Content Filtering / Linux Implementation

Challenge:

A local school system needed to replace their Internet gateway system preventing students from surfing inappropriate web sites. The current system was no longer supported by the vendor while the school system’s limited budget prohibited replacing it with a costly, commercial application.

Solution:

Canis Major Software proposed a solution utilizing open source software that met the school system’s budget without sacrificing functionality. The new system included four gateway servers running the Red Hat Linux 9 operating system with a firewall for security. Canis Major Software configured content filtering according to the school system’s policy and installed the OpenOffice.org office productivity suite. The IT personnel were also trained in system administration and operations so they can manage the system themselves.

Results:

Canis Major Software’s Solution replaced costly Windows-based system saving the school system more than $28,000 in licensing fees and contributing the eligibility of more than $10,000 in federal grant money.

Back to the top

Manufacturing Automation

Challenge:

An area direct marketing company was competing to manage a new order fulfillment program for a large national office supply retailer. The retailer would provide order information daily in an electronic format and the direct marketing company would be required to fill all these orders within 24 hours, without adding to headcount or burdening the unskilled staff with specialized training for this low margin program.

The rapid turn around time for each order and the zero-error requirement from the retailer necessitated an almost completely automated process without significant capital expenditures.

And the retailer demanded the program go from proof-of-concept to fully operational in 8 weeks.

Solution:

Since neither the retailer nor direct marketing company had done something like this before, Canis Major Software had to analyze the problem and create a new process while tightly managing costs. Canis Major Software built a custom enterprise workflow system with paperless travelers for each order. This system was able to process the retailer’s daily batch transmission, coalesce multiple orders, generate prioritized work orders and incorporate the marketing company’s existing labeling platform. We were able to include a reporting tool to allow the marketing company to analyze work in progress, throughput, on time delivery and financial metrics.

Results:

In less than 2 months, the direct marketing company was able to win the bid and start fulfilling over 4,000 part orders per month, generating an estimated $50,000 in annual revenues. Since existing PCs were utilized, the only capital expenditures were additional label printers.

Back to the top