An overview of agrē Hub functionality is provided in the following sections:
Welcome to agrē Hub! Let’s start out by answering the obvious question:
What exactly is a Data HUB?
A data hub is a collection of data from multiple sources that can be organized, combined, and shared with various groups and/or other systems. Generally this type of model utilizes what is called a Hub & Spoke Architecture that consolidates information together from multiple independent streams.
Imagine a wheel, where the centre component is the Hub. Next, there are the spokes that tie into that Hub. Without the Hub, each spoke could not contribute to the wheel functioning as a whole. Without the spokes, the Hub would be a centerpiece with no purpose. Together, they form a powerful tool that can move data and information organization-wide. And the more everyone knows, the better a business can be run.
Masterfile Management
A core duty of agrē Hub is masterfile data management. agrē Hub stores the data for customers, suppliers, and products. Those data files are then matched with the same data file in agrē. This important process is called mapping. When an update happens to specific fields in agrē Hub, that data is pushed through to the individual retail databases. So Customer A1 in agrē Hub is matched with Customer A1 in the individual retail database. In the event that information such as Customer A1’s phone number is updated– that change would then flow down to the appropriate retail and update automatically. This would also apply to all mapped suppliers and products. This standardization & synchronization allows everyone to operate with a single data set– which is hugely beneficial in a large, widespread organization.
Some of the benefits of Masterfile Management include:
Standardization of Information – All retails are using and referencing the same base data, so it is much easier to communicate with other retails directly
Single point of entry – Changes only need to be made in one place, so less time and effort are required by Admin staff to keep information accurate
Automatic data updates – Changes come down numerous times a day to ensure information is current
agrē Hub has the responsibility of maintaining the integrity and completeness of the masterfile records and the individual mapping to retail databases. And because of this, agrē Hub can provide intelligent access to data from all agrē databases at either a consolidated corporate, regional or individual retail view.
The Masterfile Management Module provides:
Masterfile Mapping
The mapping of all of the various masterfiles (customers, products, & suppliers) is stored here. The mapping is what connects your agrē data to the data that lives in agrē Hub. Mapping is dynamic and configured by the retails through the agrē user interface.
Masterfile Management (Creation/Update)
New Customer Masterfile Data – any new customers entered into agrē Hub will automatically feed into agrē
Updated Member Masterfile Data – any changes to the customer name, phone, address, credit status, etc. will also automatically update your agrē system
New ProductImport – items can be directly imported into your agrē system with little to no setup
Updated Item Masterfile Data – all mapped items will be updated with new edits and current price details.
New Supplier Import - new suppliers can be imported from agrē Hub to agrē databases as required
Updated Supplier Masterfile Data – all mapped suppliers edits will happen automatically in your agrē system
agrē Hub and agrē retailer databases will share business intelligence regarding record integrity
Additional specialty master record functions will also be feed through agrē Hub into individual retail databases. These include:
Dynamic item pricing updates that happen daily
Promotional pricing and program detail feeds
Transactional Data
As detailed and accurate sales information is integral to ensure customer account get updated properly, agrē Hub also performs the important role of detailed monitoring and auditing of transaction data. In addition to managing all of the automatic export processes, you can also review audits, export logs should you need to do so. The Hub will alert users if the export processes are not working properly.
The Transaction Management Module provides:
Functionality to allow managing and reporting and error handling
Transaction detail/summary records may be collected from and sent to agrē databases
Transaction detail/summary records may be delivered to corporate to feed a data warehouse
Transaction detail/summary records may also be exchanged with a foreign database
Consolidated Reporting
Probably one of the most exciting features of agrē Hub is the powerful reporting capabilities. With all mapped masterfile records and access to all associated retailers, agrē Hub can perform a variety of consolidated reporting tasks at various levels. Based on the reporting requirements, either detailed or summarized data can be prepared and even customized reporting can become an option.
The Consolidated Reporting/Query Module provides:
Inventory reporting
Sales reporting
Financial reporting
Customer reporting
Summary
agrē Hub has the important role of connecting retails together. As it grows and continues to standardize information, automates how data gets updated, manages how data get distributed (and ultimately how that data can be consolidated) and is used to improve the business of every retail involved - going forward it will be an integral tool that will allow everyone in the group to grow and advance into the future.