Case Studies

Alliant Event Services (AES) stands at the forefront of event equipment supply, offering comprehensive design, staging, and production services for meetings, special events, and live performances. Their repertoire includes a wide array of audiovisual equipment, stage lighting, projectors, computers, monitors, kiosks, and various AV services such as audience response systems, webcasting, set designs, and more.

AES relied on an internally developed billing and scheduling system, built over years on a legacy platform. However, maintaining and evolving this system became increasingly challenging as business requirements evolved. The legacy system's architecture lacked efficiency and flexibility, with business logic dispersed throughout the codebase. AES recognized the need for a transition to a modern technology platform but faced hurdles in:

• Managing a gradual transition alongside existing operations.
• Consolidating scattered business logic for better maintainability.
• Improving system efficiency and scalability.

Rheal collaborated with AES to devise a comprehensive migration strategy, addressing their unique challenges:

• Architectural Refinement: Utilizing ASP.NET MVC, Rheal implemented an n-tier architecture, segregating the user interface layer from the business logic layer. This architectural overhaul centralized business logic, enhancing maintainability and scalability.
• Database Optimization: Inline SQL queries were refactored into stored procedures, optimizing code maintainability and execution speed.
• Transitional Bridge: Rheal engineered a bridging mechanism, facilitating seamless data exchange between the old and new systems. This enabled AES to transition gradually, minimizing disruptions to ongoing operations.

To further enhance operational efficiency, the new system incorporated a comprehensive Labour Module, featuring:

• Job List: Streamlined management of job orders and assignments.
• Checklist: Facilitated task tracking and completion verification.
• Crew List: Centralized repository of available crew members with their skill sets and availability.
• Job-Position Matching: Automated crew assignment based on job requirements and crew skills.
• Crew Rating and Nearest Crew Assignment: Enhanced crew management through performance ratings and proximity-based assignments.
• Purchase Order Generation: Simplified procurement processes by generating purchase orders directly from job orders.
• Integration with External Crew: Seamlessly incorporate external crew members into scheduling and assignment workflows.

With Rheal's expertise, AES successfully transitioned from its legacy system to a modern, scalable platform. The new system streamlined operations, offering improved code maintainability and scalability. AES now operates with enhanced efficiency and flexibility, better equipped to meet evolving business demands.