KTEK Solutions Inc. Helps PBSG Internationalize Masterfiles through Innovative Java Technology Solutions.

PepsiCo Business Solutions Group - PBSG was formed in 1999 by PepsiCo Inc. to create the "Power of One". PepsiCo Inc. did not want all its Companies (Pepsi, Frito-Lay and Tropicana) to create their own Information Technology Solutions to solve the same business problem. But rather wanted PBSG to create a single Winning Solution that could be reused by all of its companies involved.

One of the first initiatives undertaken by PBSG was an Information Technology Project called, Masterfiles Applications. Simply put, this was a consolidation and a rewrite effort of the existing Masterfiles like Applications supported by all of the PepsiCo companies deployed on the OS/2 machines. These Applications were written in a proprietary language with no portability to Windows NT and no interoperability across various PepsiCo Companies. What PBSG wanted was to create single suite of Masterfiles Applications that would be platform independent and that would interoperate within its various Companies operating in various Countries. PBSG had chosen Java as the development language of choice of this purpose.

So PBSG engaged the people of KTEK Solutions Inc, the trusted Information Technology Provider with years of IT Industry experience and technology provider having done similar Java based Projects at The Sabre Group and Verizon, to help deliver Masterfiles, make it Portable across its various Platforms and Interoperable across PepsiCo Country-Companies, thus saving development costs to implement its Masterfiles Initiatives.

KTek Solutions Inc. assembled a team and began the engagement by itemizing PBSG's business drivers and key issues. KTEK Solutions Inc. then produced a model of the company's business process and data and a project plan was developed together with specific requirements to deliver the solution that PBSG sought.

With an approved project plan, KTek helped PBSG issue a request for proposal (RFP) for delivery of platform independent Masterfiles Application Components that would support Multiple Country-Companies with users in multiple Languages.

KTek used Java as the Technology of choice to create the new Masterfiles Application Components. Java allowed Masterfiles Applications to be interoperable across various platforms. KTek used the Java's Reflection techniques to allow for the business Rules to be dynamically provided at run time. This allowed for the same Application Components to be deployed with different business rules. KTek used Java's Resource Bundle technique to allow for support of multiple Languages.

The Masterfiles Application Components that KTek delivered were truly portable and interoperable due to the support of Java Technology.

With KTek Object Oriented Systems Design, fewer Masterfiles Application Components were needed be created. Since the same components could be reused for different Country- Companies in different languages, they were reused. All that PBSG had to provide was run time Business Logic and Language specific Resource Bundles. This saved PBSG Masterfiles developments costs and achieved the organization goals of the Power Of One. These Masterfiles Applications are currently deployed multiple Countries for many of PepsiCo companies in multiple languages.

THE PROBLEM

• PepsiCo Business Solutions Group needed a Software Solution that would be Platform Independent and Interoperable.
• PBSG wanted reusable Masterfiles Components to be used by PepsiCo companies across multiple Countries in many Languages.

THE SOLUTION

• KTek Solutions Inc. itemized PBSG's business drivers, key issues and solution requirements.
• KTek helped the company select a Java based approach that would that would support the Multiple Country-Company requirement.
• KTek provided the Masterfiles Application Components in Java that were platform independent and Interoperable across multiple Counties and Languages.

THE BENEFITS

• PepsiCo Business Solutions Group was able to save development Cost of Masterfiles Application Components by writing once and reusing everywhere.
• A consistent Look-and-Feel of the Graphical User Interface of the Masterfiles Applications was provided for all he PepsiCo companies.
• As PepsiCo acquires new companies, the new Applications can be "docked" into the existing Framework of Masterfiles Application.
• Costing savings to maintain and make any changes to Masterfiles Applications to reflect any changes in the core PepsiCo business practices.