Application Series 19
LET'S MAKE A TRADE - IN UK DATA
Steve Flack of Forvus, UK, uses SIR to disseminate UK trade data obtained from HM
Customs and Excise and finds SIR's data replication facilities particularly useful.
Background
'We find SIR's database replication features a lifesaver' said Steve Flack, head of the UK
Trade Data service team at Forvus. He was describing the importance of the SIR database
management system in disseminating the HM Customs & Excise UK Trade Data to a large
array of heterogenous companies throughout the UK.
Forvus, a highly regarded UK statistical and database consultancy company, is an official
marketing agent to HM Customs & Excise who make the trade data they collect from
customs declarations commercially available.
What is Trade Data?
These data include up to date information on over 11,000 different commodities and
products with additional information such as country of origin/destination, mode of transport,
value/volume of goods. Forvus use SIR to manage and disseminate this trade data to the
companies who need it.
How useful is it?
'The primary use of the UK Trade Data is as market intelligence' Steve explains. 'Companies
are continually trying to identify new trade opportunities for their products'. The data are also
used to measure market share, identify growth areas, forecast trends and analyse patterns.
Maritime companies want to monitor shipping patterns or port usage. Manufacturers want to
look for new suppliers of raw materials or components.
'Every company has different needs and different facilities' Steve said, and went on to
describe the wide range of computing facilities he has to deal with - from PCs to large
mainframes. 'We have to provide the information and format the customer wants.
Otherwise he will go to some other agent to satisfy his data needs.'
SIR comes to the rescue
In order to do this Forvus makes use of SIR's many data replication techniques. 'SIR utilities
are easily able to replicate quite intricate subsets of data. This means we don't have to force
the company's needs into some pre-determined grouping which makes our job much easier'
Steve was pleased to say.
The SIR utilities provide both internal and external forms to allow merging with networks,
through internet or on stand-alone machines. 'As SIR supports over 20 different machine
platforms there isn't much chance that a company will be left out in the cold.' These data can
be automatically merged with other UK Trade Data or accessed directly.
Output formats vary
SIR doesn't limit its replication utilities to its own format but also provides for most other
major software products. 'Some customers might want to do complex statistical analysis,
then we can provide SAS formats. Others might want it in a spreadsheet format. This is
available too. There aren't many software products out there that SIR doesn't support.'
Steve said.
'Once we have defined the customer's requirements then we provide update data
automatically at selected intervals' Steve explained 'The customer knows what he will get
and when to expect it. He will not be disappointed'. The method of transfer can be electronic
or magnetic media depending on the sophistication of the customer. Either way the
customer's work to merge his updates is minimal.
Conclusion
'It has been a great boost to UK companies for HM Customs and Excise to make this
massive amount of data available. Our job is to make sure that it is easy for companies to
get access to the data so that everyone can make the maximum use from it. That is why we
have stuck with SIR as a means of dissemination. It certainly provides the flexibility and
portability we need for this application.'
'Forvus has been associated with SIR for a long time.' Steve said 'To begin with as
consultants specialising in SIR software and eventually as UK distributors. We have always
regarded this product as top rate and we are very proud to be so closely associated with
it.'
For more information on the use of SIR with UK Trade Data contact:
Steve Flack
Forvus
Forvus House
53 Clapham Common
South Side
London SW4 9BX UK
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