EASA enables P&G staff to rapidly create, without any programming skills, graphically rich web-enabled applications that automate and simplify access to software and hardware. EASA provides a layer of abstraction to multiple computing software packages, giving it cross-function and cross-business unit applicability, and facilitates simulation at multiple points from the beginning to the end of commercial initiatives.
EASA has excellent database connectivity capability, allowing for data-fed applications as well as integration with corporate repositories for storing and archiving results. It also has cross-platform capability, meaning Linux, UNIX, and Windows applications can be accessed seamlessly as part of any given work process. In addition, EASA has simple, secure, easy-to-maintain infrastructure resulting in high availability and reliability.
EASA’s authoring tools allow P&G’s staff to easily design, build and deploy custom tools. Authors can drag and drop predefined objects such as text input fields, menus, and choice lists needed on each input page. Authors can quickly define the inputs, processes, and outputs desired for each custom tool. The output may be tables, charts, graphs, images, or whatever the individual building the application deems appropriate for the user-audience.
The end-users access these custom applications through P&G’s intranet site. Users choose from a list of EASA applications and define the problem to be solved using simple input screens. The user’s input is automatically processed “behind the scenes” by a variety of existing tools, ranging from Excel all the way to legacy codes, databases, and high-end, expert-only engineering applications. When a submission is complete, the results are once again accessed via a browser. All jobs are archived to prevent wasted time solving the same problem more than once.
