Hybrid Cloud Tagging Module for Flexible Data Views
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Solution Overview
Problem
Financial ERP systems are inflexible for management accounting purposes, leading to the use of spreadsheets for data manipulation, which results in data integrity and reporting issues due to missing data integrity, inconsistent master data, and inadequate sharing and comparing capabilities.
Innovation Solution
A hybrid cloud architecture that includes a cloud computing device with a processor and memory, a service layer, a tagging module, and a storage layer, allowing users to create customized views of data by generating item references without modifying the underlying data, enabling flexible data modeling and sharing without replicating or disturbing the original data.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If ERP systems use a strict centralized model for data management, then data consistency and compliance are improved, but flexibility for individual business views deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments data management into two independent layers: a centralized ERP layer for maintaining consistent master data and compliance, and a distributed tagging layer for enabling flexible individual business views. Each user can create custom tags and groupings without affecting the core ERP data structure, thus resolving the contradiction between centralized consistency and individual flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a new dimension of data organization through tags that operate parallel to the traditional ERP hierarchy. Instead of modifying the rigid ERP structure, users can overlay custom dimensions (projects, cost centers, departments) on top of the existing data, enabling flexible views without compromising the underlying data consistency.
2Adaptability or versatility
If businesses use spreadsheets for management accounting, then flexibility for custom data views is improved, but data integrity and reporting reliability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system introduces tags as an intermediary layer between the ERP system and users. Tags enable spreadsheet-like flexibility in organizing and analyzing data without requiring actual data extraction to external spreadsheets. The tagging module acts as a mediator that preserves data integrity while providing custom views, eliminating the need to choose between reliability and flexibility.
3Adaptability or versatility
If ERP systems allow manual data extraction for customization, then individual business views are improved, but reporting efficiency and automation deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by pre-defining tags and tag groups that can be reused across multiple reports and analyses. Instead of manually extracting and reorganizing data for each custom view, users can apply pre-configured tags to data once and then create multiple custom views by combining these tags in different ways, significantly improving reporting efficiency while maintaining flexibility.
Data Source
AI summary
A system includes a first application and a storage layer running on a cloud computing device, where the first application includes a service layer to interface over a network with a browser application running on a client computing device to provide the browser application access to the first application and a tagging module to interface over a communication connector with a second application running on a remote computing device having a database. The service layer receives requests for data from the first application and provides the requested data from the database. The tagging module is configured to tag a record of the data in response to tag requests from the first application, where the record of the data is tagged by generating an item reference to the record to enable a customized view of the data. The storage layer is configured to store the item references.