PICSDESK: a case study in business re-engineering

Presents first-hand experiences from an actual re-engineering project. Business re-engineering is a process affecting not only the software system involved, but the underlying business model as well. Indeed, it is the changed business model along with the new technologies that determine the design of the new system. This paper is a walkthrough of the design of PICSDESK, a prototype incorporating some modern technologies to support the old business model of its predecessor and its evolution to a new business model. PICSDESK may be thought of as an example of a new breed of inventory control systems.