12/13/2021

    Make existing systems　smarter without additional development and maintenance UI Extension TechnologyNTT Access Network Service Systems Laboratories

    Overview

    UI (User Interface) extension technology adds a UI incorporating functionality for simplified and automated operations to the system screen without additional development of the existing web system. An operator can use the extended UI added to the system screen to operate the system, reducing the amount of system operations and decisions required to operate the system, thereby providing more efficient operation. This also has advanced functions added to realize operator/system collaboration using inter-system coordination technique.

    Background / Issues

    Development of systems is vital in order to dynamically transform organizational roles and operations in response to recent rapid changes in the business environments and management policies. On the other hand, keeping abreast of changes in the system as they happen is difficult in terms of time and cost, and digital transformation is attracting attention as a new means of achieving flexibility and speed in this. Of these measures, Robotic Process Automation (RPA) which replaces operators with software robots to automate work is becoming more popular. However, it is difficult to use software-robots to replace tasks involving system operations that rely on the complex judgment of humans. c.

    Advantages of this technology

    • The operating displays of existing web-based systems can be customized without system development.
    • As a visual programing is adopted, even the people who are not programmers can learn the technology in a short time.
    • This enables distribution of data between multiple systems and operators, as well as linkage with external applications such as RPA.

    Use Scenes

    • [Simplifying command inputs] The order inputs that used to be entered manually are customized to the form of a pull-down list "additionally"!
    • [Checking the integrity of complicated input rules] The check functions and the input-aiding functions suitable to the actual situation on the "site" are added to backbone systems and the systems available on market. In addition, the customization can be made on site!
    • [Data distribution between systems] Data can be referenced, modified, input, and reflected across multiple systems from a single input!

    Explanatory chart

    Technical explanation

    UI extension technology adds an extended UI with extended functionality for simplified and automated operations to the system screen. An operator can use the extended UI added to the system screen to operate the systems, reducing the amount of system operations and decisions required to operate the system, thereby providing more efficient operation (Fig. 1). There are a number of types of this extended UI, and can be configured freely.
    Extended UIs with a range of functions can be added to the system screen. Examples include functions for the automatic input of standardized text and functions to check this input content against operational rules. These extended UIs can be configured on the user side instead of on the system developer side. The most important feature of this technology is that by applying it to systems operators normally use, they can make the system smarter and easier to use, and tailored to their own operations.
    Using UI extension technology for (1) improving productivity for tasks for which application of RPA is difficult, (2) reducing system development costs by using UI extensions to respond to minor requests for additional functions, and (3) SaaS (Software as a Service: software that can be used as a service providing only the necessary functions), and applying this UI extension technology to systems that we operate for customers and for which conversion is difficult. Through this, we can increase operational performance and provide differentiation from other companies, and use this in a variety of applications.
    UI extension technology mainly comprises "overlay displaying technology" (Fig. 2.) and "end-user setting technology" (Fig. 3.).

  • Overlay displaying technology adds an extended UI to the web system screen without modification, displaying this together with the original system. This technology enables the addition of functionality to existing systems in a short time frame and at low cost, with an approach very different from conventional system development.
  • End-user setting technology lets users, including those with no system development experience through to experienced and skilled users, customize the extended UI depending on their skill levels.
    Next, advanced functions are based on UI extension technology, and are characterized by the users themselves being able to do the previously difficult task of building links between systems, links between users, and links with local applications such as RPA. The technologies underpinning these features are inter-system coordination infrastructure technologies and inter-system coordination configuration technologies.
  • Inter-system coordination infrastructure technologies (Fig. 4.) absorb and abstract differences between destination interfaces and distribution data formats, and connect systems to enable processing with integrated control. This enables collaboration with various systems, files, and external applications.
  • Inter-system coordination configuration technologies apply end-user setting technology (Fig. 3.) to collaborative infrastructure technology, thereby allowing construction of collaboration between systems using simple visual programming, previously a task requiring advanced knowledge and skills.

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    NTT Access Network Service Systems Laboratories - Access Network Operation Project

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