Microsoft .NET was selected for the
solution because it provided:
- Faster time to market.
- Flexibility and scalability.
- Reduced vulnerability to application security threats.
- Ease of maintenance.
- Simple access to integration points such as SOAP web services and the ability to scale to EAI through Microsoft BizTalk Server.
Bosch already possessed a trained staff with internal development and operations experience utilizing Microsoft
technology and Microsoft .NET development, thereby avoiding any future training or deployment issues.
Triton-Tek developed a secure web interface to provide centralized aggregation of data and provide access to third
party analytics companies who perform advanced BI analysis of company data. The interface was built using SOAP web
services with WS-Security used for transport security and authentication. By using web services, the solution provides
cross-platform support to enable access to third party applications in the future.
Results
In the time Triton-Tek has implemented the centralized end user database, meta-data and web solution, Bosch USA has
experienced many benefits, including:
- Enhanced ability to analyze customer data.
- Marked increase in effectiveness of marketing efforts.
- Significant increase in customer satisfaction.
- Improved ability to foresee future customer requirements.
- Enhanced internal efficiency.
- Improved TCO form centralizing collection efforts and reduced redundancy.
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