ECOPLIANT European Ecodesign Compliance Project Work Package 4 D4.4 Business Analyst Report Transferability of data from Ecopliant Database to ICSMS Database
Analysis on transferability of data from Ecopliant to ICSMS Introduction DCENR were tasked with doing a report on recommendations on interfacing and transferability of information contained on the Ecopliant Database to the ICSMS database. When examining the steps involved in this we were advised from the ICSMS IT team that the first exercise to be undertaken was a Business Analysis. This involved examining the layout, structure and field types on both databases to identify what is common, different or missing. The findings from this analysis would form the basis of a gap analysis and technical document that ICSMS IT team could schedule (at the time of writing this report) to look at later in 2015 (Q4) We found that the best approach to take in this analysis included the following steps: 1. Enter data on the same product under the EcoDesign directive onto both databases and note the different Tabs/Screens and fields required to be completed; 2. Compare results on both databases when the initial Product Registration is complete (i.e. before details on inspection/test results are entered) 3. Compare the number of Tabs/Screens in both databases; 4. Look at differences in data required when entering Inspection Details for the product 5. Report findings.
1. Entry of Products Test Case When entering information onto ICSMS, the first step is to enter particular details of the product in a NEW ENTRY screen. You will see that there are seven (7) different field types on this screen with the last field type (Product Category) having 3 sub sections. Figure 1: NEW ENTRY SCREEN ON ICSMS Once the details are entered and then saved the database automatically generates a unique number and will bring you to a new screen i.e. PRODUCT.
Figure 2: PRODUCT SCREEN ON ICSMS This page (and all other pages on this database) show a number of headings (TABS) at the top of the screen. Within each heading(tab) you will be brought to a different page where you have to enter particular details of the product depending on the information required within that particular page. This will be discussed in more detail further on in this document. If we look at the first screen (Figure 3) on the Ecopliant Database (Register Product) you will see that initially you are asked to select the product category, however this is not broken down into sub categories as it is on the ICSMS database (Figure 1).
Figure 3: PRODUCT REGISTRATION PAGE ON ECOPLIANT
The following 2 screenshots (Figures 4 & 5) show the remaining fields that need to be filled in in order to register the product. You will see that there is a lot more information to be entered at this stage in comparison to the information to be inputted onto the ICSMS database. Figure 4: PRODUCT DETAILS AND MANUFACTURING DETAILS
Figure 5: MANUFACTURING DETAILS AND REGISTER PRODUCT BUTTON
Once the product has been registered you will be brought to a screen (Figure 6) that is similar to the screen in ICSMS (Figure 2) in that there are a number of headings that represent different sections of the database. Figure 6: SUMMARY SCREEN OF ALL INFORMATION ENTERED SO FAR
Analysis 2. Tabs/Screens of the Two Databases The number of different Tabs/Screens in the ICSMS database is eleven (11): Summary; General; Product; Economic Operators; Standards; Conformity; Testing/Examination; Accidents; Measures; Treatment; Comments. The number of Tabs in the Ecopliant database is six (6): Overview; Edit Details; Document Inspection; Compliance Testing; Enforcement; Files. It is apparent from the above listings that there are vast differences in the number of Tabs/Screens in both databases. There are also a lot of differences in the naming convention of the fields within each Tab/Screen (see screenshots further on in this document) The ICSMS database has more Tabs/Screens and thus has the capacity to record more information and data on the products entered resulting in more information being available for Market Surveillance Authorities. The ICSMS database includes fields within certain TABS/Screens that do not relate to products under the EcoDesign directive would not be included e.g. Description of Accidents field on Accidents Tab, RAPEX No field on Treatment Tab. The next set of screenshots (Figures 7 to 13) show the various tabbed screens on the ICSMS database that you need to access to enter information on the product
Figure 7: ECONOMIC OPERATORS SCREEN
Figure 8: STANDARDS SCREEN
Figure 9: CONFORMITY SCREEN
Figure 10: TESTING/EXAMINATION SCREEN
Figure 11: ACCIDENTS SCREEN
Figure 12: MEASURES SCREEN
Figure 13: TREATMENT SCREEN
Findings 1. Both databases differ to a large extent in the number of Tabs/Screens within each and the level of information required to be inputted resulting in the ICSMS having the capability to provide a wider range of information on non-compliant products to Market Sureveillance Authorities. 2. You will see from FigureS 11, 12 and 13 (ACCIDENTS, TREATMENT and MEASURES)that a lot of the information that needs to be filled in these Tabs relates to products that do not come under the EcoDesign Directive e.g. description of Accidents (Figure 11) and Rapex No. (Figure 13). 3. When comparing the product registration screens of both databases at the Register Product stage (Ecopliant) and New Entry (ICSMS)there is only one field name that is similar (Product Category) however the Product Category field on Ecopliant (Figure 3) only requires the type of the product entered into one field whereas the Product Category field on ICSMS (Figure 1) is broken down into 3 sub sections. 4. When looking at the Headings/Tabs on the ICSMS pages there are 11 headings whereas on Ecopliant there are only 6. 5. Only non-compliant products under the EcoDesign directive are entered onto ICSMS but both compliant and non-compliant products are entered onto Ecopliant database 6. When entering test results on Ecopliant a large amount of information needs to be entered onto Document Inspection and Compliance Testing pages of the the database (Figures 14 22) and there is the option to attach the relevant test report. On ICSMS (Figure 10) only basic information on the test (date of test, location of test, number of samples tested) is required to be entered onto the Testing/Examination page. There is also the option to add a test report.
Figure 14: DOCUMENT INSPECTION 1 st Screen
Figure 15: DOCUMENT INSPECTION 2nd Screen
Figure 16: DOCUMENT INSPECTION 3rd Screen
Figure 17: DOCUMENT INSPECTION 4th Screen
Figure 18: DOCUMENT INSPECTION 5th Screen
Figure 20: DOCUMENT INSPECTION 6 th SCREEN
Figure 20: COMPLIANCE TESTING 1 st Screen
Figure 21: COMPLIANCE TESTING: 2 nd Screen
Figure 22: COMPLIANCE TESTING 3rd Screen
7. With this section of the database alone you will see that there is a large amount of fields and data entered onto the Ecopliant database that is not required on ICSMS. Conclusions There are a large amount of different field names on both databases and very few common names. There are many more pages/screens on ICSMS when compared to the Ecopliant Database. This will produce difficulties when trying to match screen for screen. There is much more information required on Inspections/Tests on Ecopliant than there is on ICSMS. To interface both databases, a gap analysis exercise would need to be conducted following consultations with ICSMS IT personnel and ptools IT personnel. ICSMS have indicated that they are available to begin these consultations in October 2015. This gap analysis exercise would need to be completed prior to the Technical Analysis that would then begin to look at how to transfer the data between both databases. Questions at that stage would include looking at how frequently the data would need to be transferred, daily, weekly etc. How do we handle data on Compliant products on Ecopliant due to the fact that only information on Non-Compliant products reside on ICSMS? Should the ICSMS database be changed to accommodate this data or is it more appropriate to just transfer data on Non- Compliant products and leave the data on Compliant Products on Ecopliant. This would not result in the duplication of data entry. With all of this said there is the possibility that the Ecopliant database will be further enchanced through the eepliant project and with that could come a number of resolutions to the issues raised above.