Following the successful operation of COINS Open Architecture (OA) at a number of client sites, we formally launched it at our two conferences earlier this year: initially at the Contractors Conference and then again at the House Builders Conference a month later. Both launches clarified the huge impact COINS OA has on the current and future capabilities of COINS.

COINS OA is far from being a new product, it is a change to the underlying architecture of the system and provides the platform for the continued evolution of COINS. The most significant change is ‘under the bonnet’ where the n-tiered architecture provides a new Presentation Layer enabling simplified access to COINS through a range of different user interfaces, a Database Server Layer to accommodate a choice of databases, and a Business Logic Layer providing easy external access to the COINS database while retaining security and database integrity. This combination has also allowed innovative new functionality to be introduced into the COINS application at a much faster rate than before.

At the launches, we demonstrated how COINS may be operated via a browser (Web) based interface using Internet Explorer, thus simplifying the deployment of functionality to sites and laptops for the casual user whilst enabling the detailed customisation of the screen and data being seen by an individual. In addition, it was explained how some clients were piloting the use of mobile technology (PDA’s, scanner pens and even mobile phones) to read from and update their COINS systems.

Clients felt that one of the most significant impacts of COINS OA is the huge improvement in reporting functionality. Various levels of enquiry and reporting capabilities, through browser based technology, provide a range of options from simple ‘point and shoot’ ad-hoc reporting for end users through to sophisticated customised querying and reporting, online analytical processing (OLAP), statistical analysis, forecasting and data mining with optional graphical representation.